Day 5:  16 Oct 2006

Day 2 in Seoul is going to be really exciting! This is the highlight of our trip!

The first would be a visit to the Dae Jang Geum theme park and the second would be experiencing Korean massage at 永東汗蒸幕!

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HIGHLIGHT (1)

The cost of the day trip was 74,000 won each (around S$124) and was quite expensive but rather than crack our

brains trying to figure out how to go there, I think it's better to spend some money and save some agony.

In any case, it' a distance away even by coach. Because the theme park is located at the foot of a mountain (if I heard correctly),

the weather was cooler and I had managed to see a few trees with reddish leaves!

I was so excited! But other than that, I saw no more coloured trees.

We chose the 74,000 won itinerary

Japan is still hot on Dae Jang Geum as the last episode will only be screened around mid-late November 2006.

22 excited Japanese, 1 Singaporean (me!) & the Japanese speaking Korean tour guide heading to the theme park

The morning got off to a chilly start as the theme part was located at the foot of a hill/mountain??! I cannot remember if I got the facts correct! Pardon me! The Korean guide did all explanation in Japanese and it was easy for me to just switch off!

Ms. Kim, our tour guide for the day, brought us all  (participants of the day trip) around the theme park once, introduced to us the various interesting aspects of the theme park before we dispersedto plant ourselves in front of the royal kitchen or pavilion to take photographs! We spent around 1.5 hours. Somehow, the palace shown on TV seems to be much bigger, spacious than what I actually saw at the theme park. I must highlight that the sets were preserved exactly the way it was during filming! Some sort of camera trick and lighting trick made the palace appeared more spacious? Mr. Kim explained that since the palace ground was not exactly vast, for instance, Lee Young Ae had to run across the courtyard twice to potray the image of a spacious place! Oh, that's how it works. Interesting!

Main Entrance

Jang Geum's Kitchen

The spot where Jang Geum's mother buried her secret sauce          The prison

The sauce department                                                                    The pavilion where the secret recipe booklet was hidden

The house where Duk Goo and wife live (Jang Geum's foster parents)

We took our lunch at a Korean restaurant and lunch was supposedly like a mini kaiseki meal. However, if I am not mistaken, it is a mini court meal. It was delicious but I wished that there was karubi (yakiniku) and toppoki (Korean mochi)...I love these 2 dishes!

After a sumptuous lunch, we shopped at The Shilla, a DFS shop.

On our way back to Seoul, we stopped by this particular market for about 30~40 minutes. The time was too short for us to explore the place properly. Anyway, there was nothing we could see except the wet market and rows and rows of shops selling nothing but medicine and ginseng....!?!

Gosh, we smell like a walking ginseng after leaving the market! I am not kidding!

Yup, I don't quite like ginseng.

Herbs for sale (like the herbs that Jang Geum used)

 The entire street on both sides of the road are lined with all types of vendor

HIGHLIGHT (2)

永東汗蒸幕

We had making prior reservation for the massage hence we had the opportunity to enjoy some services free of charge!

http://www.konest.com/data/esthe_mise_detail.html?no=906

Those interested can refer to the website (the above url) and book through 'Konest' to enjoy special benefits. Note that the website is in Japanese.

It was a very good experience for me and I was looking forward to the akasuri (body scrub which rids the dirt on one's body!) in particular!

Both of  us opted for a basic course (70,000 won) & an option of cupping (15,000 won). So the total cost of the almost 2 hours plus of scrubbing, steaming, soaking was just S$142! Cheap! Frankly speaking, I was not totally satisfied with the massage portion as the cute auntie serving me did not exert enough strength for my back and shoulder massage. Maybe it was because of the red and purple marks on my mark caused by the cupping treatment that the auntie took extra care not to hurt me.

We started with robbing ourselves in a orange and white gown, removing our make up before proceeding to the 2^nd floor for about half an hour of cupping. The cupping was done twice and two times the auntie removed the cups off my back, two times she said ‘warui’! Oh Oh, what does that mean? I guessed that the cupping marks on my back must be quite red since I have sensitive skin. After cupping, we entered this super duper  hot cave! The perspiration came down my forehead rapidly and my entire body was drenched with perspiration! It felt good but was very hot! After the heat ordeal. we were given a cold towel and some tea, 五味子茶 (read as オミジャ茶) .

It was a salt pack treatment next, coupled with a hair massage. The most exciting part comes after this! It was time to proceed to the basement for some water fun! --> being stark naked and guided along each step by the Korean aunties who wore black undergarments (黒の下着だよ。。。2 piece). OK, as what Kyoko has nicely phrased it, the Korean aunties were wearing black bikini! After the initial shock of seeing 40, 50 years old Korean aunties in black undergarment, it was time to concentrate on the serious hot tub soaking, body scrub and massage! I love the body scrub (垢すり)! The dirt came off my body like rubber shavings - just that the dirt shavings were a grim grey. Amazing!!! I feel so much cleaner after the scrub!

The parting gift from the massage place was a free of charge dinner (dinner was at 10.45p.m.) and 2 boiled eggs smoked from the hot cave! There was also a small towel given to each customer, meant for body scrub. How wonderful!

Chijimi (Korean pancake)

These amazing gloves were used to scrub dirt off our body. I bought them from a street vendor!

I had a most wonderful day. Extremely satisfied with the way the day went.

DAY 6 (SEOUL)