Brrrr! I love the cold weather! Everybody knows that it is freezing in my house especially in my room.
My trip to Seoul this time with my Ate was only to savor the cold weather.
Also to eat and buy snacks in the supermarket.
When you take Cebu Pacific, it arrives in Incheon late at night. You will not be able to ride the airport limousine bus anymore.
We had a very late dinner at the airport. I had a big bowl of Udon Noodle soup.
I had this great idea to check in at a nearby hotel. Hotel Air Relax which we booked via Agoda.
After you collect your luggage, you go to the tourist information counter and give the telephone number of the hotel. They will call and arrange for the free airport pick up service.
You will wait across Gate 7 - Departure area for the van.
It promptly arrived after 15 minutes.
It was a quick ride and check in process at Hotel Air Relax.
When we got there, the front desk staff was waiting for us. We just showed our passports and signed some papers.
The room was enough for our needs. It was just one night.
Across the hotel is Mini Stop. We ate ice cream outdoors!!!
I bought ice for my coke zero and the ice did not melt.
Really loved the cold weather.
I switched on the ac in our room. The lowest setting was 18C.
But then the floor was heated so it felt hot and cold at the same time. I woke up very early because it was not as cold as I wanted it to be.
I should have opened the window instead because it was 1C outside!
We checked out the neighborhood and found my favorite Dunkin Donuts!
Of course I had to buy and eat my donuts.
The color of their donut is yellowish compared to our donut which is whitish in color.
Soft as cotton too.
Some people like to have their pictures taken with a beautiful and scenic background. I like my background to be food related.
We then took the shuttle back to the airport. Haaayyyy We booked a Ski Resort trip but it was cancelled because there was no snow yet. So, the nearest that I can get to "see" snow was at the airport. Inside the terminal.
It was their winter display.
We rode Korean Airport Limousine bus to our hotel in Seoul.
It is my most favorite hotel.
New Kukje Hotel is right beside the Korean Press Center across the Deoksugung Palace and very near the City Hall subway station.
My favorite night shift front desk staff is Benjamin. Too bad I forgot to take a photo with him.
Our first meal in Seoul was in Hanradam, just a building away from our hotel.
Our favorite Korean Beef Stew.
Very Spicy.
Extremely Spicy
But Ate and I could not help ourselves. We ate it all!
We went to Doota Mall in Dongdaemun to check out Pierrot. It is like Don Quijote in Japan. We bought a few stuff then had a very late merienda at Shake Shack.
The Koreans do not like to eat outdoors, they all ate inside, with the heater on!
But I love to dine al fresco. Strawberry milkshake, cheeseburger and hotdog.
A quick train ride and we were back in the vicinity of our hotel.
A building away is the Cheonggyecheon Stream. It was the last night of the Lantern Festival.
Dinner was in Myeondong, BHC Chicken.
I really loved the fried chicken with cheese sprinkles.
The sauce was mayo with honey butter flavor! I wish I can find that seasoning so I can recreate the fried chicken here at home.
We had to wait for a while to get a table. Apparently, the restaurant was endorsed by one of the Kdrama stars. I saw a lot of tables outdoors and asked if we could be seated there and Yes! We got a table.
Again, everybody wanted to eat indoors. There are many Fried Chicken restaurants, one after another but BHC is the most popular. The other restaurants were practically empty.
I opened the window in our room because it was really cold outside.
Breakfast was at Gontran Cherrier at the New Seoul Hotel next door.
I wore the parka I bought. Haha the only time I could wear it because it was 4C.
But again, the boulangerie's heater was switched on. We even chose a table near the door so it was cooler. I had to remove my parka. That was supposed to be my outerwear at the ski resort.
They won the Best Baguette in Paris award in 2017.
I had to try it.
Ate ordered the croissant and the cheesecake.
I already tried the croissant at their Shinjuku branch in Japan.
Our next destination was Lotte Mart at Seoul Station. It was not really that cold so I was bare legged.
I bought a cartful of snacks! Well, almost. It was a big cart.
Tourists who come to Seoul really buy bagsful of snacks and other yummy goodies.
We brought home our loot to the hotel and had a late lunch/early dinner at MD BBQ in Myeongdong.
Dwaeji Galbi - Korean Style marinated pork ribs.
Our night cap was in Starbucks. The Junkies asked me to buy them tumblers and we got 4 free drinks!
We had Hot Milk Chocolate. Hihihi Outdoors!
Why? Because it was 6C!
I set my alarm at 6 am because the weather forecast was -4C. I wanted to know how it feels like. I already prepared my heat tech leggings, parka and boots. But when I woke up it was only -1C!
Not worth going down the hotel room and walk around like a lunatic. So I did the next best thing. I stuck my arm out of the window to feel how cold it was then went back to sleep.
Our brunch was at Angel in us Coffee.
We had the Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate drink. It even had a chocolate flavored whipped cream. Souffle pancakes with sweet whipped butter and berry waffle.
It was time to check out of the hotel.
We went to Ipark Mall in Yongsan Station. Just looked around and we could not buy a lot since we already reached our baggage allowance limit.
I love the KFC in Seoul! This time they have Fallling Cheese Chicken!!! It is spicy fried chicken with cheese sauce!
We rode the Korean Airport Limousine bus to Incheon International Airport. We returned our wifi devices. We used KT Olleh and had dinner again where we ate the first time we arrived in Incheon.
We still had 2 drink coupons from Starbucks so we each had a Venti Strawberry Frappucino.
Sugar rush!
Ate knew I really want to feel the cold weather so she told me to wear my parka and enjoy the breeze outside the terminal.
I did. I stood outside the terminal for about 5 minutes enjoying the cold weather then my eyes started to itch and burn and I was sneezing already. All the airport buses were outside with the motor running waiting for their passengers to board.
I am allergic to fumes from vehicles. I went back inside and took my allergy meds.
It was a fun and relaxed trip with Ate. We both enjoyed ourselves.
We just missed the snow by a few days. We went home last Wednesday and it started snowing last Saturday in Seoul.
But just the same, we had fun! Thank you, Ate!
The cold never bothered me anyway!
PS
Poor Snowball.
She was so sad when she saw my luggage and that I was about to leave her.
But I made up for it! As usual, the moment I got inside the house, I opened my suitcase and she got her pasalubongs!
She was quite ecstatic! I bet she forgot that I left her for a few days.
