Insadong, Dongdaemun and Myeongdong

Walked out from Unhyeongung Royal Palace we saw this van selling hot and sweet Hotteok, which is traditionally baked for a hundred years! It's a popular Korean Street Food especially during cold winter season.

 

 Bought my new thermal earmuffs (1,000 Won a pair),

but after this photo was taken, they turned into a blanket for my tummy (nom nom nom) :P

We walked comfortably around this neighborhood 

because these hotteok made our tummy warm and added energy to our feet.

Oh... I remember this building! We took taxi and passed here from Nambu Bus terminal to Center Mark Hotel. That's when I'd to stop my Skype conversation to 1330 as I wanted to know about March First Movement Day because the driver didn't know the way to our hotel.

'낙원악기사 지하시장' Paradise Underground Market.

It's comprehensive shopping center for musical instruments.

We didn't go in to explore because the opposite street seemed to have more interesting shops and more people there.

 Yuhooo so many shops... let's check it out! 

 

Korean traditional desserts and colorful confectionery such as

Tteok (떡), Injeolmi (인절미), Yakgwa (약과), Yeot (엿),...

 

 서래갈매기살.부속고기 - Soerae Steak House with so many types of meat.

But, we're not hungry yet, as we had Samgyetang at 3pm.

   

But couldn't resist these Mandu (만두).

They look like donuts or Chinese donuts (咸煎饼 = Xián Jiān Bǐng).

Let me call them Korean donuts instead of Mandu, since they're also made of dough

and fried instead of steamed or boiled. Anyway they didn't taste like Ham Chim Peng :P

We're near to Center Mark Hotel as that Jongno Tower is located 

diagonally opposite of the building.

 

I recognized this big Traditional Painting of Korean Wrestling (Ssireum) and...

This Painting of the Sun, Moon and the Five Peaks (Irwarobondo = 일월오봉도)...

 

 means we arrived in Insadong, which is walking distance

from Unhyeongung and our hotel~!

Actually, my friend had already brought me here on my first day in Korea. We walked from Samcheongdong to this place.Looking from the above map I think if you're adventurous and have good sense of direction you can walk also walk to tourist sites such as Bukchon Hanok Village and Gyeongbokgung Palace.

 Busy Insadong Street at night.

 Tadaaa... We're in Ssamzigil!

 Ssamzigil Map.

Ssamzigil... Smile~^^

 Insadong Alive Museum.

 

Wanna know what this Poop Bread (똥빵 = Ddong Bbang) tastes like?!

Beautiful Hanok-style Restaurant.

 Another Hanok Style cafe.


 What building is that?

Then I told my hubby that I want to go to Myeongdong to shop and we took taxi there...

I asked my hubby: "Ehh?!!! Why Dongdaemun?!!"

My hubby said he was confused as just now I told him that I wanted to go to Myeongdong, and why I asked the taxi driver to come here.He didn't ask me because he thought I changed my mind! Heol~!!! What happen to my mind. Maybe my brain was playing Shiritori game. Myeongdong => Dongdaemun. 

Thanks to my clever brain that we had to take subway to Myeongdong~!!!

  

Shopping time @Myeongdong street!

 Myeongdong Art Theater (명동예술극장)

N Seoul Tower seen from Myeongdong.

 Before going back to our room...

 

We went to Caffe Vergnano 1882...

   

...ordered hot drinks and called it a day!