Goodbye, Seoul.... Hello, Jeju Island!

Six days in Seoul went by just like that. There were still so many places we would have loved to visit, and revisit, but there's just not enough time. On our last day in Seoul we didn't venture far for Yongsan Electronics Market was just a walking distance away. Most of the shops in the building we visited were wholesalers but we found several shops which sold retail items and got ourselves some stuff we've been looking for. 

not in Korea but bought in Korea :)

We had a quick lunch, packed our bags and big goodbye to our Seoul travel companions. While we go on to the next leg of our South Korean adventure, my in-laws stayed in Seoul for a few more days before going back to the Philippines. The kids would have loved to be with their cousins still but our schedules don't match up (our kids were on school holidays for the whole month of June while their cousins need to be back for the start of the school year by mid-June).

saying our goodbyes and thank yous to Charles

Charles drove us to the airport as promised. He made sure that we had everything we need and that we enjoyed our stay at his place and in Seoul. From our arrival to our departure he was very accommodating and reliable. I couldn't be more grateful for the services he rendered. To those travelling to Seoul anytime soon, I highly recommend staying at Yongsan Residence. Convenient location, good accommodation and friendly host made our stay in Seoul comfortable.

At the airport, while waiting for our flight to Jeju Island, we passed by this exhibit by Asiana Airlines. Travelers were asked to stop by for information and a few minutes of in-flight safety exercise. We had some time in our hands so we gave it a try. It tested our familiarity with some of the safety drills done on-board. While the boys knew that they had to put their oxygen masks immediately after popping out of the ceilings, a very important question was asked by this man who was assisting us - "what should you do to make sure that oxygen will flow through the masks?" To which I answered, "pull/tug the hose?" And I was correct! Plus points for mommy who remembered (at least my subconscious does).

We can't wait to board as soon as our flight was called. Another exciting adventure awaits.

What a sight to behold while we were on-board. 

We made it safely after an hour to Jeju Island with all of our luggage intact. We headed straight to the car rental counters and were advised to wait for the shuttle which would bring us to the office where we could get our car. Paper works checked, we headed to the car park where we loaded all our stuff in the Kia Picanto reserved for us. With everything else checked and GPS pre-programmed to lead to our hotel, we drove off and started our Jeju Island road trip.

We were wary of driving in South Korea as we read about how reckless some drivers could be, less so in Jeju Island but still not as careful and considerate as Japanese drivers. We didn't expect that the roads there would be as wide as national highways in big cities. We didn't imagine Jeju Island as developed as it was. We arrived safely at our hotel (Jeju December Hotel) which was located in a busy area - lots of shopping malls, restaurants and even a Domino's Pizza place. How lucky are we?! We just put our bags down and headed to Domino's to order. Of course, we had pizza for dinner. Doubly lucky because they had a promotion and we got one large pizza, 1l of coke, chicken wings for only 17,130 won ($20.27). Ira couldn't believe he'd have his favorite Domino's pepperoni pizza in Jeju Island. Just the perfect way to end the night, and start our week-long adventure in the island.