Day 1: Welcome to Seoul

From the abrupt ticket booking, to the “uninvited measles”, to the nine months of planning and research, we are now on our flight to our dream destination, Seoul. It still feels unreal.

Plane ride to Seoul. See you again, Manila!

Enjoying the sunset on board

And after five hours of travel, we are finally here! We're about 25 minutes earlier than our arrival time.

It was raining when we arrived at Incheon International Airport. We were very excited when we reached the main terminal but when we’re on the train, we got shocked. It’s entirely different! We suddenly missed the familiarity of the Philippines, where we can go wherever we want not worrying of getting lost. It might sound weird but we already wanted to go home.

Mandatory mirror groupie

Touch down, Seoul!

Finding our way to the All Stop train terminal

All Stop Train Terminal gate is in blue color while AREX is in orange.
Simply follow the signs from the arrival area to the train terminals.

It was really cold when we came out of Hoegi station so we immediately checked the direction going to our hostel. It says we have to cross the crosswalk and then turn right. Then, it’s the second alley.

But we got confused if the crosswalk she’s talking of is the crosswalk that is in front of us because somehow it doesn’t seem to be a crosswalk. We’re thinking of the wider one. So we looked for the other crosswalk. Thus made this road an unforgettable one. It’s the first time and the first place we got lost in Seoul. Haha. Good thing I kept on thinking that it says we only need to cross the crosswalk and then turn right. And so we went back. Finally, we saw the yellow building.

But it didn’t end here. When we got there, it was locked. So my sister decided to buy something at the convenience store first. Though we’re already thinking on what we’ll do if no one shows up. We can’t sleep out there in this freezing cold.

Luckily, two girls came and opened the door. She saw me standing there and gestured me to come inside. My sister also came in a few minutes later. We told them we have room reservation but they can’t seem to understand it so my sister showed her the Korean translation (using her Learn Korean app). A girl and a boy came too and maybe they are asking the two girls who we are. They’re Chinese by the way. 

After their discussion, the third girl told us that we need to have a key in order to pass through the main entrance and to get to our room and there is no manager right now. So we were once again bewildered. But as if on cue, the guy who is the manager went down the stairs. The two girls explained to him that we have a room reservation and he assisted us. We were thankful they’re all nice to us.

BTW, in Korea, you really have to remove your shoes. They have two slippers: one for indoor and one for outdoor.

After settling in our room, we went out again to buy food. It was even raining hard and we don’t have umbrella. T_T

Here are some pictures of our beloved home in Hoegi, the 24Guesthouse. We simply love the place, the staffs, the neighboring area, and its proximity to the train station.

How to get to 24Guesthouse
Ride the All Stop Train or AREX to Seoul. Get off at Seoul and transfer to Seoul Subway Line 1. Then, get off at Hoegi station (10 stops from Seoul, approximately 1 hour and 32 minutes). Then, cross the crosswalk (that crosswalk in front of you when you come out of Exit 1). Go straight and you’ll see the hostel on your right.

Weather in Seoul
It is starting to get really cold in the first week of December. We experienced a temperature of 6 °C up to -7 °C.

Getting around Seoul

Seoul subway

Navigating Seoul is pretty much at your fingertips when you download their Seoul Metropolitan Subway app. You only need to choose your current location and destination to check the fastest line and transfers.

How to use the Seoul Subway app:

1. Select your departure station

Click the name of the station that you are starting at. You can also type it in the Search bar. A table of options will appear. Click on Depart from.

2. Select your arrival station

Find which station you would like to arrive at and click the name of the station. Again, you can also type it in the Search bar. When the table of options appears, click Arrive at.

3. Modify your search

Your app will automatically select the fastest route for you. For more information, click on the Detail Info tab on the upper right corner of your screen. From here, you can modify what time you would like to depart or arrive and your traveling times will adjust accordingly. This tab will also show which stations you will need to transfer to, how many stops are in that route, and how long your trip will take.

We highly recommend using T-money card instead of the single- entry one. Single-entry costs more and you always have to buy it whenever you need to take the train. Aside from that, you can also use T-money when paying for bus and taxi rides.

EXO T-money cards!

T-money can be reloaded at any loading machines in the stations and almost all convenience stores. We only used the machine once at the airport and for the rest, we always reload at GS25 and CU since it’s very near our hostel. As far as I remember, they only accept cash payments so be prepared. The machines also only accepts cash.

Upon arriving at the station, simply tap your T-money on this reader shown below. This also shows how much is your card’s balance.

There are lots of signs in Korean, English, and Chinese in the station. A pre-recorded voice announces each stops and there’s also LCD screens inside the train. The train lines are numbered, has it’s own name, and are color coded.

Photos credit to www.whereismimiyu.wordpress.com

You can also ride the City buses and unlike here in Manila, these buses only stopped when there are passengers going down that bus stop or waiting to get on the bus.

Summary of Expenses