Korea 2012: Day 2 Part 2 (63 Building 63빌딩 - Hoho Myoll Cafe - Myeongdong 명동)

Hey there! Hope the posts so far have been to your liking.

This post is a continuation of the previous post Korea 2012: Day 2 Part 1 (Gyeongbokgung 경복궁 - Cheongjinok 청진옥).

TOURIST TIP:
If you're wondering why I have been inserting the Korean words into my blog post, they are to help you as well. In case you are planning your itinerary, write down the address in Korean too. If a Korean person can't speak or read English, they may at least be able to read the Korean words and many are nice enough to take you there if its on the way.

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We spent the morning touring the vast palace grounds of Gyeongbokgung 경복공 and had hangover soup and bindaetteok (mung bean pancake) for lunch.

Thereafter, we set off to 63 building. With 63 floors measuring a height of 264m, the 63 Building is Korea’s tallest and most recognized building. The 63 Building boasts spectacular views of the Hangang River and the surrounding mountains of Bugaksan Namsan and Gwanaksan. 63 Building has undergone considerable renovation and the basement floor boasts convenient facilities including 63 Sea World, 63 IMAX theater, Korea’s greatest buffet restaurant “Buffet Pavilion,” and a host of other restaurants.

Photo from itsrichardk.blogspot.com

Here's a list of what's in the 63 building (IT'S MASSIVE!)
Sea World, Sky Deck, IMAX Theatre, Art Hall, Wax Museum

Since we were on a budget trip, we decided to check out the wax museum as we were going to the aquarium at COEX the next day. The journey to 63 building needs quite a fair bit of walking from the station. There is a free shuttle bus available but chances are it will be really crowded. If you don't mind walking there (about 15-20 minutes), just follow these instructions and everything should be fine!

HOW TO GET THERE: 
Alight at Yeouinaru Station 여의나루역 (Seoul Subway Line 5) and take Exit 4. Walk straight continuously down Yeouinaru-ro 여의나루로 and turn left onto 63-ro (63로). You won't get lost because this is the tallest building in Korea, and its way too big and golden to miss it.

63 Square (63스퀘어)
50, 63-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul  | 서울특별시 영등포구 63로 50 (여의도동)
Operating Hours: 10am-10pm (Sea World)
                               10am-10pm (Sky Art)
                               10am-5.30pm (IMAX)
                               8pm-9pm (Art Hall)
                               10am-10pm (Wax Museum)
Website: www.63.co.kr (Website available in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese)

TOURIST TIP
If you're travelling with the family, or you just want to see everything in the 63 Building, why not buy the multi-admission ticket which lets you see more attractions at a lower price (than purchasing individual tickets)!
BIG 3 (select 3 from: Sky Art, Sea World, IMAX Theatre, Wax Museum)
Adults (19 and over): 32,000 won / Children (3-18): 27,000 won
BIG 4 (includes Sky Art, Sea World, IMAX Theatre, Wax Museum)
Adults (19 and over): 38,000 won / Children (3-18): 33,000 won
ANNUAL PASS : 70,000 won

      

 
   

My verdict? It was a pretty fun experience (with celebrities, horror creatures, teddy bears, comic characters) there is something for everyone to enjoy! It was a little hard locating this place though (we had to walk through the car park?) so try to look out for signs. Or if you do know of a better way to get here, let me know!

63 Wax Museum 

Location: B3 level of 63 CITY building

Operating Hours: 10:00~22:00 (year-around)
Admission Fee: Adults (Ages 19 & over) 14,000 KRW; Ages 3-18 13,000 KRW
Official Website: http://63waxmuseum.com/ (Korean)

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Since this was a cafe-hopping trip of sorts (I've never drunk so much coffee in a span of that many days), we decided to check out our first cafe of the trip. Jess did her research on interesting cafes as well as Korean idol ones as well, and the first one we saw was a concept cafe somewhere off Hongdae.

Well if you are following what we did. We headed back the same way to Yeouinaru Station (instead of waiting for a shuttle bus, we'd rather use that time to walk). Taking that train, we headed to Gongdeok Station (Seoul Subway Line 5) and transferred to Seoul Subway Line 6. Then we took the train to Sangsu Station.

This is one of the most memorable cafes we went to. The atmosphere, decoration and concept of the place is just wonderful. It's that fantasy land in the back of your head.

Hoho Myoll Cafe is famous for one thing. They have a vehicle in their cafe. And this isn't just any vehicle, and no I am not talking about a bicycle either.

Yes, they have a volkswagen at their shop entrance. You'll be greeted by this beauty as you enter the shop. I KNOW IT SAYS NO CAMERA, but the lady say it was fine to take photos. HEEE =)

This is my favourite corner of the store. Everything just feels so cozy and chill out.

The interior of the van can be used as seats as well.

My verdict? Jess and I didn't order much from here. Just a cup of coffee and a hot chocolate. Perhaps it was the nice soothing warmth of the hot drinks in the cold weather, but this place sells concept more than anything else. I truly do love the atmosphere of the place. Nothing beats sipping your cuppa in a quaint, perfectly lit and decorated shop. BLISSFULNESS LOOKS LIKE THIS. Prices too are normal coffee/cafe prices. I do recommend that you check this out if you have the time.

Hoho Myoll Café
93-44 Mapo-gu, Sangsu-dong, Seoul | 서울시 마포구 상수동 93-44 1F
How to Get Here : Alight at Sangsu Station (Seoul Subway Line 6) and take Exit 2. Turn left and walk straight down (towards Hongik University). The shop will be on your left. And you won't miss that VW waiting for you at the entrance.

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We decided to head back to Myeongdong and explore our new "home for the next 16 days". Myeongdong is truly a sight to behold. Every tourist picks their favourite spot in Seoul and for me its definitely Myeongdong. The streets are always packed with people (day or night). More so at night because that's when the street stalls come out and station themselves in the middle of the road to sell their yummy snacks, accessories or socks.

Photo from Wikimedia.
Since I didn't take any photos of the place for this night, I'll show you what others captured through their lens.

Photo from flickr.
Myeongdong is absolutely dazzling at night with all the bright neon signs, lights and people. If you're not good with directions, keep an eye out for a row of stalls instead of just one stall. Within Myeongdong itself there are multiple outlets of the same stall, so if you remember locations based on a shop name, you're bound to get confused and lost. Remember Stall A, and next to Stall A (Stall B) and Stall C - chances are they would not be in the same order anywhere else.

Photo from icosnap.com
THESE ADORABLE SOCKS ARE SOLD THERE TOO! I bought like 4 pairs!

Photo from www.korea.net
Nearly every cosmetic shop has a store in Myeongdong, so this is the paradise for all skincare and facial products. The more you buy, the more freebies they give (part of their service).

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We ended off our night with some sweet treats at Cafe Bang Bang in  Myeongdong. This cafe was discovered by chance and while there was nothing special to their food and drinks - the concept is strong. Each patron gets their own cubicle in this cafe. (REMOVE YOUR SHOES OF COURSE! You're in Asia now). Each cubicle has its own mini table, TV and if you're lucky, a window to look down upon the twinkling streets of Myeongdong 명동.

A meh waffle. Patrons do have to order something though.

The lovely room atmosphere. OUR TV WAS NOT WORKING and the staff were nowhere to be found.

My verdict? Is this cafe worth visiting? Not quite. They have a lot to improve on, such as their service and food. The concept there is great though, a resting place for tired shoppers in Myeongdong but unless they bother to up their quality by improving on what needs to be done better, spending your money in this cafe is not worth the time or value. You're better off going to one of the cat or dog cafes in Myeongdong where at least you get to interact with cute critters. I do not recommend this cafe. 

Cafe Bang Bang (Myeongdong) 
23-5 Chungmuro 1(il) ga, Jung-gu, Seoul | 서울시 중구 충무로1가 23-5
Operating Hours: Unknown (and I can't seem to find them anywhere. Sorry about that!)
HOW TO GET HERE: Alight at Myeongdong Station (Seoul Subway Line 4) and take Exit 6. Turn left and walk straight down. It will be on the left corner, of the 2nd road junction you come across (Pretty near the station exit). Its also not on the first floor, so be sure to look up and spot the sign!

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I ended off my day with some yummy banana milk from the FamilyMart near our guesthouse. The banana fragrance in this milk is absolutely beautiful. It envelopes your taste buds and leaves you feeling contented.
Unless you're absolutely against bananas (like Jess), you have to try this at least once!

Can't quite get enough of this drink. Such a pity that I didn't drink more when I was there. I'll be sure to do so this time since its not available anywhere else other than Korea.

That's it for Day 2! Thanks for reading the posts. Stay tuned to the next one on Day 3 where we check out Hangang Park and COEX Aquarium (that will be a shorter post).

Do leave me any comments, feedback or questions!

Fly Safe and Eat Happy,
V