Seoul, Korea with a seven-month old baby.

Life after having a baby dramatically changed but this didn’t stop me from planning on to our next destination.  This is my second trip to Seoul but this time it is different, I am with my family.  The husband was on second thoughts as he was scared to travel with a seven-month-old baby.  I understand his concerns but I totally don’t want to halt my love to see the world.  In fact, I trust my baby and I know she will be perfectly fine.  My belief is that parenting is hard no matter what age and no matter where you are in the world, so you might as well fill up the moments in between with meaningful memories.

My Family.

Heaven was fast asleep during boarding time and woke up on the last hour before arrival time (08 hours and 20 minutes flight).  I admit I was secretly praying the whole time.

when we arrived at Incheon.

Heaven's first train ride

Who wouldn’t love to see South Korea when you are in love with KDrama?  I don’t want to start talking about it because you will never hear the end of it. 

To start off with our itinerary, to Namsan tower we went.  BUT I made sure to pass by Heo Joon-jae’s (Lee Min Ho) pad in The Legend of the Blue Sea series before riding the cable car towards the tower.  Obviously, this is one of my favourite KDrama series not only because Lee Min Ho is the protagonist but mainly because of the storyline.  

where Lee Min Ho and Jun Ji-hyun were walking on Legend of the Blue Sea series.

The House that they used for the Legend of the Blue Sea series.

Namsan Tower is the most conspicuous and iconic landmark of Seoul.  You need to ride the cable car to get there and the cable car ride was fully loaded with tourists that it’s impossible for you to see the view if you are not tall enough.  We can choose to walk all the way up for around 30 minutes but we opted for the cable car instead.

Namsan Tower from the cable car view.

Heaven and I staring at Namsan tower from the cable car.

She looks at the camera and smiles too.

Sweet time with Dada

My son has a good eye in photography.  He took this photo.

Love locks at Namsan tower

Insert my Papa.

We rarely have pictures together nowadays.

Having kids when travelling is like taking your own sweet time instead of what Riggi and I usually do when we travel and believe me we finished the full morning trying to convince my son to get up from bed and then pleading my daughter to cooperate when we changed her clothes.  So basically we ended up leaving for Petit France and Nami Island at noontime.  It was too late that we have to be in a hurry in Petit France so we can catch up the sunset in Nami Island.

Petit France is featured in a lot of KDramas and one of them is my favourite too, “My Love from another star.”

In Petit France.

Mama

My son hates being the subject so might as well take a pic when he is not watching.

Heaven's smile though.

Petit France encapsulates stars, flowers and the Little Prince.  I never thought I was still in Korea once I saw the French Village from afar.  There stood still the brightly coloured buildings against the mountain facing the afternoon sun.

My Little Prince.

My Baby Princess.

Heaven with Kuya Ninong.

It was a perfect detour before going to Nami Island until our horrible bus experience.  My son was nauseated on the way to Nami but it didn’t stop us there.  As they say, South Korea vacation will never be complete without seeing the Nami Island.  We were running to catch the beautiful sunset as that is what Nami is famous of.  We were expecting for the beautiful autumn foliage and the leaf-peeping pictures just like how I saw in K Dramas but the colourful leaves had fallen already.  Nami is still incredibly exquisite though with its surreal scenery and historical references.  It is fully blanketed in a beautiful natural landscape that we enjoyed.  Heaven was all smiles there too; she surely loves the cold weather.  I wonder what questions she will ask her Dad and I when she fully understands that once she was in a beautiful Namiseom island. 

Nami Island.

Beautiful Nami

The cold doesn't really bother her anyway.

Fall season at Nami.

Love.

My Mom, brother and I decided to wear the Korean traditional dress called “hanbok.”  It was an experience for an hour wherein we were roaming a village that is preserved to show a 600-year-old urban environment on top of a hill, which is Bukchon Hanok Village.  It felt like I was one of those characters in Joseon Dynasty.

Baby Korean and I.

I became her instant best friend.

Korean Hanbok.

She was not leaving my side.

Mama and my brother.

How is it to visit one of the most iconic Gyeokbokgung Palace and is closed on the day that we were actually there?  It was disappointing.

The Gyeongbokgung Palace

One of my good friend Vanessa travelled for more than three hours by a train from her place just to meet us in Seoul.  The moment she saw us she was screaming like she owns the place.  As usual, she can light up the day by her merry attitude. 

We couldn’t leave Korea without trying samgyeopsal too.  It is one of Korean’s famous barbecue cuisines.  Kamsahamnida (thank you) Vanessa for the treat!  I missed you already the moment you hugged me and kissed me goodbye in the metro station.

Korea's traditional Restaurant

Samgyeopsal

We passed by Seoul World cup stadium on our way to Haneul Park.

Haneul Park was once an enormous mountain of garbage and Seoul government decided to turn it into an ecological park.  I couldn’t even imagine it was once a place of garbage because it simply is a good example of how a disposal site can become a famous tourist spot.  It was drizzling and windy when we arrived there but the silver grass field is so dramatic that we just couldn’t stop taking pictures with its natural eulalia's and wild flowers. 

Haneul means sky in Korean is above Seoul where we enjoyed the fantastic view of the city and the Han River. 

The view of Haneul Park.

Eulalia's

I will never forget Goblin and what better way to feel like a real fan than to visit the famous wall where Kim Shin and Kim Go-eun met for the first time.  I had to drag and force the husband to go along with my plan on having a small clip like the Goblin and his bride.  My brother and my son was the “on the spot director and videographer.”  

One day, I will be the smallest in the Family.

This is the clip I was talking about that I had to force my husband to follow how Goblin and his bride met for the first time in the same place.  This is the Beautiful Life theme song from the Goblin K Drama series.

South Korea is one of those cities that my husband and I love to visit again.  It has a plethora of interesting cultural, historical and natural tourist attractions.  Ohhh and the food itself are delicious wherever it is in Seoul especially in Myeongdong area where street food is very cheap and delicious.  

The Famous Isaac toast in Seoul.

My brother and I eating Ramen and Tteokbokki

Streetfoods.

Heaven’s first travel is a milestone for my husband and I; she was the best travel baby.  I am not a biased Mom here but she certainly is.  I would love to see my children learn things that they might not learn in school.  Travel will spark their imagination, feeds their curiosity and reminds them that the world is enormous and is full of adventures.  Go out and feed your souls.

“When you travel with your children you are giving them something that can never be 

taken away. . . . Experience, exposure and a way of life.”

And to our next adventure soonest….

Love,

M xo