{tcp:02} Hoho Myoll

Hoho Myoll has been one of the cafes I wanted to try for the longest time ever so I realized that before I visit the new ones on my list, I better go here first. Still located in Hongdae, Hoho Myoll is a vintage themed cafe with an actual Volkswagen car inside and out. When I first heard about it, I was so curious that I looked it up online. I can't decipher much how a real car could fit in a cafe. (I mean, how big or small the car or the cafe is, right??) 0.0 Then I saw photos which became proof that it is really possible. That was the time I became more interested in checking out this cafe. ;)

It wasn't that hard to find despite getting off at a different station (I went off at Sangsu Station instead of Hongik) given the fact that I have been going round and about a lot of stations for the past weeks now. I think I have already overcome my tiniest fear of getting lost in subways and I even think of myself as more independent than before when it comes to touring alone.

Taken via Instagram

Anyways, so I came inside and was glad that there only a couple of customers sitting. That means I can take pictures more freely without becoming conscious of them looking at me. Not to mention the fact that I'm using a Lomo camera. Well, that is a new thing I have to get used to 'cause I'm trying to lessen the use of Tyler (my SLR) and more of Luna (my La Sardina) lately. That's why some shots are blurry, I click the shutter and move right away. :P

The Volkswagen car, or should I say counter greeted me when I entered. It was situated right in the facade of the cafe. Based from my observation, this is where the owner lounges and where the cashier is located. It was adorned with lots of vintage stuffs and has a little tree beside it with Christmas lights hanging which made that area really nice.

Taken via Instagram

I chose to sit in the back part of the cafe for a peaceful vibe near the area wherein messages written on tissue papers and other illustrations made my by customers are posted. Their menu is hand-drawn! I say A+ for effort eh? ;) It includes coffee and tea drinks, desserts like cakes, brownies, muffins, and brunch items like paninis and curries but based from the reviews I've read, their muffins are a must try so I ordered their Apple Muffin for 3,500W plus an Almond Latte for 5,000W (I try to pick the weirdest lattes available, maybe not in Korea but for the least part in my country :P).

Taken via Instagram

I loved the muffin! It's so moist and tender, not too sweet and their are big apple chunks inside. I loved the latte too, placed on a big mug, the latte art is too cute I couldn't drink it right away. Hihi. :x ;)

I walked the opposite way trying to discover where it would head and saw Vinyl cafe. Its a cafe selling take-out alcoholic drinks in a plastic bag! How cool is that? I wanted too buy but too bad its still closed. I think It opens late like most of the other drinking places here. Few more walks and I realized I'm already in Hongik University area! I never thought it would be that close so since I already finished my 3 rolls of ISO 100, I dropped by the Lomo Gallery to have it developed and to buy new rolls as well. I don't know if I have decision making problems or its just that the lady in the counter has good convincing skills leaving me getting 3 packs of film. Yes, that's 3 different packs with 3 rolls each (ISO 400, ISO 800, and Color Slide X-pro 200). I got a 10% discount and I guess I wouldn't be buying films for a few more days anyway. :)

Taken via Instagram

Getting there:
Take the subway to Sangsu Station Exit 1 or 2, walk toward Hongik University you’ll see it on the way. Its on the right side of the street with a blue Volkswagen car parked outside.

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Gwangjang&Noryangjin Fish Market + Bukchon Hanok Village

One of the "to-visit places" on my list are the traditional markets here in Seoul. I have read in many articles that these markets offer a real encounter in Korean culture especially if you wanna look into their history, and daily life. They have been one of the tourist attractions for foreigners not only because of hunting cheap and unique finds and but also for enjoying what those markets has to offer. As for me, I prefer the latter so I decided to head off to two of them, namely Gwangjang Market and Noryangjin Fish Market. :)

I have mentioned before to one of my Korean friends that I wanted to try bindatteok (a pancake made of ground mung beans) and he recommended me to try the ones in Gwangjang Market. We were supposed to go there together last term but he already left for Sydney a few months ago to study so I thought I'd just see it anyway.

Since I went there on a Sunday noon, there weren't quite a lot of open stalls yet but I was still able to see how the ajummas (old women) diligently make their bindatteoks, pajeons, and sundaes. There were also a some people, mostly ajusshis (old men) and foreigners all lined up in the stores waiting for their tasty delights. You can have a choice to eat it there or have it take out.

Aaand, because I'm already in the Jongno area, I decided to drop by Bukchon Hanok Village too. It is actually a neighborhood that preserves Korean traditional houses also known as hanok. Aside from the touring experience, they also offer immersions in one of their many guest houses for a total traditional Korean experience. In addition to that, if you happen to be a fan of Korean dramas, this area is frequently used as filming locations too. Winter Sonata, You've Fallen for Me (Heartstrings) and Personal Taste (Perfect Match) are among them.

There were a lot of tourists going around and taking pictures specially on the top 8 photogenic places where you can enjoy the best of Bukchon's view. I think I was able to see the 5th-7th view if I got my directions right. ;) The neighborhood is actually vast and those top 8 places weren't really close from each other so there is really a lot of walking involved. I thought I've already went around the whole area but seeing the map, I was just able to go around one part but I'm already tired and hungry so I decided to eat my bindatteok from Gwangjang there. I happen to pass by this small tteok cafe with a lot of people outside so intrigued as I am, I went over and saw they have free tastes of their products. They tasted good, and I wanted to buy one but I already have bindatteok so I just ordered a latte from them. Since I have been craving for red bean from the moment I arrived, I decided to buy their Red Bean Latte for only 3,000W.

So after eating, I did some more walking around and saw some cafes before taking the subway to Noryangjin. Its only a few stations away from Yeokgok so I don't really mind wandering there for a bit. Besides I really, really wanted to see this place. Hehe :)

When I got there, I was so amazed by different kinds of seafood that populated the area. There were clams, sea cucumbers, shrimps of all sizes, crabs, live octopuses swimming in aquariums and big containers. Since its already late in the afternoon, most of the buyers I saw are group of men who seemed like businessmen who just got off from work and now heading for dinner at one of the restaurants nearby. I've heard that you can take your seafood buys in one of the restaurants and have it cooked there. It sounded like "dampa" at Macapagal Ave in the Philippines for me.

Please bear if some of the indoor shots are dark since I sometimes forget to turn on the flash, hehe. I am still trying to get used to it and I try to turn it off when I shoot outdoor to avoid too much brightness and save the battery as well.

This ends my journey today. Though tiring, I came home a happy kid. I think I had more than one item to tick off my list today. ;) :) So, if you wanna go to any of the places that I've been to today, here are some information that might help:

Gwangjang Market
Addres: Seoul-si Jongno-gu Changgyeonggung-ro 88 (Yeji-dong 6-1)
Take the Subway to Jongno 5-ga Station (Line 1), and go out at Exit 8.
The stores start to open around 10:00am and closes at 6:00pm (hours may vary per store)
You can also visit their site here (Korean only).

Bukchon Hanok Village
Address: Bukchon Cultural Center Area, 10g Gye-dong, Jongno-gu Area
Take the Subway to Anguk Station (Line 3), and go out at Exit 3.

Noryangjin Fish Market
Address: Seoul-si Dongjak-gu Noryangjin-dong 13-8
Take the Subway to Noryangjin Station (Line 1), get out at Exit 1, walk 100m through the bridge on the right.
Fish market is open 24 hours, all year round.
They also have a site you might wanna visit. (Korean only).

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