South Korea: Nami Island

Today’s itinerary was to meet a couple who volunteered to bring me to Nami Island. This half moon-shaped island is famous because it is one of the filming locations of the korean drama Winter Sonata.

I woke up early and braved the cold to the subway. I’ve never felt so thankful for a packed train. Body warmth!

GETTING LOST

I had no sim card or wi-fi with me, so we agreed to meet at a specific time and place in one of the train stops. I waited for an hour but no one showed up. I then went to the subway office for help. The staff members couldn’t speak English but they called the number I gave them. Surprise, surprise! My friend gave me a wrong number. Haha. I asked if they had free wi-fi, but they didn’t.

I thanked them and walked out of the office. A minute later, I saw one of the staff members coming towards me with a lady in tow. She was just a passerby who could speak English. She offered to connect me through her phone’s hotspot. Thankfully, I found my friends after getting online. They were waiting in the same spot but one level down.

What a good experience of Korean hospitality and classic Filipino miscommunication. 😛 Kamsahamnida!

OFF TO GAPYEONG

Click here to know how to get to Nami Island.

Kuya Chris and Ate Evelyn had been living in Seoul for some time now. They greeted me with snacks and pocket heat packs. Just what I needed!

It was enriching to hear their stories and catch a glimpse of life as Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in South Korea. I salute them!

By noontime, we arrived at Gapyeong Station, the last train stop before reaching the island.

DAK GALBI (TAK KALBI)

The tension of getting lost and the long train ride made us hungry. Kuya Chris insisted I try the popular Dak Galbi dish for lunch.

Mr. Dakgalbi was a clean, spacious and bright restaurant. The meal was so good, we devoured everything, up to the last slice of radish.

Namiseom Island (남이섬 종합휴양지)

There are 2 ways in reaching the island: by zipline or by boat. I wanted to try the Zip Wire but was afraid of freezing in the sky.

The entrance to the island was so cool, it had its own “immigration” and “visa” counters.

“The Naminara Republic, which declared its cultural independence from the Republic of Korea, has its own diplomatic and cultural policies. Naminara celebrates the imagination and shares its beautiful fairy tales and songs with guests from all over the world.”

If you’re a tourist, don’t forget to bring your passport for a discounted price.

The Sunday crowd boarding the ferry…

Approaching the island 5 minutes later…

Welcome to NamiNARA REPUBLIC

This was the best welcome ever!

“The name of the island originated from General Nami who died at the age of 28 after being falsely accused of treason during the reign of King Sejo, the seventh king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. Although his grave was not discovered, there were a pile of stones where his body was supposed to be buried. A tour company arranged the grave with soil and then developed Namisum into an amusement park.”