It was finally our last day and we did not have much on our plate. We were supposed to check out from the hotel at 12 noon, and just spend the rest of the day around Myeongdong.
After our breakfast, we immediately got dressed so we can immediately head out.
Before the last minute shopping mirror selfie
Myeongdong Cathedral
Our first stop was at Myeongdong Cathedral, which was supposedly the first place we visited on our first full day before Haneul Park.
We however took our sweet time preparing that morning that dropping by the cathedral was suddenly out of the question. Better on our last day than none at all.
At the Myeongdong Cathedral arch
We love this tree
After silently going inside, we stepped out to take a couple of photos. We especially love the grounds of Myeongdong Cathedral.
We were also mindful not to intrude much on people’s affairs, either by carefully taking photos or getting out of their way on their way to prayer.
The shot I realized I forgot to pack a razor
After Myeongdong Cathedral, we immediately started our shopping. We figured that my impatient self would have a better chance buying stuff in the morning, than in the evening where it was more crowded and with our feet aching from walking the whole day.
I was delighted to step back inside Olive Young minutes before they opened. I was able to buy a lot of things I intend to give as souvenir to our families and friends.
The perennial and discounted face masks were on top of my list, as well as some lip balms and hand creams.
Olive Young in the morning? Yes!
HBAF shopping
We also dropped by HBAF to get those almonds, especially with the interesting (and for some, weird) flavors. But that’s the joy of finding something you cannot readily buy somewhere else, right?
I bought 5 packs, while Mon, the eternal shopper managed to buy 10.
As soon as we rounded up our purchases, we already went back to the hotel at around 11:00 AM and checked out early instead.
We thought that it may be better to have our things rounded up, pack these last minute purchases, and leave the luggage at the hotel lobby. We also left some space on our luggage as we’d be going around some more until around early afternoon, after lunch and some a couple more souvenir shopping.
Myeongdong under daylight
I’ve wanted to try something here, but alas
After checking out and leaving our bags, we immediately went back to Lotte Young Plaza to perhaps look for things we could buy there.
It was unsuccessful, except for this one MARKM x Evian collaboration shirt I bought for my nephew.
I was messaging him the entire time as I wanted to make sure I won’t be buying something he won’t wear.
From Lotte Young Plaza, we then looked for the fried chicken place we spotted earlier in the day.
It had this cool, industrial vibe, that the exposed tubes and wiring looked deliberate. The best thing was our orders were delivered to our table via a robot. Talk about robots talking over the world.
Aside from the usual fried chicken (we did not get crazy with the flavors and opted for the original one), we got the amazing cheeseballs as well. I have a very uncultured palate and I could not tell the difference in flavor from the one we had in Myeongdong. Cheeseballs are cheeseballs.
This fried chicken place was really cool
The cheeseballs were divine
Dalgona candies on the street
After lunch and a couple more shopping, we went back to the hotel to get our things.
So for a quick review of our hotel, we had an amazing stay at Stanford Hotel Myeongdong that we booked at Booking.com.
As it was obviously just the two of us, we originally wanted to get either the Double Room or the Twin Room.
However, I took my sweet time making the reservation that, by the same evening, the rooms were gone leaving us with a Family Room.
The family room… for two
We always have an extension cord with us
We requested to have a room that faces Seoul Tower, but we were informed that all Family Rooms face the Lotte Mall. Nothing we can do there.
As for the breakfast, they had semi-buffet for the guests. We were very particular looking for a hotel that serves as such as it was the most efficient use of our time.
It meant we can have a decent, and not to mention heavy breakfast, which meant we won’t have to go outside the hotel just to eat, and we can eat properly that’d last us for a late lunch.
Semi buffet and the breakfast hall
They had bacon with French beans. scrambled eggs, soup, rice, as well as a selection of cereal and salad on top of the juices, tea, and coffee. That was nice.
They also allowed us to leave our things by the hotel lobby, so we can roam around before leaving at 2:00 PM.
Left our luggage at the lobby
They also have an art installation just outside the building by the Korean artist Lee Jae-Hyo (which Monette conveniently pointed out the previous day). That was pretty neat.
A Lee Jae-Hyo art by our hotel
We left the hotel at exactly 2:30 PM, thinking that we can ride the taxi around Lotte Mall to Seoul Station.
We debated whether it was wise to lug our things from Euljiro(1), as we had a bit of difficulty when we arrived earlier that week.
Our last day and we got stumped again.LOL We were supposed to take the bus from Myeongdong but we had no idea where to go. We originally thought of checking it out but kept on forgetting. (We later on found out it was in the same area as Tous Les Jours)
Figuring out where to ride a cab
Mon instead walked a bit around the mall and the hotel and noticed some cabs dropping off people. At that point, we did not mind getting on the first cab, even if it was a Premium Taxi.
We had no idea how the rate was, as I nervously peered on the meter.
Passed by Namdaemun
Going home, or so we thought
On our way to AREX bound to Incheon
Twelve minutes and KRW 7,200 after, we finally reached Seoul Station. We had a quick photo outside before stepping inside the station. The last time we were in that area, South Korea was busy ramping up their preparations for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
We booked again our AREX Express Train tickets via Klook. While waiting for our train to arrive, I got both a Viber message and email from Cebu Pacific. It mentioned our flight being changed but the time looked the same. I didn’t think much of it for a couple of minutes
I only realized after re-reading it while the train was arriving that Cebu Pacific basically moved our supposed 7:40 PM flight that day to 7:40 PM the following day. YIKES!
Eagerly awaiting our fate in front of the Cebu Pacific check-in counter
I could not believe it. Mon was so optimistic, and frankly to a fault, that there was likely a mistake and we could fly back.
I, on the other hand, was trying to calm myself during the train ride so I could think clearly.
We fortunately purchased a travel insurance (for the first time, by the the way), so I immediately pulled out the policy and messaged the agent. I just wanted to make sure I knew our options. We were supposed to be covered up to the limit that we availed.
As soon as we reached Terminal 1, there was already a long line of passengers, with some who looked to be facing the same problem as ours.
At one point, Cebu Pacific assured us that we could fly on that flight. One hour after at 5:25 PM, they informed us with finality that we had been bumped off (they overbooked), and offered either a refund of the ticket, or a re-booking for the following day with free hotel and transfer.
While some of the passengers opted for the latter, we chose to be refunded instead. We just wanted to go home and see our cats. We also heard some passengers were there since the other day, and with us awaiting if they’d be allowed to fly that evening.
After being assured by the staff that I would receive the certification for this incident (for our insurance claim), I hurriedly looked for the next flight back that was within the amount covered.
Before (11:00 pm) and after sleeping(4:30 am) — on airport benches
Asiana was to leave at around 8:00 PM, but they no longer allowed any additional check-in baggages. The next one was Korean Air at 6:40 PM, which I immediately booked.
We eventually realized that it was in Terminal 2, which meant we had to travel all the way there. We reached the check-in counter where the staff informed us that, after calling their colleagues at the boarding gate, we could board the plane but our check-in baggage would be on a different flight.
We just requested for the ticket to be cancelled instead.
Mon and I had to sit aside for a bit, evaluate, and verbalize the non-negotiables. Mon’s sister, who already went back home, agreed to go back to our place to look after the cats as we booked again a new ticket for the first flight home in the morning.
At that point, there was nothing we can do but wait. We just had our late dinner at Lotteria, then a late night coffee, before making ourselves comfortable by the benches of the café that closed at 11:00 PM.
I surprisingly slept properly despite being on a bench. My sweater was so comfortable that I did not feel the bench at all. Mon, on the other hand, had some difficulty sleeping, which was saying a lot given he doses off easily.
Finally, flying home!
The following morning, we woke up around 4:30 AM as we were not sure what time the check-in counters open. We also did not want to rush fixing our things, and wanted to have even some breakfast.
The check-in counter did non open until 6:00 AM. We could have done the self check-in as the others, but our boarding passes were not being read by the machines.
Nevertheless, when we finally got our boarding passes and cleared the immigration, we were so relieved to be finally flying home.
We originally planned the night before to do some more souvenir shopping at the airport, but the flight mishap derailed us. We managed to squeeze in a couple of minutes to purchase, but we did not risk missing our boarding.
Carbs galore, but had to eat everything
The flight back via Korean Air was a breeze. We were so stressed out by the previous day’s incident that I ate everything that were served to us.
Yes, everything. No food went to waste with me despite the carbs overload.
As soon as we landed, I had the relief of thinking that I’d finally be able to go back to my house soft clothes and see our cats.
Bonus? The actress du jour Park Eun-bin was in the same flight as us. I honestly had no idea what was happening as I just took a video. When the airport staff told me that she played the titular Attorney Woo, it only dawned on me how I may have acted differently had we pushed through watching her show.
And we were at the same flight as Park Eun-bin
But for now, we were just happy to be home. The insurance claim can wait once I got my energy back.
