29/05/2026
So it’s time to talk about the first full day at Seoul!
The day starts with the most important meal of the day: breakfast! This hotel stay included it, so we went there and was pleased with the selections they had: quail eggs, sausages, various banchans with or without meat, steamed rice, soups and of course, coffee. Ensuring we were fully nourished by the delicious options was a must.
After breakfast, we got ready for our day and set off in our separate ways. I first headed to the Pokémon underground pop-up so that I can get my waiting queue ticket to revisit, since it takes a long time as it’s a very popular spot in Seoul. Next, I went to the spot I was looking for the most, the K-medic center.
This center has a museum that showcase the rich history of Korean medicine: from when it all began to the herbs that are still used to this day. That aspect of the museum is free for everyone to watch. However, the museum also offers massages and foot soaks which has a cost.
For the foot soaks, it costs 6000 won for two persons (or 5000 won for one person) and includes a herbal salt that you pour into hot water to soak your feet for about half an hour. With relaxing music and a picturesque view, it definitely is a relaxing experience.
The massages are done by machinery and includes hand, feet and full body. This also costs 6000 won. We did the hands and feet first, where we were given a soothing ointment to rub on the target spots first, then inserted into the machines for about half an hour. The full body massages just needed us to wear an eye shield and lie on a bed that has multiple settings to relax your back. This took about 45 minutes. I felt like a new person after this experience.
The museum also had the option to dress up as Korean doctors but I skipped that because of time. I walked through the nearby cultural market to see what the vendors had to sell, but nothing really intrigued me. I then took the bus to the next location: Seoul garden.
It’s Pokémon’s 30th anniversary, so there’s a secret garden within the space for everyone to view. However like the underground spot, there’s a very long queue. I didn’t bother to be a part of that, so I went to the various food stalls in the park and got me a churro with chocolate ice cream. Hit the vital spots of craving and nourishment, since I was beginning to feel a bit peckish.
Afterwards, I took the bus back to the Pokémon underground popup to see what’s the fuss. Honestly, they just had merch, a large Pokémon card collection, consoles to compete games with your friends, a beautiful garden filled with super cute Pokémon’s and a themed cafe. Pretty cool honestly but nothing worth fully hyping for.
Finally, I took the train back to the hotel. By that point, I was starving but thankfully there’s a Vietnamese restaurant right outside the hotel. I got Bun Bo Hue instead of the usual Pho since it looked very interesting and seemed to have different cuts of meat. Excellent choice!
The broth was light yet flavorful, the meats and noodles were perfectly cooked with the right amount of chew and thickness and the veggies were fresh. Adding sriracha and Hosein sauces helped a lot too! The table also had complimentary iced tea, which complimented the hot soup. Excellent choice to end the first full day of Seoul. Can’t wait for day two!
