It was in Icheon City that I first saw ginseng fields and humongous ginseng probably bigger than my entire head. It was also my first taste of Ginseng Milk and perhaps anything with ginseng on it. According to Wikipedia, Icheon is located in the Gyeonggi Province (Gyeonggido) and should not be confused with the larger Metropolitan Incheon City.
Ginseng Fields
He was giving us a lecture about the benefits of Ginseng
So discovering cool stuff about ginseng gave us added knowledge, but that was not the end of the learning process. We were brought to a small old town where the main source of income was kimchi. Kimchi is a Korean side dish made of fermented Napa cabbage seasoned with a variety of fresh ingredients such as red pepper, garlic, scallions, and sugar. It undergoes the same process as pickles and sauerkraut. To experience making kimchi hands-on was indeed divine! The old town’s women showed us how we were supposed to fold the cabbages as it should be conventionally.
Kimchi-making with Mom
It was also in Icheon that I first tasted the sweetest and largest strawberries I got my hands on to. It was in a strawberry farm just a few kilometers from the town’s outskirts. We also came across this tiny lodge where they make traditional Korean dresses called Hanbok. The weavers were very kind enough to let us try wearing them… (the Hanboks were comfortable to wear, but were a bit heavy).
Giant strawberries in my hands. <3
Trying out hanboks
After a few more stops and lunch, we were on our way to the highlight of the day, Everland!!! Everland Theme Park is located at the neighboring town of Icheon called Yeongin City. It was again raining that time, and as we entered the theme park, we were handed with white rain coats to wear in the outdoor. Cool huh?
Welcome to Everland! Let’s not get lost.
White Tiger
Liger – a cross-breed of Lion and Tiger
It was in Everland that I saw “Ligers”, lion and tiger, cross-bred. It was pretty amazing how they were walking on the ground up close and personal while we were riding an enclosed “jeepney-like” vehicle which they called the Amazon Express. There were lots of other wildlife species too! The entirety of Everland was massive and vast and colorful despite the gloomy weather. Roller coasters were closed due to the winter frost, but hey! There was still a lot of awesome stuff we enjoyed in there. We watched this amazing sea lion show where the seals were almost human-like. There’s also this “Petting Zoo” where you could pet cuddly animals like rabbits and guinea pigs. The place is totally enjoyable for both kids and kids-at-heart like me (and Mom). Haha!
That was actually our Day 2. It was actually mind-blowing how we managed to fit a handful of activities and enjoy Everland all at the same day. Kudos to the tour team who fixed the itinerary. To be continued…
Explore Korea (Part 3): Gastonomic Adventures & Ski Slopes
You might wanna check out:
Explore Korea (Part 1): Winter Sonata and Clay Pots
Explore Korea (Part 3): Gastronomic Adventures, Ski Slopes, and Cheap Korean Shopping
