Woke up early...actually, I wasn't able to sleep much. I woke up sweating at dawn. My tummy was again funny...like I was on a roller coaster. Nervous stomach. Nervous??? About what?
Our first on the list, Changdeokgung, was just a 5-minute walk away from the Seoul Backpackers where we were staying. But you have to be on a guided tour to get in, and the next one (English) was at around 10:30. We decided to take the 3:30 tour instead, and head off to Deoksugung first.
Walking by now has become our mode of transportation, as we felt everything was within walking distance anyhow. We were armed with maps and guides and the knowledge that a Tourist Information Center was just around the corners...
We passed by Myeongdong Cathedral so we stopped there first to say the rosary. The Cathedral was splendid! Inside, there were flat-screen monitors and songbooks (in Korean) in every pew. What was notable also was the lack of "luhuran" or kneeling pads...We took pictures outside and lighted a candles by the "garden". Jed and I were trying to recall if Love So Divine (first few scenes) was shot here... 
Anyway, I stopped to take some pretty pictures of flowers by the steps...Seoul in springtime is full of colors!
Then off to Deoksugung Palace. Sadly though, there wasn't anything new to see. All the structures looked the same inside and outside. As expected, the place was crowded, teeming with students on field trips and tourists. Some more pictures here and there...Jed got frustrated that the museum was closed, it would have made up for the lack of other attractions in the palace grounds.
We wanted to visit another palace, but it was already past lunch hour and we couldn't ignore the fact that we need really proper sustainance. We wanted to go to Seoul Museum of History, though so we decided to grab lunch on the way. We deciced to test the small "restaurants" in the district, ordered kimchi rice and sniffed our way through lunch. The kimchi was spicy! But it was also my first time to eat raw radish...actually, it was my first time to eat radish. Hehehe. In fairness, it didn't taste bad. It was kinda sweet.
Then off to the Seoul Museum of History. Entrance fee here was cheaper than the palaces, and it was bigger than expected. However, taking pictures inside was prohibited (though I managed to snap a few before I learned of this sad fact). The most impressive pieces were the excavated traditional clothes and the mummy (of a little boy, Jed said) on display.
Changdeokgung Palace was another story. The Palace grounds was breathtaking. It was worth the 3,000 won entrance fee, if only for the serenity due to the absence of school children running around and tourists swarming the area. My favorite spot was the secret garden and the Lotus Pond (I'm still unsure of the name...). Our tour guide spoke good english, Jed said she could be a flight attendant. We managed to strike a conversation with her and take photos.
We decided to head home and rest for our evening tea with Henry. I had planned to grab some internet time, but fell asleep once my back hit the bed. ^^
We went to Insadong and tried porridge at a small side street restaurant "Gr___". The food reminded me of my mom's porridge/arroz caldo. I think I was missing traditional Filipino fare. After dinner, we went to a tea house where we had "exotic" flavored tea (Mine was cinnamon, jed's was pear and Henry had five something...). We compared palms and some intelligent conversation (I think my only contribution here was my listening skill) Then off to a nearby Buddhist temple. It was closed, but we were able to see the many unlit lanterns prepared for Buddha's birthday.
By the time we got home, I was ready to plunge into blissful sleep. Ahhh, bed!
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