Looking back, it was a rather relaxed and slow-paced 17-day trip that I took with my ex-colleague who planned everything (while I worked as the navigator). 감사합니다 제시카!
I'll try to include some things that we didn't do which are located in the vicinity as well for your convenience sake =) Hope it helps!
So we flew by Cathay Airways. Jess booked the flight through a travel fair in Singapore which means a transit in Hong Kong.
We got up bright and early with our families and arrived at Changi Airport and set off. It would pretty much be a day of travelling for us, and we would only arrive in Seoul itself at about 9ish-10pm?
The flight to Hong Kong took about 4 hours where we made transit to continue on another plane headed for Seoul.
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| During transit at Hong Kong - Really excited and snapping with not only my phone but my camera as well. |
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| A clear view of the planes coming in against the mountains of Hong Kong. |
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Yes back in time, not too long ago, Singapore Airlines was still top and peaked in terms of service. Today, I do say with regret that times have changed, and the service standard has dropped. I do hope SQ can pick itself up though, and reclaim our national pride. Anyhoooooo, back on to the trip.
Hong Kong airport has many and I do mean frequent, last-minute gate changes as well: which can be really irksome. We were waiting with a couple of senior Koreans (ahjusshis and ahjummas) at the gate and we constantly checked the screen just to be sure of any last minute changes. 5 minutes before boarding time, they swapped the gate to one which was really far away. OH DEAR. I mean, it was fine for us, we're pretty young compared to the senior Koreans. What I am saying is that, do be cautious and check the screen constantly. Airports don't make announcements for gate changes (not really - not till the last minute), so you have to check it on your own dilligently.
We arrived in Korea at sundown, and watched as the street lights turned on. swoons. Security in Korea is pretty strict - you can't bring in any agricultural product because they are a farming country. Their airport is also really huge. You actually have to take a shuttle train within the customs area to be shuttled to another.
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| Image from skippingclouds.blogspot.com Going down the escalator to board the shuttle train. |
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| Image from skippingclouds.blogspot.com Waiting for the shuttle train. Depending on your luck, it can be really packed, or really empty. |
It took us quite a bit to clear the customs (there were quite a few people who took longer with their passport) and finally, while admiring the advertising screens for Samsung phones, we made it through.
Incheon airport has a golf course, spa, private sleeping rooms, ice skating rink, a casino, indoor gardens and a Museum of Korean Culture. Airport authorities claim that average departure and arrival takes only 19 minutes (60 minutes world-wide industry average) and 12 minutes (45 minutes) respectively, significantly lower than the rest of the world, making it one of the fastest airports in the world for customs processing. Incheon International Airport also claims that it has only a 0.0001% baggage mishandling rate and have constantly won the SKYTRAX awards for being the best airport in the world. WOOO.
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| Image from www.frommers.com |
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| The casino in the airport. Image from www.paradisecasino.co.kr |
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| The interior of Incheon Airport. |
Upon exiting the airport, you have to be clear about where you are headed. If you struggle with language in Korea, I do recommend that you plan your trip well beforehand. No use going there and being a muddle-head not knowing what to do. There are Airport Limousine buses, High speed trains (AREX) and you can take the taxi as well but that will be more costly.
The airport limousine bus was our choice of transportation because it headed to right where we wanted. There are various bus services (check for which service suits you best). We took the 6015 service which heads to Myeongdong (last stop). You can catch bus 6015 at either exit 5B or exit 12A outside the arrival hall (1st Floor) of Incheon Airport.
Tickets can be bought at the ticket booth inside the arrival hall (1st Floor) near Gates 4 and Gate 9. After you get out of the arrival halls, you can buy the ticket at the ticket booths near near Gates 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, and gate 9C. Just tell the ticket booth that you want a ticket for bus 6015 to Myeongdong. The ticket booth looks like this:
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| The booth to purchase airport bus tickets. Image from http://www.myeongdong.org/2013/10/bus-6015-from-incheon-airport-to.html |
Waiting out in the cold Incheon air is no joke, it was really really cold! For us Southeast Asians, it is rather enjoyable since we never get such weather. After a while though, some who aren't use to it may start to feel sick.
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| Image from melineaj.wordpress.com This is the bus service route and timings for no. 6015. |
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| Saw this on skippingclouds.blogspot.com and thought it was really helpful. This is your bus ticket for the airport limousine bus. Ticket costs 10,000W which is about (SGD12+) and ensures a smooth, happy journey from Incheon to Seoul. |
Luggages are stowed in the bus compartment at the bottom where you'll get your luggage sticker to retrieve your luggage later (so no need to worry about luggage theft). Keep your handbags or haversacks with you if that's easier.
We alighted outside Sejong Hotel (you'll know it when you see it - its large and gold, and has the words Sejong over the entrance) since we were headed to Myeongdong Guesthouse across the road.
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| Image from travelnote.net |
Head past exit 9 walking straight down, until you come across a pedestrian crossing to the opposite side of the road. Use that. The pedestrian crossing should lead you to Hotel Prince.
Since we were headed to Myeongdong Guesthouse at Exit 1, turn left at Hotel Prince.Walk on straight till you come to a road and turn right onto it. Myeongdong Guesthouse is 2-3 minutes up that alley.
I couldn't take any photos of the room cos its not that big. Also, its a couple stories high (for those of you with heavy luggages). So be prepared to work out as you lug it upstairs. Mr. Park the guesthouse owner will help you with it, but (I felt bad too! - luggage was rather heavy).
My verdict? Mr. Park and his wife are really friendly and helpful. Their rooms are also really clean. Would I stay here again though? No, not really. The cleaning ahjumma is really mean. The meanest one I've ever met. She pushes and shoves her way through your room, after she's awaken you by banging on your door loudly. I get that she needs to clean and she has a job to do, and that ahjummas have authority but no this is different. The room is also kind of small and narrow, and the few stories high thing is quite a challenge. The rooms are equipped with everything necessary I guess, but its just not what I think is suitable.
Myeongdong Guesthouse
Myeong Dong Guest House, 17 Namsan-dong 3-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea
Tel: +82-2-755-5437 | Email: mdguesthouse@gmail.com
Website:http://www.mdguesthouse.com/main.asp?lng=EN
See their website for photos of how the rooms look like and more details.
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Once we settled everything, all that luggage heaving made us really hungry. So we went to look for some food. By this time it was already, 9.30-10pm (I believe) and not much was open. Street stalls too were closing and we really wanted some warm soup.
So Jess said we should go to the gamjatang stall which is open for 24 hours: Onedang.
If you have no inkling what this is, "gamja" means potato in Korean, and "tang" means soup in Korean. Gamjatang is a spicy Korean soup made with pork spine or ribs, vegetables, green onion, hot peppers and ground wild sesame seeds. This dish pnly occasionally has potatoes which begs the question, why gamja?
(OH WELL THAT DEPENDS ON YOUR LUCK. We had plenty of potatoes in ours!)
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| Taken from my iPhone - way too hungry to have fished out my DSLR. |
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| Image from ten-ele-ven.com Look for this store-front - yum I can't wait to go back for another round. |
OneDang Gamjatang Myeongdong Store 2 원당 감자당
25-33 Chungmuro 1(il)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul |서울 중구 충무로1가 25-33 Operating Hours: Open 24 hours How to Get Here: Alight at Myeongdong Station (Line 4), Exit 5. Walk straight then turn right
at Myeongdong 2-gil 명동2길. Turn left at Myeongdong 8na-gil 명동8나길 and
the destination will be on the left. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We went back to indulge in a hot shower, and curl under the covers with a mattress heater. BLISS. That's all for Day 1 - mostly spent on travelling. Thanks for reading!
Stay tuned to the next post where we explored Gyeongbokgung Palace in all its glory.
Till then,
Fly Safe and Eat Happy,
V
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