Traveling to South Korea was not planned at all. The traveler less than 24 hours before the trip booked the flight from Hong Kong to Seoul not knowing where to spend the first night at. The trip started without any hotel reservation, any detailed plan, and almost no preparations.
The flight with Greater Bay Airlines took place early in the morning. The process at the airport went smoothly since it did take only about 45 minutes to check in, take the airport train, and arrive at the gate. The flight was less crowded than expected, with the adjacent seat free. The trip took three instead of four hours as originally planned.
After a simple meal on the plane consisting of baked pork chop in Hong Kong style and fried rice the plane arrived in South Korea. Although the immigration was busy, the process took around 40 minutes maximum. Due to the fact that the traveler has a German passport, he can stay without visa for up to 90 days in the country and plans to stay there for two or three weeks.
Reaching the City from Incheon Airport
After getting the luggage, the real challenges began. The traveler needed money, a place to stay in, and means to get to the city. He withdrew some Korean won from an ATM and installed an eSIM before the journey, which allowed him to use the internet right when he arrived.
The traveler booked a hotel called Fairfield by Marriott located within easy reach of Seoul’s center for just about $100. To get to his destination, the traveler had to get aquatinted with the extensive public transport system of Seoul. The employees of the tourist information center helped him understand how to use the airport railroad and make the necessary subway connections.
The trip from the airport to the hotel is approximately 70 minutes. Though the stations were very large and rather difficult to navigate, the system was neat, organized, and easy to navigate once the traveler knew how to go.
A First Stroll in Seoul
Having emerged on the street level, the first solid impressions were made about Seoul. The city looked quite tidy, modern, and unexpectedly silent compared to the places the visitor had been to. The outside temperature was quite comfortable for walking at about 23 degrees C.
Having struggled for a while with a 24-kilogram suitcase on some underground walkways and roads, the traveler finally arrived.
After resting for some time, it was time to go sightseeing and searching for something expressing authentically Korean gastronomic culture.
Packing for Seoul
The streets around the hotel were full of bright signs of various nature and types. Although not being able to read the information, the traveler relied on making sense of some of them through pictures, providing some basis for decisions.
He noticed a little restaurant and had a bowl of noodles as well as kimchi and vegetables there. Since he was offered soju by a local, he was given a chance to talk to a stranger despite language problems.
The meal consisted of simple but tasty noodles with nice broth and sesame scent. The kimchi he was served was slightly spicy and not fermented as much as previous varieties of kimchi he tried.
What took him by surprise was that at the end of the meal one of the local patrons paid for the meal. The traveler was overwhelmed by this unexpected kindness.
Just a few hours after arrival in Korea a totally serendipitous trip had produced its amazing first experience. From getting to know Seoul subway to having local food and drinks with locals, the first day indicated that many exciting surprises awaited them.
