Korean Interlude (Gina's post)

I was quite dreading going to Korea.   We chose the cheapest way of getting from Thailand to Hawaii, which meant a 5-hour overnight flight to Incheon (near Seoul), Korea, a 14-hour layover at that airport, and a 7-hour overnight flight to Honolulu.  Not only a crazy journey, but we would start and end it on the same DAY due to crossing the international date line, as if being herded around the world never happened.  It would literally be the longest day of our lives, and all I could think about was getting some sort of hotel in Korea during the long layover so we weren’t completely exhausted when we arrived in Hawaii.

I called the airlines to see if they would provide a hotel room because of the long layover.  The lady at the call center politely stated that unfortunately the airline wouldn’t be able to cover that expense since they were booked through a budget website (gotta love Budgetair).  So, I got online to book a room near the airport myself.  That’s when I did a little research to find out all the things that the Incheon airport has to offer.

Of course, first priority was probably sleep, so I was excited to see a blog to show that the airport was highly rated in the world among airports where you could actually get decent rest.  They had several passenger lounges with reclining seats and long benches without those annoying armrests.  Incheon also offers free massage chairs, a TV lounge, and showers so passengers in transit can literally make themselves at home.

Scott catching some zzz's in between flights.

Then . . . I saw the clincher which changed my mind from booking a hotel room—Incheon airport offers tours of Seoul for passengers on a layover.  That’s right.  You just get off your plane, show them your boarding pass for the next flight, and they whisk you away to see some of the city sites before your next flight. 

When we actually arrived, we went straight to the lounge to get a couple hours sleep as planned.  While Scott continued to nap, I explored the arts and crafts center, where passengers could do traditional Korean crafts for free and checked my e-mail.  Scott was impressed by the Korean language exhibition that gave a very informative lesson how the alphabet developed after the Japanese occupation.  With more than seven hours remaining at the airport, we decided that we’d go on the 5-hour afternoon day tour and went to the information booth to see how much it would cost us.  On the way, we saw traditionally-clothed airport employees processing through the airport in some sort of parade.  When we finally found the day tour desk, the attendant said we only had to pay for lunch and the temple entrance fees.  Transport and a guide were FREE, courtesy of the airport.  He showed us how to go backward through the customs line (a little awkward) to get some type of a day permit on our passports.  We found ourselves in a mini van with our guide, Kim, a slight middle-aged woman, and one other tourist from LA who had a layover in Korea from the Phillipines.

Cultural parade.

Scott and I visiting one of the colorful palaces.

The hour-long trip from Incheon to Seoul reminded me much of the Pacific Northwest with misty grey skies parting for some bursts of blue and looming mountains in the background.  Kim said that hiking is very popular with the Seoul locals on the weekends.   We also crossed a large river with residents jogging, cycling, and utilizing park exercise equipment along its banks.  Kim explained the city’s history and politely answered any questions we had about the city.  We stopped at Changdoek Palace, a very well-maintained former royal palace housed in the city center that was reconstructed after the Japanese occupation and an active Buddhist temple in the city center.  After coming from Thailand, I thought I had my fill of temples, but this was the first one where we saw an active prayer ceremony.  Kim said Korea hosts a fairly even mix of Christians and Buddhists, with some agnostics thrown in as well.  We ended the tour at Seoul’s Insadong street and ate a traditional Korean meal of soup, and rice with a bunch of toppings that Kim told us to add one-by-one and keep stirring and stirring.  Although she gave us time for “shopping,” Scott and I thought we were weighed down with enough stuff from Zambia, Ethiopia, and Thailand.  The chill in the air reminded me that I had no warm clothes, so I picked up a pair of flannel-lined pants and a purse.

Eating traditional Korean food.

University freshman practicing their English by asking Scott questions about his impressions of Korea.  "Well, I've only been here 5 hours, but . . . your airport is really nice!"

We jumped back in the van ready to get back to the airport with a few hours to spare before our next overnight flight to Honolulu.  We stopped on our way back to the relaxation lounge to see a free opera concert happening in the main terminal!  After passing through the fastest security line that I’ve ever been to at any airport in my life, we were back at the terminal with time for a hot shower before our next flight.  They even provided the shampoo, soap, and hair dryer at no charge.

Opera in the main terminal seems to be a daily event.

So, if you just happen to have a 14-hour layover in Korea . . . fear not.  You will have PLENTY to do, or not do.  I would definitely rate it as the best airport experience of my life, even through it was on the longest day of my life :).