We're Gonna Make It After All!

That's right, folks, I've made it to Korea! Woo hoo!!! :::streamers and balloons:::

Well, it wasn't all that fun, but I'll get to that. Before that, first impressions: Seoul is very wet. There's a lot of water around it and going through it, which makes sense, but you don't really understand it till you're driving in. Also, Korea's very mountainy, which is another no-brainer, but flying in I got a real sense of otherworldliness with these lush green hills all around. It was like Jurassic Park, except with less T-Rex and Samuel L. Jackson action. The people are also both super helpful (also to be outlined later) and incredibly hurried and oblivious. The city area I'm in is large and busy, very much like New York City, and I'm kind of excited to see what the rest of it is like, especially at night when it's all done up in neon and glamour.

I made a point to write out a minute to minute of the flight, but it kind of fell apart once I got on the second leg of my journey from Beijing to Incheon Airport, but I've got plenty to speak of for that. It's in Pacific California Time, in case you were confused. Here it goes:

1:38 AM: Seated aboard the plane. Anxious, excited, and just a little tired. Korea book is out and I plan on being productive this flight. Also, does something smell like piss? Pretty sure it's not me...

2:10 AM: Just started moving! No air jets on this plane; gonna be a sticky ride. Stewardess's English makes her sound like a robot; must investigate later.

2:19 AM: Just closing eyes as we take off.

3:10 AM: Abruptly woke to stewardess offering drinks they came 4 times in the next 30 minutes with food also. Eating shrimp fried rice, not quite sure if I woke up. Think I'll try some more sleep.

9:13 AM: Awake again, back to work!

11:30 AM: Lights on, hissss. Getting some reading done, gonna know something about this country, dammit!

2:09 PM: We've started our descent and the windows are open. Looking out, I can see a bright red sunrise, which we've been racing all the way here.

2:17 PM: Touchdown! The crowd goes wild!

So I clearly made it to my next flight after a sojourn through the Beijing airport, which was pretty cool and swanky, though there was some difficulty with communications and I ended up going through security again, sadly losing my water bottle in the process.

Upon touchdown in Incheon International Airport, I successfully navigated customs and baggage claim to the bus stop outside. There, I started to hit snaffus aplenty. First of all, I found out from my current roommate that there was supposed to be a shuttle to pick me up and take me directly to my hotel; I never received that email, so I instead opted for the bus. I went up and told the lady my destination (Gungnam, Please!), only to notice once I was lined up that it wasn't the right ticket. After a quick exchange, I got the right one and jumped on, having averted the only crisis for the trip, right?

WRONG-O!!! First indication: all that beautiful fog meant that it was actually raining in Seoul. Fine, I'll just take a cab to the hotel. I get off at my stop with my luggage (2 rolling suitcases, a carry on bag, and my laptop bag) and struggle across the street to find a cab and my bearings. The light's a little long to get across, but a lady with an umbrella silently walks next to me and covers me as well. Keen! I walk across and wait at the side of the road, now uncovered, and attempt to flag down taxi after taxi after taxi. I don't know if it was because I was clearly foreign, had luggage, it was raining, or they just thought it was a hilarious combination of all of the above, but every cab passed me by. I stand out in the rain for 15 minutes as it alternates between heavy and tropical downpour. Eventually fed up, I walk to another area, give up again, and take shelter near a jewelry store. I go in and ask if the ladies know where my hotel is, which they both don't and can't really communicate with me, but they do offer me a free umbrella! I walk out, dejected, only to meet a mother and daughter from California that offer to flag a cab for me. Eventually, the mom calls one up and I hop in after profusely thanking them, only to find out that my cab driver both doesn't know where my hotel is and can't really communicate with me either. We drive around, confused, for a good 30-40 minutes as the meter just ticks on and I get more and more suicidal. Then, by some miracle of God, we spot it! AAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!! I clambour out and to my room, soaked, tired, hungry, and a little dejected, though I had seen a glimmer of hope in humanity.

My roommate is a nice guy, though, and he's a little more Korea-experienced and has shared some helpful insights while offering to join me in a tour of the city this week. Also, our room has a bidet! Yay!