Korean Hotel

Staying at a Korean Hotel was actually really cool. Just like a regular hotel it comes with a bed, sofa, some snacks in the fridge that I didn't dare touch in case I had to pay for them,...

However there were some things that I noticed that were a little unique, unless I just haven't stayed in a hotel in a really long time and this is just how hotels are now.

Instead of little throwaway travel tubes of shampoo/conditioner and the like, in my Korean hotel were regular sized for everyone to use until they were gone: shampoo and conditioner (both men's and women's), lotion, moisturizer, shaving cream, face masks, bubble bath...  There was a big bathtub and a shower, a little vanity area, and the toilet.

The toilet had so many buttons I didn't even know what to do. They did sprays and other things that I couldn't even decide what they were for. But the most impressive, the oddest? I don't really know. The most striking thing was that the inside of the toilet bowl was illuminated by a beautiful blue light. I can't really fathom the reason. Alien contact? Probably too many wives and girlfriends and sisters on vacation getting up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and getting annoyed when they fell in because no one put down the seat.

Like pretty much all home/home-like dwellings, there is an entryway space for taking off shoes, with an automatic light (like the stairwell), and a second door - possibly to keep in the shoe stank?

Also in this area is a small slot on the wall for the keycard. Not only does this prevent the loss of said keycard within the room, it actually has a way more important function. Nothing in the room will turn on without a keycard. The lights, apart from the automatic light, the electricity, the shower, etc. Not even the toilet will flush without the keycard. I presume that this has to do with making sure people aren't leaving all the lights on or the water running when they leave the room. Pure conjecture: maybe it also has to do with knowing when the guest has left the room so that house keeping can come in?

Anyway here is the view from my hotel window.

Immigration Stranger

Meeting the Aussie!

Immigration after getting off the plane was an adventure in itself.

I was about an hour late landing but luckily there were very easy picture signs of bags with arrows pointing to the direction I had to go.

Immigration for foreigners was predictably jam packed with people in at least 6 lines that were so full they reached the path for people who had to walk by immigration area. The lines all folded in on themselves.

For once in my life I picked a good line. I'm pretty sure it was going faster than the other lines. It still took at least 40 minutes of waiting in line. However, despite the hot, sweaty wait, it didn't seem very long because I met my very first Australian IRL. He was coming up from his small town for a 5 day business trip to Seoul for a conference trade show. His business is importing and exporting foods so I assume it would be a very interesting and delicious business trip.

On his flight from Singapore was given an immigration card that was in Korean. In the immigration line he played the game of who probably speaks English figured - try the redhead!

I helped him fill in his card because mine was in English, and we spent our time in line talking about our plans in South Korea. He seemed really impressed that I was taking this adventure solo.

Even though I know we will never see each other again, I am really glad that my first conversation in Korea was so pleasant.

***Tiny tidbit, in your manky day and a half flight look you get to have your photo taken and fingerprints done during immigration. So wipe the sweaty hair out of your eyes and smile big!

Traveling

The trip from Rochester to Bucheon crosses 13 time zones one way and 11 plus the international date line the other. It is a long trip, especially when all the trips include at least 3 separate planes and at least 1, 8 hour plus layover. My trip started at the illustrious Greater Rochester International Airport at 3:30 pm Monday the 11th of May. It probably took me less time to get through than it did to write the name, and I'm pretty sure it would take me less time to walk the entire airport than it would to write the name.

My first flight was 2 hours to Chicago, and it was the one and only flight to take off and arrive on time. The plane was so small that all of the carry-ons that were not personal item sized were gate checked for us to be picked up as we deplaned. Because I had decided to attempt to fight jet lag (even though I know it is impossible) by being a little sleep deprived, which meant I was asleep within minutes of taking off. I woke up to the announcement that we were starting our decent into Chicago, so an uneventful flight to say the least.

The Chicago airport, despite complaints, is a nice place for a layover. There is Jamba Juice, in terminal C for anyone who is looking for it, (by the dinosaur bones) which makes for a lovely dinner. During the four hour layover I also discovered that they are replacing some of their seats with fancy new waiting chairs. They were in sets of 3 in a triangle pattern each chair had a table and 2 outlets for charging convenience. I also had the slight heart attack of the sudden gate change an hour before boarding after waiting for 3 hours. We also didn't board until an hour after our flight was supposed to take off. Apparently the plane arrived late.

I think the flight to San Francisco was 4 or 5 hours long. I don't really know. I was not conscious for any of it save the take off and landing.

We arrived at the San Francisco airport at 2am, just in time to supposedly knock an hour off of my originally 9 hour layover. The San Francisco airport is not the most hopping of places in the middle of the night. They have one cafe that is apparently open through the night until 4am but it is outside security which means you have to be re-secured if you want to get tea or a bagel or whatever they serve at 3 am. Nothing else will open until 5am at the earliest, so if you know you are going to have a layover at San Francisco overnight and will want food, come prepared. They do have little desk stations with free wifi and charging capability, as well as an odd wing of 20s and 30s tribute display, for the art, fashion, lifestyle, etc.

Most amusing was a small "kid's science area" equipped with two large spheres that were filled with water and soap or some other non-mixing liquid. When you spin the spheres a specific pattern was supposed to appear. I may be willing to accept the excuse that I was too tired to see any such pattern. By far the most amusing was essentially an interactive tornado machine. I had a little too much fun playing with that one, but in my defense, it was 2:30 am.

Honestly lapping the airport is one of the best ways to kill time beyond the napping, reading, internetting trifecta.

This last flight boarded on time, which meant we waited for the unexplained hour and a half delay in the plane. Luckily I was comfy in my window seat and the guy next to me was nice. He was returning to South Korea for the first time in 9 years to attend a wedding for a friend.

This flight was pretty cool. I snuck peeks out the window all the time, even during "quiet time" because it looked so cool. We flew hugging the coast line, up the side of Canada, across edge of Alaska and Russia, over Japan, and finally across South Korea. There were some pretty spectacular views when the clouds didn't blind you.

 And the first glimpse of the coast of South Korea!