After a 2 year hiatus from overseas travel, a glimmer of hope surfaced. The pandemic halted overseas travel & it was especially difficult for a travel junkie like myself. The last time I took a plane was in 2020 for a solo trip to Cambodia. Japan was always on my bucket list. Unfortunately, that isn’t one of the countries on the Vaccinated Travel Lane(VTL).
I needed to do some soul searching(pun intended) & decided to visit South Korea. Fortunately, I remembered that my friends whom I met while Leaping in America, were in Seoul for work since the pandemic began.
It felt strange to finally plan a vacation after a long break. On top of feeling rusty, there was a great deal of regulations to adhere to, such as taking PCR tests & getting the proper vaccination documents. The costs of all the PCR tests accumulated to over S$300. My next concern was to make sure I don’t get infected before the PCR test. My worries ended after I tested NEGATIVE, a huge load off my shoulders. I spent a day preparing everything for the trip. My favourite part was making lists of everything from places to visit to the breakdown of the expenditures.
Since it was March 2022, Spring was just around the corner & I was looking forward for the sweater weather.
It was a comfortable Korean Air flight & all the passengers had to put on a lanyard before proceeding to the Test area in the airport upon landing. I collected the T-money card(Train concession +Data SIM + you can reload it to make purchases at convenience stores etc) from one of the airport counters. Highly recommended if you’re visiting Korea.
Day One
Before I could reunite with my friends, I had to quarantine myself in a hotel for a few hours & I could only travel after getting a negative result. I booked a hotel in Incheon, just a few miles from the airport. It took me awhile to get out of the airport as the taxis could only travel to Seoul. I finally took a bus with the help of Google translate & maps, as I was the only person onboard with a driver who doesn’t speak a word of English. It was later when I discover that most locals do not understand English since the country consists of a homogenous population.
After the confirmation of the PCR test, I took a cab to Incheon Grand Park to catch a glimpse of sunset. I was pleasantly surprised by the vacant surroundings of the park. Since I had to wear a mask in public, my glasses kept fogging up, so there isn’t any selfies this round 😦
Day Two
Woke up the next morning with much energy as I was looking forward to spend the next few days with Phil & Tiffany. But before that, I had to navigate through a web of interconnected rail network. 3 train rides & 2 transfers later, I eventually reached Noksapyeong station near Itaewon. I wasn’t prepared for what’s next. It was something I have to get used to for the next few days. Climbing up the hill to get to the apartment. Time to put my legs to work.
The photo above is only one of the many slopes that they had to climb on a daily basis. Just before reaching the apartment, I felt speechless after a light flurry of snow fell from the sky. It was a sweet sign for better things to come. Upon arriving the apartment, I was greeted by Tiffany, with a special appearance by Luna. I am thankful to be hosted by them, with my own personal room where I would be spending the next few days.
We headed to Myeongdong market to have lunch before visiting a tea house nearby. We then walked around & I managed to get some souvenirs from a few different stalls. While waiting at a traffic junction, I spotted something bizarre. A guinea pig enclosed in a toy truck with a leash that’s being pulled by a young man. It happened too quickly & there wasn’t time to comprehend what we just witnessed.
Day Three
Cycling has always been one of my favourite hobby. You guessed right, that was the first thing for today’s itinerary. We cycled past some major landmarks across the bridge. We came across a floating Starbucks along the Han river & didn’t hesitate to pay a visit. It was as large as a sizeable restaurant.
We headed to a mall to have lunch & went grocery shopping afterwards. After resting in the apartment for a few hours, we headed out again to meet Jay, a friend who also studied in Purdue. The menu for the night was Korean fried chicken. The spices really tingled our tastebuds & we felt guilty afterwards, hoping that we didn’t betrayed our stomachs. Our next destination was Gangnam Street, where we relived our youth by playing a round of Mario kart in the arcade. We all felt PSYched afterwards(Pun intended)
Day Four
Waking up on a Monday morning sounds like a disaster to most people. Thankfully, I just realised that I am halfway in my vacation. I felt that I did a lot but I wasn’t ready for the adventure that would make the first half of the trip pale in comparison. After some delicious French toast, It was me & Phil in the apartment. There was a basketball game that Phil was looking forward to watch streamed. As luck would have it, there was a power outage in the apartment. It totally got us off guard as I was planning to do laundry that afternoon. We then made the decision to head out to a nearby cafe to watch the game. We ate lunch nearby before heading back to the apartment. A few phone calls later, the landlady appeared with a technician. It was a sight I will never forget. Both of them only spoke Korean, a language that both of us couldn’t understand. A few attempts later, the power was back on, thanks to the technician. He didn’t sound pleased as he was worried about something.
That evening, Phil & I went for a hike on the Inwangsan trail. Also known as the Seoul City Wall, it was built to protect the boundary of the city in the past. Over an hour later, we reached the peak & spent a few moments to marvel at the spectacular view.
We parted ways after that as I had dinner plans with Andy, my Korean buddy I met in Purdue. It was a unique experience to walk in the local neighbourhood, with no tourists in sight. It felt unreal to finally meet him after 6 years, with his calm demeanour intact. We had dinner at a Korean BBQ with generous amounts of beef & a wide array of side dishes.
Day Five
I packed my bags & headed to the train station. I will be taking a Train to Busan, after much contemplation during the past few days. I was impressed by the whole process & the efficiency of the rail system. It was a high speed rail which took just 3 hours for the train to arrive in Busan.
The first stop was Haeundae Beach for sightseeing. I really enjoyed the peaceful walk with plenty of vacant spots.
Since I had the 2 day rail pass, it took me 15 mins to arrive to Ulsan. I checked in to the Lotte City hotel in Ulsan after sunset. I received a phone call from Phil & he told me he wasn’t feeling well. Moments later, thoughts raced into my mind. I was hoping that it wasn’t Covid.
Day Six
The next morning, I got the news that he tested positive for Covid. I was certain that I would be next & since we spent a few days together, the odds were stacked against me. I put on my sweater & headed to Daewangnam Park, which was a 30 minute bus ride from the hotel. I felt relaxed & managed to put my worries aside as I bask in the tranquility of the surrounding.
After lunch, I purchased a test kit & headed back to the hotel to perform the test. I could hear my heart pounding, surrounded by the 4 walls of the cubicle. I closed my eyes while the kit did its job. 10 minutes later, I took a slight peek and gave a huge sigh of relief. I reminded myself that I still had to take another test tomorrow at the airport. That evening, I returned to Seoul, & I had to find a hotel to stay for the night while I was on the train ride.
Day Seven
The hotel was located at the city centre, & my final mission was to collect my bag from the apartment as I planned to come back there after the Busan trip. Before leaving the hotel, I looked at the map on my phone & something caught my eye.
I left the hotel & walked past a few ajummas on the sidewalks with the popular dalgona cookies(from the Netflix series “Squid Game”) My mind was fixated on my mission and it was a pity that I did not get my hands on them.
Upon reaching Noksapyeong station, there was a film crew on the bridge. It didn’t came as a surprise as I was told that Itaewon is a popular location for filming TV shows. Before my mind could think of an alternative route, one of them waved at me to let me know that it was ok to walk behind them.
I popped into a convenience store to get some essential items for Phil as I felt bad that he was quarantined indoors.
I made a call to Phil just before I arrived so that he could hide in the room before I entered. It was a swift set of moves & before I left, we spoke to each other, separated by a door. Luna was confused as she had no idea why they had to be in the room while I was outside.
As we bid farewell, I felt a slight discomfort as my mind came up with alternatives. “What if I tested positive in the airport? Am I going to be stuck here for another week,” I whispered to myself. It was a daunting thought.
I went back to the hotel & packed everything before leaving. A sense of dread was felt just before I stepped out of the hotel. I told myself “ There isn’t any point in worrying now. You should only worry once the results are out”
Upon reaching the airport, I took the ART test & felt ecstatic after getting a negative result. Nothing can stop me from going home now. There was still a chance for me to get infected in the coming days but that didn’t deter me from going shopping and finishing the remaining cash I had. I am so glad it all worked out. The adventure ends here, thanks for reading folks!
Spoiler: I didn’t get infected after the trip. Let that remain a mystery till today.
Bonus: Here is the stats ( floors climbed) from my Garmin watch during the trip.
Leap with Luqe 