Back in the land of the K !!

Well team I am now back ! A little disappointed that I didnt get to travel on my Malaysian Airlines flight or get to meet beautiful Singapore girl on the plane, but I really can't complain I must say.   Yeh I eventually got to Korea this time by Qantas, and I must say that the service was pretty good.   Qantas did have a few little problems there a few years ago, but it looks like they have taken great strides to fix things and get things back into good working order again and it has shown up well I do so believe.   So, as a result of their good service and tiding, I am back here in the land of the K....

And its cold weather !!!

Like seriously team, its really really nippy here at the moment ! Its currently 7 degrees C ( 45F) and thats at 8 pm.   Trust me guys it didnt improve much in the day either ! And it was especially cold at 5.00 am this morning when I got off the plane.   I guess you could say I was getting the cold shoulder first up.  

Well from a weather standpoint anyway. 

Luckily, the airport itself was a little more welcoming.    As it should indeed be.   After all, an airport is the first port of call into a new life, a new country and a new existence for basically all travellers, and as the old adage goes, first impressions count. 

And if Incheon airport is anything to go by, they you could indeed be up for a good stay here in Korea.  

One of the first things you notice about Incheon airport when you enter the terminal is its space.   It nice and spacious and you really do have plenty of room to move should you wish to utilise it.   It may seem like quite a trivial thing, but if you have just come off a long flight and are generally tardy and looking for a decent stretch, then space is what you do need.   Its also pretty quiet in the arrivals area too.   Maybe its the space that does it, but whatever it is, its pretty good.   If you have had a long flight, then it might just be suffice to say that excessive noise when you get off the plane just might not be the first thing you wish to hear.   Its nice to gain ones bearings in quiet surrounds and Incheon certainly does provide this. 

The initial administration and entrance requirements into the country are also quite efficiently expedited also.  I think the only thing that slowed me up was just having to wait a little while to pick up my bags, but hey I was not the only one, so no real issues there I don't think. 

I think I will leave the whole arrivals thing there.   How about we go into some details about the actual airport itself.   Sounds good ?? Yes I think so. 

In Seoul, you generally have 2 major airports, Seoul Incheon and Seoul Gimpo.   Incheon is the younger one of the two, as it was opened in 2001.   Gimpo Airport was the original International Airport in Seoul, but this has now been reduced to largely domestic duties, with shuttle flights also occuring between Tokyo, Shanghai and Osaka.  

Korean Air and Asiana, the 2 major South Korean international airlines, are the major space holders at Incheon.  

Incheon airport is located to the west of Seoul, and is connected to the main CBD by the Incheon International Airport Expressway.   This expressway also connects to Gimpo domestic airport, and also allows easy access to the major connection points in Seoul itself, particularly Seoul railway station and CBD bus terminals.  

There are 2 main terminals in Seoul Airport, the main terminal and Concourse.  

The main terminal is one of the largest in the world.   You can board planes from 44 different locations in the terminal, and there are ample numbers of facilities available to accomodate the required movements, processings and other needs for travel.   

Heck, it also has a golf course, spa, indoor gardens and a sleeping area if you need them !!!!

I guess these are just some of the reasons why Seoul Airport has been voted the best in the world for the past couple of years lol.  
Pity I can't show it to you here though.   I seem to be be having issues with the Cut and paste function on the comp for the minute.  But I can direct you over to this sites here for you to have a look. 

http://www.airport.kr/eng/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incheon_Airport#A_Terminal

Seoul Incheon airport really is a nice place team.   You should come up here some time.    I am sure you will enjoy it and you will also find it as a really pleasant gateway and delightful little intro to your sojourn here in Korea.   

Interesting things to do in Korea

Well team its not long now until I head back to the Land of the Morning Calm !! My visa is in hand, my contract signed and I am just waiting for my ticket to arrive and then its up, up and away !! I just hope that I get to fly Singapore Airlines this time ( I really want to try them - I have tried cathay pacific and Malaysian, so now I have got to travel with Singapore from my home town in Adelaide, Australia.  ) .  I also want to charm Singapre girl hehehe !!

All in all, I am really quite excited to be going back.    I feel that, even though I have already lived in Korea for 3 years, there is still so much for me to see and do.    I really want to open my mind a lot more to this wonderful country and experience more and more of what it has to offer.  

I really want to try and cross Korea a few times and capture all of it.  From the temples, to Apkujeong, to various festivals, to maybe even trying some differing foods; I want to do a lot.   So lets get started on what I want to do yes !!!! Okay ... ready ... set... and here we go !!!!!

Well, lets start off with where I will be staying.   I will be staying in a place called Songpa-gu, a part of Seoul that has been touted as a major economic development hub.    One place that I really want to visit is the Garden 5, one stop shopping distribution hub with over 8,300 shops.   It is widely required as the biggest shopping mall in Asia.   You can see it here




Thanks to 박미례 and wikipedia for this image.    This place looks pretty good in the picture hehe.   It might just even make me like shopping after all hehehe.

Another place I would like to vist in Songpa-gu is the Garak Market.   Garak Market is a major distribution point for maritime and agricultural produce, much of which is completely eco-friendly.   Sounds like somewhere for me to visit yes !!!

Aaaahhh !! I have just seen somewhere else I wish visit in Songpa-gu -- The Seokchon Lake area !! I have just seen a picture of it and I think that it looks really, really good indeed !! And while I am there I really must visit Lotte World amusement park !! Oh I can see it now I will feel happy, excitable, and just like a little kid again running around on all the rides. tides and fun things to do there ! I hope I can see Mickey Mouse there yes !? Oh damn man .. hang on Mickey is in Disney World yes ... Oh poop !!! Hehehe ! Check this out





This is a picture of the Seokchon Lake area in Songpa-gu.   If you look a little closer, in the top half of the lake lol, you can see Lotte World right in the middle of the water.    Check it out here.




Theres nothing like a little indoor theme park to get you in the mood for some fine yes !!! Thanks to Khitai, 박미례, and wikipedia for the above pictures. 

Hmmm this just makes me want to stay in Songpa-gu - BUT ALL SONGPA-GU AND NO WHERE ELSE WILL JUST MAKE JAMES A BORING PERSON LOL !! I think I know just the place to fix this little ill..........

APKUJEONG !!!!!

Seriously team, this place rocks.   I was lucky enough to get to Apkujeong and neighbouring Kangnam when I was living in Seoul, but trust me, my appetite has been seriously whetted and I want to see more !!! Put simply team, Apkujeong is the centre of opulence in Korea.   Period.   If you want to go Lamborghini, celebrity, Louis Vitton, Dolce and Gabbana, Latte, and lots-a-dollar-ama watching, the Apkujeong is your place !!!

Put simply, Apkujeong is known for 2 things - HIGH END SHOPPING AND A HIGH END NIGHTLIFE scene.    It is the home base for exclusive European brands such as Prada, Gucci and D and G, and Rodeo street is the home of Haute Couture fashion in Seoul.    Its nightlife compliments it day life nicely.    Absent are the dingy, dirty, basic clubs you may indeed find in SIncheon and Hongdae, being replaced by cool, suave jazz clubs, exclusive night spots for celebrity spotting, and some really high end stuff indeed.  

Here is a basic picture of Apkujeong team.   



However, if you want a really cool description of Apkujeong along with some great pics, then I seriously recommend you check out this article from Grace Travel.   Its succinct, pleasant, informative and pretty much direct and straight to the point.   Check it out here.

http://english.triptokorea.com/english/viewforum.php?f=352

Another place I really want to visit again is Kangnam.   This is pretty much located next door to Apkujeong, and is often talked about in the same high level of esteem that Apkujeong is.   Kangnam is pretty much the business capital of Korea, and houses many of the noted business houses in Korea, including AMI Korea, Google, and IBM.  

One of the major streets in Kangnam is the Teheranno, or simply Tehran Street.   As I said just prior, Kangnam is the the major business district in Korea, and Tehran Street really does opitimize this.   Teheranno is the home of internet giants such as Daum, Naver and Yahoo; electrical giants Samsung and Hynix, and noteable financial institutions such as POSCO, Standard Chartered and Citibank.   As a little footnote, its believed that somewhere in the vicinity of $200,000,000 in venture capital money has been invested in Teheranno ( You can see this on wikipedia too heheh .. right here...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teheranno

Heres a little visual of Teheranno and Kangnam







Another place I really want to visit is Jogye-Sa, one of the chief Buddhist temples in Korea.    Its located in Jong-no, which pretty much located in the central part of Seoul.   

Jogye-Sa is also probably the most well known of the temples amongst foreigners and it has several attractions to bring people to the temple.    Visitors to the temple can here Buddhist Dharma talks, can take part in retreats, and participate in daily buddhist ceremonies.

You can see a little more on the temple site.

http://en.jogyesa.org

One other thing I also really want to this time around is finally catch some Baseball, Basketball and Soccer whilst here in Korea !!!!I seriously didnt catch any before, even though I lived really close to the home the Samsung Lions Baseball team and the Daegu World Cup soccer stadium !!!!  Mind you being in Seoul will be good in that I will be living right near Jamsil Baseball stadium, and not too far away from Seoul World Cup Stadium.   I am so looking forward to seeing some good old fashioned sports this time around !!! I also really want to try and get to see some K-1 and UFC this time around if possible also, and more so if Remy Bonjarsky and Mirko " Crocop " Filipovic are in the ring pounding the crap out of opponents.   I might even try and get down to Busan and hit up Giants stadium to watch some Lotte Giants baseball in the summer time.   Peek here



Daegu World Cup Stadium

Jamsil baseball stadium



Incheon Munhak stadium



Munhak Baseball Stadium, Incheon

Another place I really want to go to this summer is Haeundae Beach in Busan.   Haeundae Beach is widely regarded as one of, if not the most popular beach in Korea, and has been heavily commercialised in the last few years.   You can have a little look here. 



Thanks to SJ Yang and wikipedia for the above pic.  


Okay !!! Lol its time for me to rest up now hehehe.   This of course is by no means an exhaustive list of where I wish to go this year, but hey - it is a start !!!! I will eventually get around to telling you more about the places I wish to go to, and will soon even tell you in more detail about my favourite city in Korea-DAEGU !! Daegu is a really cool place team and I really do look forward to letting you know about it ! seeya !!!