Transit at Incheon Airport, Korea (things to do while waiting for the transit flight)

21st January 2012

23rd and 24th January are the first and 2nd day of the Chinese New Year, I wanted to go back to Malaysia for the new year celebration. So, I started to scout for ticket last July. Since MAS and Air Asia did not fly to Fukuoka, I had to choose other airlines and transit before I can reach Kuala Lumpur. I found out that for the chinese new year period, only Korean Airline offered the cheapest ticket and it can be pay in the convenience store. The Singapore Airline and Cathay Pacific tickets was so expensive. So, I bought the Korean Airline one and transit in Korea.

view from the restaurant

To my surprise, there were many stuffs to do during the transit waiting time. If the transit time is long enough, there is a tour that one can join with a small fee. However, I did not intend to go anywhere, so after I got out from the plane (Fukuoka to Incheon), I went to find a restaurant, first I thought I had to change to Korean Won to pay. However, one can pay with USD, Japanese Yen, Korean Won and China RMB. So, I did not have to waste the money on conversion rate. I found a Korean restaurant and ordered a Tofu Soup set, it was quite spicy, but very delicious, eating that hot stuff was very smoothing.

Korean Tofu Soup Set

After lunch, I walked around. I went to this Korean cultural center. They were offering free paper box making experience and traditional hair bands making experience. I chose the paper box. The ladies at the cultural center were fluent at Chinese, Japanese and English. They really put into a effort. It was a nice experience. It was pretty easy, just painted some rice glue on the wooden box that they have prepared and stick the rice paper on the surface and then painted another layer of rice glue on the paper. Lastly, they will give a plastic bag for the box and had to keep it for around 1 day for dry. Really a fun experience.

the raw material for the paper box

information

Finished but not yet dry product

Finished product

There's a corner with computers with internet access free of charge. So, I read newspaper and checked Facebook for awhile. Then, I went shopping, I bought 2 packets of Korean ginseng related products. The salesgirls there were very fluent in mandarin. Wow, to cater to Chinese tourist, they trained up their employees to be multilingual.

Next, thinking that I had spent enough, I went to the departing gate for the Malaysia KLIA bound flight. Compared to the flight from Fukuoka, this flight was packed with people. The flight food was not bad also, some more they gave ice cream and some junk food. Korean Airline not bad if compared to Japan Airline!

Korean Air - I think the plane's colour not so inviting, but the stewardess  are beautiful!

I reached Malaysia at around 9pm, however, waiting for the luggage really took a long time, until 10.05pm like that only I got my checked in luggage. Anyway, reached Malaysia. Home sweet home!

29th & 30th January 2012

After days of eating and sleeping at home, finally had to be back to Japan. My flight to Korea Incheon was on 29th and reached the next morning. There were 3 choices for the flight food, I chose porridge because it was still too early, my stomach could not stand heavy oily food.

Touched down at Incheon around 6 something. My connected flight was 13:15, so I just cleaned my teeth and face to be more alert and refresh. After that, felt hungry again, the porridge already fully digested. So, went to the food court. I ate Jeju Bibimbap this time, it was a rice set. However, I ate the wrong way, I was suppose to pour the red paste on top of the rice. However, I thought it was a seasoning, I just use it with the vegetables. The soup was nice, but the rice was cold, I liked my rice steaming hot. Wrong choices!

Jeju Bibimbap - should pour the red paste on top the rice!

Then, I went to the information center for the transit tour. First, I wanted a 2 hour tour. However, minimum requirement was 2 person. So, the lady there introduced me the 1 hour free tour to a temple nearby. I just accepted the offer. I had to pass through the immigration and filled up the form just like everyone else for that one hour trip. After that, went to the transit tour counter and told to wait until 10 am. So, I went to 'the skin food' shop. If compared in Japanese Yen, the products not so expensive and quite affordable and I like the smell.

After that, at 9.50 am, went back to the counter and followed the guide to a tourist van. I forgot her name though, but she was very cheerful. It was so cold outside. I was the only one from the airport, others all from the transit hotel. Along the way, the guide told us about some general knowledge about Korea. We passed by the Incheon Bridge and she told us that Incheon International was half way built due to economy crisis and now waiting for investor. 

Reached the temple not long after, I did not how to pronounce the name of the temple, but the guide keep saying that if direct translate, the name was Dragon Palace Temple. It was a small temple with only 2 monks. However, I could see that the building structure was quite different from those temples in Japan and Malaysia. There was a big Buddha statue carved with a single big stone. It was so cute, with a hat on top. After going one round, we went back.

Forgot this is grandfather or grandmother tree

wishes written on the clay and then used as roof for the temple

Dragon Palace Temple

farm for the monks

Korean styled building

bell ringed by monks every morning and evening and the urns were used to stored Kimchi

Korean styled Buddha

fish shaped wind chime - fish eyes remained open when sleeping, only remember this from the guide's long explanations

Had to pass through the immigration again, I got 2 more chops on my passport. Then, hungry again. I chose spicy seafood soup this time. The cashier warned me that it was spicy, however, I think it was still ok and almost the same with the tofu soup I ate the other day. After lunch, went to the waiting area and back to Fukuoka, Japan. 

Spicy Seafood Soup for lunch

2 more chops for my passport