2017 Travels-- Seoul, South Korea

Final International Trip of the Year: Seoul, South Korea

I recently took my last international trip of the year, visiting Seoul, South Korea, via Incheon Airport (ICN). It was a brief visit, lasting a few days, during which I stayed with relatives. The trip was uneventful in the best way, filled with relaxation, shopping, and enjoying various restaurants around town.

Day 1: Flight to ICN

I flew in economy class, and I must say the service and amenities were quite good.

Flight Experience:
- Free beer, free movies, and a palatable meal made the journey enjoyable.
- The meal was a chicken and rice combo, which warmed up nicely. The Kochujang sauce was a brilliant addition, making it quite delicious.
- Later in the flight, they served Shin Ramen. It was my first time having it on a plane, but I found it too salty. I ended up just eating the noodles and skipping the soup.

Overall, I stuck with more beer during the flight!

Day 2: Seoul

This day was dedicated to a delivery food party. We stayed in and ordered four different meals, although I only remembered to snap a picture of the Tonkatsu Bento:

Chachamyun + Tansuyok
Fried Chicken & Beer (ChiMek?)
Cheesy Pizza
Tonkatsu Bento

One shocker was the price jump; pizza is now comparable to the USA, costing about 25,000 Won (around $20). Just a few months ago, it was easily around $15-16!

Day 3: Shopping Malls (Lotte?)

To escape the expensive air conditioning at home, we spent the day at the shopping malls. I lost track of where we ended up but think it was a Lotte-branded mall.

Lunch: We had Mexican food, which felt a bit odd but tasted decent.
For dessert, we tried Patbingsu (Green Tea Style) and a refreshing citrus/green tea drink.

Dinner featured fried pork, which brought back memories. While it was interesting to have Western-style foods with a Korean spin, I sometimes crave that traditional Korean cuisine. This meal, although not traditional, was heavy on protein and tasted excellent.

Return Home via ICN

As my trip came to an end, I took my time at the airport. I had about an hour to relax, but I was too tired and just waited by the gate. A surprising detail was that all the coffee shops at the mall shut down around 8:30 - 9 PM. I'll definitely remember to grab coffee before then in future trips.

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