As I wake up, my dreams are becoming true. I am already here in Korea! I can't wait to disembark the plane and breath the same air of my K-pop idols. Unlike the NAIA international airport, the Incheon International Airport was less crowded and much better. I am also delighted that the time I wasted on lining up on the Immigration area was much shorter than in the Philippines. As I go down to the ground floor of the airport, I see similarities with NAIA terminal 3. Although, this airport is really huge! At that time, we met our tour guide named Yuni. She was a native-Korean and the only woman among the tour guides assigned in our batch. She led us outside, where we felt for the first time the cold temperature of the country, and take our luggage to the bus. Near the airport is Best Western Airport Hotel where we ate our breakfast. After that, we rode again the bus to go to Seoul. It's just now that I have realized that the airport is quite faraway to the capital. It takes us more than a hour via bus.
Our first stop is the Gyeongbokgung Palace and the National Folk Museum of Korea. Before arriving at our first stop, we happened to pass by the Blue House, the official residence of the head of state of South Korea. After awhile, we have arrived at our destination. First, we visited the National Folk Museum of Korea. It showcases the history and culture of Korea from its Ancient origins up to the present. The museum makes use of technology to present the culture of South Korea. Too bad, we didn't have much time to spend in the museum. A short walk from the museum is the Gyeokbokgung Palace. Unnie told us on how the ancient royals spend their day. The architecture of the buildings that composed the palace do not fail to amaze me. The throne room is really a majestic sight to see.
Soon, we are heading to Busan, second-largest city in South Korea after Seoul. It took us 6 hours to get to the city. While on the journey, we took multiple stops for bathroom breaks. I am really in a different country. The comfort rooms are truly pristine and wonderful.
It is already evening when we arrived in Busan and we directly gone for dinner in a local restaurant. Deep in the evening after eating, we have gone to Gwangbok Dong street. It was a sight to see! The rood signals that Christmas is just around the corner. Boutiques surround the sophisticated street. Too bad, I got to go back up the park. While still in the street, I don't buy anything. I enjoyed the street while just walking around and looking into the lights that filled the street.
At last, we arrived to Best Western Ulsan hotel where we will be staying for the night before leaving Busan tomorrow. Together with Luisa and Sam, we stayed in the hotel room. The room is enormous and has a good view of the buildings. I don't want to sleep but I have to for the next day. And that's how my day 1 in Korea ends.