Going To China

Korean Adventure (December 6, 2002 Chautauqua)

I went to China as part of a package tour. Just getting to the airport was an adventure in itself. I got off work at 7:30 pm Tuesday night and went home to pack.
I then caught a 10:30 express bus from Daegu to Seoul. The buses in Korea are fairly pleasant as buses go, and I thought I would be able to catch a few Z's on the way. My seatmate, however, had other ideas.
He received many calls on his cell phone during the ride, and for some reason he had to speak to all his callers at the TOP OF HIS VOICE. On one call, he also had to repeat everything he said three times.
There is a surfeit of cell phones in Korea. I know they can be handy sometimes, but it gets a little ridiculous when you see a couple walking down the street, both talking on phones (MAYBE to each other, but I doubt it).
The "text message" feature is another thing that annoys me. It's not uncommon to see people concentrating more on tapping out a note than the world going on around them. You have to watch out for them when they are walking down the street.
The phones also have a variety of tunes that you can select to alert you to a call instead of a ring. I would appreciate it if the users would select "vibrate," especially when I am trying to teach a class.
Anyway, to return to the bus (we have to get to China, don't we?) things finally settled down after a short rest break. There are some interesting rest stops on the highways of Korea. There are restroom facilities, restaurants, and even little roadside stands selling cheap souvenirs, CDs, etc.
As we were getting close to Seoul, I almost had to referee a battle over an open window. My seatmate was a little hot, but the Koreans don't like the cold. He tried to pretend he was asleep, but the others just reached over him to close the window. It was a good thing the trip was over shortly thereafter (China's getting closer now).
I got into Seoul about 2:30 am with three hours to kill before the airport limousine buses started to operate. Next to the express bus terminal is a hotel/shopping mall/ bus depot complex called "Central City." I imagine it's a happening place during the day, but the only people I found awake were night owls like me and the cleaning staff.
None of them seemed excited about their trips. I was too wired to sleep so I read a bit and, before I knew it, the limousines were running. I almost took a cab to the airport, but it would have cost me 60,000 won ($75 Cdn). The limousine bus costs 11,000 won ($15). No contest.
At the airport at 6:00 am, and STILL two hours before my tour group met (Don't fret, China is almost near enough to touch). Coffee and a donut was breakfast, and the paper was a distraction.
The two previous e-mails I had received from my travel agent specified the "Hana Tour (table #5) between B and C check-in counters" as the meeting place. The tour meeting there, however, was going to Japan (!). A helpful agent directed me to the Hana Tour table between K and L check-in counters.
Well, there they were, and I was now part of a group of middle-aged Koreans. Most of the tour was conducted in Korean, and I would pretty much have to shift for myself as to explanations as to what was going on.
There was a very nice man named Michael who spoke English, and he was to be my roommate for the tour. We each had a badge to identify ourselves to the tour guide, who held a flag up for us to follow (Let's get to China already!).
Going through customs was no trouble at all. After 9/11, I had expected an ever-increasing gamut of checks to go through, but they have been decreasing, if anything.
We were all released to hit the duty-free stores, and about an hour later, we were rounded up and herded through the gates towards our stalls... er... seats on the plane. I was very excited, despite the lack of sleep. In only a little over an hour, I would be in China! (At last!)
It will be a little longer before you read about that experience, though. Until next time...
--------------------------------------
I never had a cell phone until my third year in Korea. They are pretty handy when you're getting together with friends, but I did try to resist having one as long as I could. Probably too long.
Korean buses can be a trial if you're not sitting next to the window. The heat can be oppresive, but the average Korean seems to thrive on it. I always tried to get next to a window as much as possible, because some drivers just ignored the A/C button.
Travelling around Korea is usually cheap and fast. Buses, taxis, and the train were all very convenient ways to get around, much more convenient than back here in The World.
I don't recall too many difficulties with Korean Customs. They usually waved me through without any baggage search at all.