Off to Incheon for Fall Foliage

Published on 12 November 2024 at 07:42

I planned this trip for several reasons. First, I wanted to see my daughter Caroline and bring her winter clothes, including a heavy coat. Second, the only season I hadn't visited Korea was Fall. Finally, I love to travel and this is one of my favorite places. 

I’m so happy to be back in South Korea. My flight was 16 hours from Atlanta to Incheon because we had to avoid Russian airspace (according to my British seatmate, who works in Seoul.) When I landed my beautiful daughter Caroline met me at the airport. We had bibimbap for dinner, then took the subway back to her studio apartment, which is called an officetel. It's the perfect size and space for her. Bonus: it's just a short walk away from the subway, which is very convenient.



We were up for a gorgeous sunrise, and then Caroline was off to teach at her elementary school. I successfully maneuvered the subway (with two transfers) and arrived at Incheon Grand Park. My mission was to see fall foliage. I thought I might have waited too late, but I was successful! Woohoo! 



The park was huge (my total step count for the day was 18,370) and it included a free zoo. I was very excited that I could communicate with people only knowing how to say a few things in Korean - hello, thank you, yes, no, and please give me something. And of course, I used gestures and body language! One of my encounters was with a small group of kindergartners. I said hello in Korean and they said hello back in English. They were too cute!


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After returning to the neighborhood I searched through several floors of a grocery store and actually found everything I needed!

When Caroline came back from school, we took a short subway ride for dinner. We went to a favorite restaurant of Caroline's, Dukki Tteokbokki, which is a “cook at your table” meal, but were too hungry to take photos! Before the night ended, we did some shopping. We bought a few items from Olive Young (skin care) and Tomorroo, an amazing bakery. In Tomorroo, we met some Korean-Americans on vacation from California. We all had an interesting conversation and shared pastries. They treated us like long-lost friends!

I love this country and the people here. Tomorrow I'm off to explore another area and begin my "Café A Day" journey. 

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