Dongjakgu to Incheon and Home, Day 6.
We had a plane to catch on Saturday, our last day. We woke up at my brother-in-law's house and tidied the place up in preparation for our leaving. We were off to Incheon to catch our flight home to Canada and my in-laws would be heading back to Busan.
We also went for a bit of shopping although there wasn't much room in our luggage for more souvenirs. However, we did want to help stock up the newlyweds' home a bit before we left so we ventured out to one of the local streets where some household wares could be found.
The streets in my brother-in-law's neighbourhood are tiny, I will say. These days though, there's a bit of a facelift going on. A lot of the older buildings are being torn down and brand new ones going up. The night before the wedding, we passed by a huge open pit with a small excavator working away. By the time we were back, the foundation was laid and the building started. It's still quite a chore to navigate though, and made worse if you have to squeeze past construction equipment.
The style of many of the buildings is the same, but you can tell by the brickwork that the places are newer. My brother-in-law's is probably only a few years old. Across the street a new building was going up that was the exact same style, but it had light grey bricks and a glossy parkade underneath. It looked like glass more than concrete.
We made our way to the shops down the hill and started looking for whatever would be useful, whether it was paper towel, garbage cans, or kitchen stuff. We also noticed they didn't have a wall clock yet so that was something I started hunting for, as a farewell gift. I found some beautiful ones at great prices. All in all, the prices of most things were cheaper than in Canada, too. I found Gillette razor blades for less than a third what you pay in Canada.
Still, finding Western products was a bit like uncovering a treasure trove. I took the above picture just to show you what sorts of things we uncovered in one tiny shop - the kind where everything was stacked floor to ceiling and the whole store was just a nook blocked off from under a pedway staircase, if I recall.
There was a lot more I wished I could have seen and done, but we were on a timetable. It was back to the place and time to grab our luggage for the cab ride to Incheon airport.
My last photo of the trip was snapped out the cab window as we drove by this bridge over the Han River.
One week was too short, especially after being absent for four years. I won't deny that I think about going back again. I think about it when I post these pictures; I think about it when I get a message from the family over there; I am sure I will think about it heavily when tax season rolls around again in Spring.
Our flight back to Toronto went alright. I was a bit disappointed to find that Lotteria no longer sells Teryburgers which I'd had a craving for from Day 1. I think I ended up grabbing a Bulgogi burger of some sort before I caught the plane. I noticed that the menu had gotten a lot more advanced in the last four years. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you can get cheese on your burger now.
Half a day later, we were back. I know I've been lax in getting these pictures up (though with the backdates, I don't have to admit to exactly how lazy/time-constrained I was.) I really hope that I'll manage a follow up in 2009 and that we get another chance to go over. If not in 2009, then soon after. Who knows? If we settle in Toronto, we might get company coming back our way, as the newlyweds have a strong desire to see Canada. Only time will tell.
Labels: Korea Trip 2008
3 Comments
My God Ian but these pics are great I am glad you had a good time
brian
3:50 AM
Sure did. Thanks for the compliment. Let's all get together and book in bulk next time :)
1:39 PM
Fantastic look.Hope you enjoyed a lot.I also want to go there but didn't get time to plan.
Janella
5:40 PM
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