Top 5 Must-See Spots in Incheon, South Korea!

This blog entry was originally published on the Aclipse Blog, which is produced by current Chungdahm Learning teachers in Korea! The blog features entries on current events around Korea, advice for incoming teachers, and the best spots sightseeing, shopping, and eating. The original entry can be viewed here. 

When Aclipse helped me get placed at a Chungdahm branch in Incheon in November 2011, I immediately started doing my research. I was pleased to see that it's the third largest city in Korea and it's next door to Seoul -- meaning popping into the city for weekend adventures would be a cinch. However, I quickly noticed that there's a serious lack of Incheon-coverage in the blog world. So, I present, in no particular order, my top 5 spots to check out in Incheon! 

1. Incheon International Airport

Chances are, you'll be checking out the airport whether you mean to or not, simply because you'll be flying in here. But let's be real: that first visit through the airport when you arrive is going to be a blur and you're probably going to miss all of the cool things. 

What makes this airport top 5 worthy? Well, for starters, it's been rated the best airport in the world for the past seven years. Also, it happens to have a spa, an ice skating rink, a casino, a golf course, and all the duty free shops you could ever want. 

And check out that architectural design! This airport just looks cool, you guys.

So, while it may seem strange, by Western standards, to hang out at an airport, my students tell me it is a thing. And honestly, an airport that boasts a spa, ice skating, golfing, and the obvious shopping and restaurants? Hard to just ignore. If you don't want to make a special trip out to the airport, next time you're flying through Incheon International -on your way to Korea, on your way to a vacation, or whatever it may be - budget a little extra time just for walking around. 

2. Muuido, Wolmido, & the other surrounding islands

One exciting thing about Incheon is being right on the coast. Since my days are spent surrounded by high-rise apartment buildings, I often forget that I'm about fifteen minutes away from the ocean, albeit an area that's mostly industrial shipyards. However! There are islands! Tons of them, actually. And the best part: they have beaches. 

So far I've only visited Muuido, but so, so many more are on my to-do list for the summer. Muuido is great because it's easily accessible -- you catch a bus from Incheon International Airport, grab a quick ferry, and you're there. While it can be done as a day trip, you have the option of renting a pension room for super cheap rates, or you can rent a little hut on the beach (that sleeps about four people) for as little as ₩30,000 a night! 

Muuido is great for summertime beach fun, Wolmido has fresh seafood and a small amusement park, and that's just the beginning. Stay tuned for more posts on the islands around Korea -- it's my goal this summer to explore as many as I can. 

3. Chinatown & Jayu Park

I'm grouping these two together because they're literally next to each other, so visiting both in one go makes an excellent day trip. Incheon is home to the only "official" Chinatown in Korea! It's at the Incheon-end of the Seoul Metro Line 1, directly across from Incheon station. 

Chinatown is full of delicious restaurants (make sure you stop for some jajangmyeon -- a black bean noodle dish that the area is known for!), adorable tea and coffee shops, excellent souvenir shopping, and great photo ops! 

After wandering through Chinatown, head up the hill (er, mountain) to Jayu (Freedom) Park! The park gets its name from the post-Korean war era -- there's a statue of MacArthur in the park, commemorating his landing in Incheon and important role in the war's outcome. In addition to MacArthur's statue, the park has lots of other sculptures, is beautifully landscaped, and has some great views of Incheon and the port:

4. Bupyeong Ungerground Shopping Center

My dear friend Kara already wrote of the wonders to be found in Bupyeong's Underground Shopping Center, so let me just underscore how amazing this place is. 

Bupyeong has everything you've ever wanted and more. It's a confusing mess of aisles, with stall after stall packed maybe a little too full -- in short, complete sensory overload. And it's awesome. Ever look at Korean fashion longingly and wonder where you can get clothes like that? Bupyeong is your place. Clothes, bags, glasses, shoes, phone accessories, party supplies, stationery, Engrish shirts to send to folks back home... It's all here. With an extra helping of the Engrish.

After you conquer the seemingly endless maze of Engrish shirts and awesome fashion, venture above ground too: there's a neat area full of name brand shopping, great restaurants, and a lively bar scene. A little more wandering will also bring you to a traditional-style market selling everything from produce to fresh fish to blankets. 

5. Sorae Fish Market

Taking full advantage of being on the coast, the Sorae neighborhood of Incheon has a lively fishing industry, including its own market. The day I spent in Sorae last fall for their annual festival was probably one of the best days I've had in Korea. Even though Sorae is minutes away from my bustling, modern neighborhood, there's something about this place that feels like it hasn't changed in decades. 

Buildings and buildings full of fresh seafood -- cooked, dried, fried, and some still alive. You can stock up on groceries to take home or you can pick up what you want for dinner, head to a nearby restaurant, and they'll cook it for ya. For fans of fresh fish looking for a traditional fish market experience, get to Sorae as soon as you can. 

I have to say, I'm really happy that I ended up in Incheon -- it's a great city and I'm really looking forward to exploring it more! Even if you aren't placed to work at a school in Incheon, I highly recommend spending some time here. 

Have you even been to Incheon? Are there any spots in Incheon that you would recommend? Leave a comment below! 

EDIT - June 6, 2014 -- NEW entry with even more to do in Incheon is up! Check it out!

a real update.

i haven't posted much lately because i don't feel like i have much to post about.

winter has been miserable this year, with too much snow/ice and single-digit temperatures. i've basically been hibernating for the past two months, leaving my apartment only when necessary. which is fine, really. i don't mind being a homebody, and i have to admit that corey and i have crossed a respectable number of movies and tv shows off of our to-watch list. (by the way, omg, downton abbey.)

however, there's been one unfortunate side effect of being a part-time hermit in a grey, cloudy, freezing winter: i'm extremely SAD. as in seasonal affective disorder. i was actually beginning to worry about myself and my decision to stay in korea longer -- i'm not happy, i'm not depressed... i'm just here. i was worried that i was actually unhappy and somehow just not registering or accepting it. then i realized that everyone else seems to be in the same mood. you'd think it's an actual infectious disease at my school -- nearly all the teachers (aka my friends) are just gloomy right now.

last week, the sun came out. the past few days, the temperatures have actually stayed above freezing during the day. and i've noticed an incredible change in my disposition.

winter sucks, y'all. like a lot.

so, with all of the general bleh i've been feeling, it was very exciting to realize that i'll be home in less than a month! scheduling my time, planning activities, and dreaming of eating all the mexican food i can find has cheered me considerably. i've been on a psycho budget lately so i can afford to enjoy myself when i'm home. (which basically means: eat. eat everything. all of it.)

since this is a convenient way to communicate to a lot of people, here's a rough guide for my time home:
february 27 - arrive in tulsa.
march 6 - head down to austin.
march 7-17 - sxsw!
march 26ish? - head up to the dallas/ft. worth area.
april 4ish - head back to oklahoma, where i'll bounce between tulsa and norman.
may 18 - fly to san francisco.
may 20 - leave for south korea.

some of these dates are flexible, obviously, so let's start making plans! i want to see everyone! and do fun (cheap) things! things which should be planned and scheduled around eating (mexican) food. :)

whatcha wanna do, family and friends?!

Happy One Year Anniversary, Zannah & Korea!

This weekend marks one year in Korea. I left Oklahoma on the 18th of November and arrived in Korea on the 19th. One whole year. Dang.

It's odd to sit and think about this past year because it doesn't feel like much time has passed at all. The days and weeks fly by, making this anniversary seem... strange. I'm not sure what it is about the nature of my life here, but I honestly have no idea where the time has gone. Maybe it's working late hours... Or the fact that most weekends are so packed full of running around Seoul, going to festivals and shopping and seeing friends and eating good food. It seems like as soon as a week begins, it's already ending, and I'm sitting there thinking, "Where the hell did this week go?"

I've seen on Facebook that a number of people I trained with are going home soon, with the end of this term marking the completion of their contracts. Since I don't know how this past year has gone by already, I can't fathom leaving Korea at this point in my life.

As many of you know, I've signed another contract with my school. With this new contract, I'll be here through August of 2014, with a three month break at the end of February to mid-May 2012 so I can go home for a visit. After that... I have no idea what I'll be doing. And that's fine. Maybe I'll stay in Korea longer. Maybe I'll come home. Maybe I'll go teach in a different country. Maybe I'll go back to school. But as of now, I couldn't be happier. Korea has been an incredible experience so far, and I think the fact that this year has passed so quickly is just further evidence that this is the right place for me right now. Clearly, I'm enjoying my time here.

My job is still great -- I do really love teaching and trying it out here has made me more certain that it's a career I want to pursue back home. I'm exceptionally lucky because I work for and with good people, which is a large part of why I'm resigning at my particular school. I enjoy the classes I teach and the daily challenges that come from teaching ESL. I know this job is, in many ways, much easier than a teaching job back home, but I still feel like I'm learning and growing from this experience.

Living in Korea in general has been so much better than I'd anticipated. Before coming here, everyone I talked to assured me I would love it. Various blogs that I read said wonderful things about living here. Even with all of that, I don't think I was really ready for how much I would fall in love with this country. The people, the culture, the food, the fashion, the travel... It's amazing. And I feel like I've barely seen or done anything this past year! My Korea to-do list is still intimidatingly lengthy.

My first weekend here, I caught a little bit of the Seoul Lantern Festival, and last night, I returned to the same spot to see this year's lantern display. It felt funny, being there again almost exactly one year later. Last year, I barely remember the festival because that first weekend (and following week) was such a stressed-emotional-jetlagged haze. I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and had no idea where I was. This time was the complete opposite, and it was a nice feeling.

I've been thinking about this blog entry for the past week or so, trying to figure out what I wanted to say about the completion of my first year here. Basically, it comes down to: Korea is awesome, living here is awesome, so I'm really happy that I'm staying longer. (But also really excited to come home for a visit soon, duh.) The end.

ps. Quite a few blog entries in draft-mode right now that will be posted soon, such as:

• Everything Has Faces: A Photo Essay
• How-to: Eat Korean Food, Volume Two
• Observations About South Korea, Volume Four
• Dear Korea, Sometimes You Baffle Me
• How-to: Eat Korean Junk Food (An Expert's Advice)
• Surviving the Holiday Blues