Just the thought of traveling and having to somehow pull all four giant pieces of luggages with my little self puts me in a bad mood now. So I was not excited when I woke up this morning. I dragged everything up to the top floor to check out and thankfully the two kind adjusshis at the front (one seems to be a manager and the other assistant mamanger?) helped me out with my luggage. They called me a taxi and the manager carried half my stuff out down the street where cabs were passing. He spoke to the cab driver and told him where to go as well! The cab driver himself deserves mention because he was so funny and nice :) Most aren't mean, but they aren't friendly. They know I speak English so they don't even try; I however feel awkward without being able to ask my usual Hello, How are you, How's your day going, etc. smalltalk. So I tried in Korean and he responded enthusiastically haha. It was such a fun drive to Seoul Station, he was a crack-up from what I could understand, and very sweet to me.
He was worried when he dropped me off, indicating that I had four luggages and only one me. Before I had dragged them too far though, another nice station attendant helped me drag one of my giant suitcases across the road, up the escalators, up the ramps, and into the Seoul Station terminal :) So I was very lucky today with help; everyone is so kind.
I had scoped out the area a few days previously to ostensibly make my travel day a bit easier. I had heard I could check in my baggage right here at the Station and they would take it to the airport! What a wonderful service :) And so useful since my luggage is the bane of my existence right now. I located the airport express train booth on the 2nd Basement level. There were two trains; one WITH stops at various stations in Seoul for 4,000 won and one with no stops for 8,000 won. With only about a $3 difference I had bought a ticket for the 10:00am no-stop express train, in no mood to entertain potential difficulties on travel day.
Therefore I was unhappy to be informed upon arrival (finally) in B2 of the station that since I was flying Japan Airlines, I couldn't check in my luggage here. WHAT. They changed my 10:00 planned express train to the 9:30 one that was about to depart to give me more time at the airport to check -in. So I had to drag all my luggage through more elevators and up and down escalators and turnstiles (NO MEAN FEAT, I AM TELLING YOU). My suitcases are so heavy that I can't roll them normally. I have my thousand pound carry-on bag on top of one of them too so I have to roll them standing up, pushing with all my strength to keep them going forward and in the right direction. They're like those annoying faulty shopping carts, they stop suddenly and start jerkily and go off in opposite directions -.- I'm pretty sure I've pulled every muscle in my body by now, 10 times over. I am never doing this again. Next time I fly abroad, I'm bringing my goddamn toothbrush and nothing else @.@
Therefore I was unhappy to be informed upon arrival (finally) in B2 of the station that since I was flying Japan Airlines, I couldn't check in my luggage here. WHAT. They changed my 10:00 planned express train to the 9:30 one that was about to depart to give me more time at the airport to check -in. So I had to drag all my luggage through more elevators and up and down escalators and turnstiles (NO MEAN FEAT, I AM TELLING YOU). My suitcases are so heavy that I can't roll them normally. I have my thousand pound carry-on bag on top of one of them too so I have to roll them standing up, pushing with all my strength to keep them going forward and in the right direction. They're like those annoying faulty shopping carts, they stop suddenly and start jerkily and go off in opposite directions -.- I'm pretty sure I've pulled every muscle in my body by now, 10 times over. I am never doing this again. Next time I fly abroad, I'm bringing my goddamn toothbrush and nothing else @.@
I guess I just didn't know what to expect because I hadn't traveled abroad before. I knew I'd buy some stuff over here but I didn't know what stuff and what would be available. For example, I'd heard deodorant is practically impossible to find over here. I have no idea why lol, Asians don't sweat? Bronzer is also not to be found here, for more obvious reasons (they value pale porcelain skin as opposed to the sun-kissed glow we prefer in CA). I knew I'd buy clothes, but not what kind.
I'm glad I brought a few tops and all my underclothes because I think I only bought two tips this entire time and they are kind of like sweater tops even. The rest are jackets, sweaters, coats, scarves, etc. Knowing I had limited space for shopping purchases, I mainly bought good quality articles that would be expensive back in America, hence all the outerwear. I had heard shoes were as expensive here as America so I wasn't planning on buying any, but like I blogged about before there are plenty of cheaper shoe places with sales going on in the Underground Shopping Centers at various larger stations. So that shoe tip online must have been outdated...
I'm glad I brought a few tops and all my underclothes because I think I only bought two tips this entire time and they are kind of like sweater tops even. The rest are jackets, sweaters, coats, scarves, etc. Knowing I had limited space for shopping purchases, I mainly bought good quality articles that would be expensive back in America, hence all the outerwear. I had heard shoes were as expensive here as America so I wasn't planning on buying any, but like I blogged about before there are plenty of cheaper shoe places with sales going on in the Underground Shopping Centers at various larger stations. So that shoe tip online must have been outdated...
Once I arrived at Incheon Airport, I hauled my luggage up a few escalators and ramps until I reached the main area. Once I got help to get through the turnstiles (stupid things) there was a cool electric car to take me from the inside station area to check-in airport area. The guy got me a handcart too so I wouldn't have to struggle painful inch by pain inch to haul all my luggage to the other side of the airport (where check-in is). They're those carts that LAX makes you pay $5 for or something; here they are free!
The international check-in area itself is huge and confusing. I had to ask three different information desks until I found my correct one (you have an assigned number check in desk to check in at, it can't just be any Japan Airline one). I got so many funny looks and hands-over-mouth-to-hide-smiles because of my little self pushing almost horizontally to get my cart moving lol. Something must have looked funny, I can't imagine what...
The international check-in area itself is huge and confusing. I had to ask three different information desks until I found my correct one (you have an assigned number check in desk to check in at, it can't just be any Japan Airline one). I got so many funny looks and hands-over-mouth-to-hide-smiles because of my little self pushing almost horizontally to get my cart moving lol. Something must have looked funny, I can't imagine what...
There were three desks, so I approached one to ask to check-in my stuff. Upon hearing I was flying Economy not First Class she told me I had to wait in this EPIC long line I hadn't seen off to the side (it was a combined line, for all the check-in desks on that G wall). However, she smiled and secretively told me she would let me cut and it was okay today :) THANK YOU UNKNOWN CHECK-IN LADY!! She also only charged me for one bag of overweight, when they were both overweight. I could have just taken aside and opened up my Pandora's boxes to rearrange everything so only one was overweight but this saved me the trouble.
Shortly after I got called into that side windowless room where they check your baggage and stuff when you are suspect. It was because I had two hairsprays (one was mousse) and once I showed her, the tough looking ladysaid it was fine and I didn't have to toss them. I keep getting one scare after another and then somehow it all works out haha.
Shortly after I got called into that side windowless room where they check your baggage and stuff when you are suspect. It was because I had two hairsprays (one was mousse) and once I showed her, the tough looking ladysaid it was fine and I didn't have to toss them. I keep getting one scare after another and then somehow it all works out haha.
My flight itself was uneventful. The plane was not full so I had both seats to myself, with no partner! I also had nobody sitting in the two seats in front OR the two seats in back of me so I could recline and play on the touch-screen in front of me without worrying about bothering anyone :) It was very nice and lucky; everywhere else I looked in the plane there was at least one person if not two in each seat set, and nowhere as many empty seats as I had around me. A small thing, but appreciated when I was so stressed out.
They also served us a meal! I was not expecting this as it was a short flight and only between similar countries. I was starving though as I'd only had a roll this morning, so this was also appreciated. It was so cute! Like a mini bento box and surprisingly good for airplane food :) There was rice with a beef chili glaze, soybeans, and bean curd, grilled chicken teriyaki, an egg/fish roll, cucumbers, spinach, a crab meat dumpling, baked beans of some sort, fried black sesame tofu, carrots, and a green tea cake. Quite a variety lol.
They also served us a meal! I was not expecting this as it was a short flight and only between similar countries. I was starving though as I'd only had a roll this morning, so this was also appreciated. It was so cute! Like a mini bento box and surprisingly good for airplane food :) There was rice with a beef chili glaze, soybeans, and bean curd, grilled chicken teriyaki, an egg/fish roll, cucumbers, spinach, a crab meat dumpling, baked beans of some sort, fried black sesame tofu, carrots, and a green tea cake. Quite a variety lol.
And so I said my final farewell to The Land of Morning Calm as we zoomed off into the sky. I'll admit that I cried! It's such a magical thing to be in a foreign country for the first time...I'll never forget how I felt when I first landed here in Korea. I was having flashbacks even as we taxied down the runway for take-off of how I saw all these same exact sights when I arrived a month and a half ago, and how different I was now that I was leaving it. I had so many experiences and learned so much :')
I took dozens of pictures of the beautiful clouds and skies while we were flying. I don't know about you all, but I am FASCINATED by these parts of the sky we usually never get to see. We always see the bottoms, but now we can see the tops. Even though I know what clouds are made from, it's hard to match such scientifically described structures to the whispy, ethereal beings that are clouds. It occurred to me that it's no wonder clouds, the sky, and nature in general sparks so many songs and poems about it. They look otherworldly and out of place in this structured and everything-has-an-explanation world of ours. I won't bore you all with my tons of photos though haha so the above two are the ones I took upon our descent to Japan :) Beautiful isn't it?!
Once off the airplane I had to do the whole up and down and around and escalators and elevators and stairs dance I had to do all day today. I found the booth to exchange my JR Railpass at and set my dates. Then I had to find the correct booth that sold the ticket for the bus to Machida Station, where my hotel is, and wait for it.
The plane ride was not my longest leg of my journey today. The bus took almost three hours to get to Machida from Narita Airport -.- It was awful. Even worse was once the bus dropped me off, I was stuck in this huge bus station island in the middle of the road with no discernible way off it to get a taxi. It seemed like the hundreds of people around me were all just waiting for buses. Ugh. After a lot of searching and yanking my arms out of their sockets I located an elevator and an overhead bridge to the side of the street from the bus island. I had to drag all 4 pieces of my luggage up and down stairs through a huge subway station and to the streets. WHY IS THIS IS DIFFICULT. Seriously. Everything is so far and hard to get to/through/around.
My body is so abused and overwrought that I can't even breathe without something sore hurting. I am carrying far too much weight on my body for what I'm capable of, and I'm used to carrying quite a lot of weight (fellow Science majors...I have four words. General. Biology. Chemistry. Textbooks -.-). I'm just not physically big enough for this!! Major miscalculation -.- I think I'm permanently damaging myself lol. About halfway through my journey I realized how badly my hands were hurting for some reason. I think it's the pressure of the heavy luggages on them and having to hold 50 pound bags AND steer my heavy luggages in each hand, but they look and feel like they were burned! They are bright red, tight, and shiny and hurt like HELL. I can't run any sort of warm or hot water over them or they sting like mad. I also can't close them very well, or twist (I couldn't even open my water bottle. Pathetic.). What the hey?
The plane ride was not my longest leg of my journey today. The bus took almost three hours to get to Machida from Narita Airport -.- It was awful. Even worse was once the bus dropped me off, I was stuck in this huge bus station island in the middle of the road with no discernible way off it to get a taxi. It seemed like the hundreds of people around me were all just waiting for buses. Ugh. After a lot of searching and yanking my arms out of their sockets I located an elevator and an overhead bridge to the side of the street from the bus island. I had to drag all 4 pieces of my luggage up and down stairs through a huge subway station and to the streets. WHY IS THIS IS DIFFICULT. Seriously. Everything is so far and hard to get to/through/around.
My body is so abused and overwrought that I can't even breathe without something sore hurting. I am carrying far too much weight on my body for what I'm capable of, and I'm used to carrying quite a lot of weight (fellow Science majors...I have four words. General. Biology. Chemistry. Textbooks -.-). I'm just not physically big enough for this!! Major miscalculation -.- I think I'm permanently damaging myself lol. About halfway through my journey I realized how badly my hands were hurting for some reason. I think it's the pressure of the heavy luggages on them and having to hold 50 pound bags AND steer my heavy luggages in each hand, but they look and feel like they were burned! They are bright red, tight, and shiny and hurt like HELL. I can't run any sort of warm or hot water over them or they sting like mad. I also can't close them very well, or twist (I couldn't even open my water bottle. Pathetic.). What the hey?
~My next posts will be under the Exploring Japan at the top of the page :) Thanks for following me through all of Korea!