Korea - day 1

Yesterday it was time for me to go to Korea. So everything went as well as it could considering it was me. It started with me getting on the wrong train line in Nippori, but in the end I got to the airport, but much later than I would have wanted. The plane was leaving at 6pm and I was there around 5pm. Luckily I didn't have any luggage to check-in so it went smooth after I had panicked for a while for not finding the flight for Seoul leaving at 6pm on the board :P Turned out they listed the flights according to when the boarding closed, which is 15 minutes before departure.

When I got on the plane everything went fine. I filled out the landing permit and the customs form and when we landed I knew the drill so I could get in line for the entrance to Korea pretty quickly. Korea seems to be more open than Japan, they didn't take my photograph or fingerprints and they didn't ask anything at all. Everything went smooth getting on the airport coach and after around 40 minutes they announced the station. I thought that the bus would, like the bus in Japan did, stop at every station. But it didn't. Two stations later I found the stop button xD Luckily I had printed a map so I could find my way there after taking a wrong turn a few times :P

When I arrived at the hostel the time was about 10.30pm and after paying and choosing a bed I sat down in the living room to socialize with the people. Especially three Canadian girls and three German boys :) Already when I got there they had booze up and I joined in the drinking pretty quickly, which turned out not too be such a wise decision since I hadn't eaten anything in almost all day xD So around 1am I went to bed and just a little later the rest of them went out clubbing.

I woke up around eleven today and had Korean breakfast that they cooked. I didn't feel too well so I spent the day playing DS, until the time was around 3pm and everyone else had gone out and I figured I might as well do the same. So without any plan I just started wandering around in Seoul. It's so different from Japan! To begin with it's dirtier and here are almost no skyscrapers and the buildings are more colourful, not like in Tokyo where almost all buildings are grey or white :P

It was pretty scary going out and I feel a little lonely here. Not lonely in the sense that I'm all alone, but lonely in the sense that I don't know the language. When I was ordering lunch I first asked the staff "English?" and when she said no I asked "Japanese?" and she said no again, so it was all up to pointing and nodding. I kind of miss Japan right now...

Can't upload any pictures so that will come on May 4th when I'm back in Japan :)