The Airport World

I am here. I made it! After traveling from Brussels to Istanbul to Seoul, my inner clock is completely turned around, and I know, I know tomorrow I will be dead. But not yet. Today I am enjoying the airport world that is Incheon International Airport.

My flight landed this morning at 10 a.m. Because of pick-up scheduling, Fulbright is only picking all the ETAs up at 5 a.m tomorrow. So to save money, I decided to spend the night in Incheon. Uncomfortable, yes; but beneficial to my pocket book. I payed 15 dollars to have my luggage kept for me in a holding area and then, 70 lb lighter and accompanied by my trusty laptop, I decided to explore the airport. My km counter on my iPhone says I have walked over 5 km today. Not too unusual, except when you imagine those 5 km in an airport. On my adventure I discovered the ice rink hidden on the bottom floor of Incheon. Amazing! Later I stumbled across a movie theatre, and decided to stop in for a screening of the new Finding Dory movie. Not before eating dinner at one of the numerous restaurants on the 4th floor. While enjoying a very spicy dinner, I was serenaded by live piano and violin music, as the airport regularly entertains its guests with live performances, both modern and traditional.

The thing that impressed me most about Incheon was the attention given to educating visitors about the Korean culture. In only one day, I experienced traditional Korean music performances, saw exhibits of Korean art, and other activities. I think Incheon has the right idea, and more airports should make the effort to reach the travelers journeying through; thousands, and thousands every day. Many of us are only transferring to another flight, yet still, I think many travelers would like to learn about the country they are sojourning in.