We finally arrived in South Korea at 4 am, after a long 16 hour flight where I tried my best to get some sleep for the exciting first day ahead. After arriving at Incheon International Airport we met our tour guide, Jinny, who led us onto the bus that would take us to our hotel. Since it was only 6 am we weren’t able to check into the hotel just yet, so instead we went to a nearby restaurant where I tried a delicious dumpling soup with a side of rice and Kimchi. 

After our breakfast, we hopped back onto the bus to visit the Gyeongbokgung Palace, where we watched the changing of the guards ceremony. It was crazy to imagine that this elaborate ceremony happened several times a day. After the ceremony we continued to tour the Palace, where I learned that the King had 3 offices, one for each season. A short walk from the Palace was the Blue House which was currently open to tours before the upcoming election. I was surprised by how large the Blue House was and to learn the history behind it. 

To end the day we had a meal at the Tongin Market, where I tried chicken and Tteokbokki, a type of Korean rice cake. Walking through the market it was interesting to see all of the types of food and how different stands served the same food but prepared it in different ways. 

In order to get back to our hotel each group competed against each other to see who could find their way back the fastest using the subway system. My group, group 4, finished in 3rd place but we were very close in time to the 2nd place team. This activity helped me understand the subway system a little more but also made me realize how many lines and subways there actually are in Seoul.

Even though it was a long one, today was a great introductory day to South Korea and gave me a first look at the culture, food and transportation.