May 1 - 25 (Part 18) Back Where It All Began: Crossing Bridges & Coming Full Circle

22nd May

Our final travel day in South Korea started simply, yet perfectly, with a sweet breakfast and a big latte at Starbucks. I know it’s not everyone’s favorite, but honestly… I just love their coffee.




By noon, we checked out of Ibis Ambassador Suwon, picked up our car from the garage and set off under a cloudy sky. Our destination: Incheon International Airport Terminal 1, just about an hour’s drive away.

A Journey in Circles

This trip truly felt like coming full circle. 

The airport sits on an island, connected to the mainland by impressive brigdes. This time, we drove across the breathtaking Incheon Bridge. A completely different experience from my arrival, weeks ago, via the Yeongjong Grand Bridge.

The contrast was striking:
  • The Yeongjong Bridge: functional, layered, connecting road and rail
  • The Incheon Bridge: wide, elegant and dramatic with its towering pylons and fan-like cables
At 21 km long, it’s the longest cable-stayed bridge in South Korea and without a doubt the most impressive bridge I’ve ever crossed.

From a distance, it looked gloomy and mysterious under the heavy clouds, but just as we approached, the sun broke through. That sudden shift made the entire experience feel almost cinematic. Of course, I couldn’t stop taking photo’s!









Small Detours, Big Discoveries

Before returning the car, we needed to refuel. Sounds easy… but the nearest gas station was on the wrong side of the road. Classic 😅.

No stress, we had time. After a few detours and turns off the highway, we found one. And right next to it? A hidden gem.

We stumbled upon Cheongchosu Cold Raw Fish Soup, a quiet restaurant overlooking the runway of Terminal 1. It was already 2:30 p.m., so the place was nearly empty, but luckily, still open.




There was no staff in sight, just a little service bell on the counter 🛎️.
After ringing it, we were welcomed and treated to something unexpected…

Lunch with a Robot Waiter

Our food arrived via a robot waiter… our second encounter with this futuristic phenomenon, but this time we had it all to ourselves!

Here you can watch our personal waiter:

Okay, a human still removed the dishes from the robot’s tray, but let’s not ruin the magic 😉.
More importantly: the food was absolutely delicious.








“This is Korea”

With full bellies, we headed to return the car. Instead of a rental desk, we had to park it in a specific spot, H26, in the massive parking garage of Terminal 1.




But then… a small problem: Where do we leave the keys?

We tried calling the rental company, but our phones refused to cooperate. Just then, a local family parked next to us. And sometimes, you just have to go for it. So, we asked for help.

Not only did they call for us, they acted as intermediaries.
And the solution?

👉 Just leave the keys inside the car 👀.




Their explanation: “This is Korea.”

Moments like these stay with you 💛.

Back to Familiar Ground

From the airport, we took the express subway, transferred at Gimpo International Airport Station and got off at Sinnonhyeon Station Seoul.

Walking back to my familiar hotel, Ocloud Hotel Gangnam and even my familiar room, 1102, felt strangely comforting. Like returning home, but in a place that once felt so new.

The Perfect Ending

That evening, we met up with Karin and Christian for dinner at our favorite Korean BBQ spot, Hwagiaeae. It was wonderful to see them again. Good food, great company and of course… Somaek 🍻.





It was the perfect way to close this incredible journey through South Korea. We were back in Seoul, even if it was only for a short while.

Coming Up Next

And just like that, our journey through South Korea is slowly coming full circle.

From crossing those incredible bridges to unexpected detours, kind strangers and unforgettable meals, this trip has been filled with moments that were often small, but meant so much.

What I’ll remember most isn’t just the places we visited, but everything in between: the laughter, the little challenges and how things always seemed to work out in the end.

But… we’re not done just yet 😉.

Tomorrow we’ll step into tradition, visiting a grand palace dressed in a beautiful hanbok. Something I’ve been looking forward to for weeks?

And then, for our very last day, we’ll go from tradition to modern Seoul, heading up the iconic Lotte World Tower for one final view over this incredible city before our night flight home.

Two completely different endings to one unforgettable journey 🇰🇷.

Stay tuned… the best is yet to come.


Location: Incheon, Zuid-Korea

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Final Week At Lexis Korea Gangnam: A Farewell Filled with Beauty, Laughter & a Little Fire!

Image
My final week at Lexis Korea was anything but ordinary. It marked the end of an intense, joyful and sometimes chaotic chapter of my life in Seoul.  I came here to study Korean… and while I’ve only scratched the surface of the language, I’ve gained something far more personal: the confidence that I can navigate life in a foreign country, build genuine connections and stay open to whatever comes my way.  At the end of the week, I proudly received my Certificate of Achievement, marked with the level: Beginner. A small step perhaps, but a meaningful recognition of the learning journey I’ve started. This week was filled with moments that were beautiful, hilarious, heartwarming and even a little dramatic (yes, there was actual fire involved). And while my classes may be over, my time in South Korea is not. I’ll spend another week in Seoul seeing friends before Arthur will join me for three more weeks of traveling through this incredible country. Monday: Nature, Friends and a Surpris...
Read more

Burned Out and Breaking Free: A Week Without School in Seoul

Image
The Day After the Burn The day after the burn, I had plans to meet up with friends in the evening to watch the Lantern Parade. I took it easy in the morning, using the quiet time to book my KTX train tickets from Seoul to Busan for the following Sunday. It felt like a milestone: the ticket that would mark the end of my five-week stay in Seoul. In the afternoon, with the sun shining and the sky perfectly clear, I hopped on the subway and headed to Gyeongbokgung Palace. Surrounded by many tourists dressed in colorful Hanbok, I wandered through the historic grounds, soaking in both the beauty of the palace and the vibrant atmosphere. Since I plan to come back here, I decided not to go inside the palace itself this time. Instead, I made my way toward Cheonggyecheon Stream.  Along the way, something funny happened. I was so focused on watching the many people enjoying the outdoor library that I completely missed the massive statue of King Sejong the Great. I walked right past it without...
Read more

May 1 - 25: (Part 2) A Perfect Day in Seoul: From Cheonggyecheon Stream to Dongdaemun Design Plaza

Image
The weather was absolutely perfect, a solft blue sky with some clouds, the kind of day you want to spend outside. After a simple breakfast of cereal and instant coffee, Arthur and I set off to explore some beautiful spots on the north side of the Han River. I wanted to start at Euljiro 3(sam)-ga Station and to keep things simple, we walked to Gangnam Station (Line 2) so we could take the subway  there without any transfers. A quick tip when navigating Seoul’s subway system: always check which Exit you need before arriving. Many stations are enormous beneath the streets and choosing the right exit can save you quite a bit of wandering. A Stroll Along Cheonggyecheon Stream When we stepped out of the station, we found ourselves surrounded by a fascinating mix of tiny neighborhood shops selling all kinds of odds and ends, standing side by side with towering construction sites reshaping the city skyline.  From there, w e made our way to one of my favorite places in Seoul: Cheonggye...
Read more