The first leg of our flight arrived shortly after seven in the morning and we debarked and attempted to get through immigration in time to catch an eight am tour of the city. We missed the 8 am tour but were able to register for the 10am run which gave us time for breakfast and coffee which was much needed after minimal sleep on the overnight flight. If the level of civilization in South Korea was not already apparent being instructed to fasten our seatbelts on the tour bus amplified the civility. Our tour guide who acknowledged he was not being safe by standing and talking to us for the majority of the hour ride into Seoul was entertaining. Thankfully, the tour was well prepared and they provided winter jackets as the January weather in Korea is much colder than the weather in southeast asia. Arriving at Gyeongbokgung Palace we toured the site for 45 minutes with our tour guide explaining the history of the grounds and the dynastic families that lived there. We spent another 30 minutes wandering the site ourselves. Returning to the bus we were taken to the Insa-dong neighborhood where we were served a traditional meal at a small restaurant down an alley before having some time to explore the shops of the neighborhood. It was not long before we were back on the bus and headed back to Incheon Airport to kill a few more hours before our flight home.
Due to crossing the International Date Line we arrived in Seattle (11AM January 19) before we left Korea (5PM January 19). Both of us managed a bit more sleep on this flight but still not a great amount. After unpacking our bags, cleaning up, and spending some time with Ted and Tami we headed out to celebrate Tami's birthday with bbq, beers, and a movie. Scott didn't make it through the previews before passing out but somehow Tori survived the duration of Aquaman. The end of the longest January 19th we have ever experienced, and the official end to 109 days in South East Asia.
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| Tori in her tour provided winter jacket |
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| Immigration lines are tough |
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| Korean Beef Stew |
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| The olympics peaked out as we returned home. |
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