Incheon: More Than Just an Airport (and a Whole Lot of Islands)
okay, so i'm still processing incheon. it’s… a lot. i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. the weather. it’s surprisingly humid, 87% humidity to be exact. feels like you’re walking through a warm cloud. and surprisingly, a bit breezy - 4.98°C for the temp, feels like 0.8°C, which is a bit chilly, but manageable. i’m wearing, like, five layers.
first off, wow, the geography. seriously. 66% of the city is islands! who knew? it's so weird to think about. you’re driving along and suddenly you’re crossing a bridge…to another landmass. it makes you feel a bit disconnected, in a good way? i don’t know. it’s just…different. the city itself is pretty flat, though, which is nice. makes getting around easier. i'm a sucker for easy.
incheon is a major port city - a really important one, apparently. it’s like the gateway to northeast asia, which is a big deal. the airport is insane - one of the busiest in the world. i heard someone tell me that the efficiency is legendary. maybe it’s just airport hype, but it felt efficient.
getting around is pretty straightforward. it’s part of the greater seoul capital area, so you can easily hop on a train or bus to seoul or gyeonggi province if you get bored. if you get bored, those cities are just a short drive away. and of course, there's the demilitarized zone (dmz) to the north - a bit sobering to think about just how close that is.
the people here are…polite. very polite. it’s a really homogeneous population, which is interesting. i haven’t really encountered much ethnic diversity - it’s a very unique vibe. the city is rapidly modernizing, though, especially with the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ). apparently, it’s a technological hub. i saw some cool futuristic buildings down there.
major tourist spots? songdo resort seems popular, as does ganghwa island (apparently there’s a lot of historical stuff there). and yeongjong international city - which is basically just the airport area, built up as a whole eco-friendly hub. it’s all very planned and clean. a little…sterile, maybe?
honestly, incheon feels like a city constantly in motion. a place where the old and the new are bumping up against each other. it’s not the most relaxing place, but it’s definitely…stimulating. and it's got a great blend of cutting-edge modernity and a deep history. it's definitely a place that surprised me. seriously, who would have thought an airport city could be so…interesting? it’s a bit chaotic, yeah, but in a good way. i'm going to need a nap after all that wandering.
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