Seoul, Day 1 - Travelling day and the preparation

Day 1 – 16 March 2011, Wednesday

The rented van came around 9am to take us to Sepang, Air Asia Terminal airport. We reached there quite early and after checked-in, we hang around at the airport with my sister's family. 2 families booked the trip together but we chose a different itinerary and a different accomodation. Throughout our tour, we only met by chance the day we explored a Seoraksan Mountain. It was the most memorable day for us as we were determine to make our trips a meaningful journey. We boarded a plane at 12.30 which left the ground at around 1.10pm. Some photos taken inside the plan are sharing below:-

Nazhif pleaded "Pls Ma, Pls Ma.. I will be miserable without Nasi Lemak for a week", so, he had his official nasi lemak on board :)

Hubby was filling an immigration form for all of us and I, as usual, reading!

We reached Incheon International Airport at around 8pm local time. It was a funny incident at the airport where the local taxi driver mistaken, arranged to pick up another Shamsuddin from Malaysia had approached us. That Shamsuddin was actually working in Seoul and had arranged a taxi for his family coming for a visit from Kuala Lumpur. However, the same taxi driver was kind enough helping us to get another comfortable coach to Lexington Hotel. 

Very pleased with the hotel that we chose as it was decorated in English interior style. In all directions, it has an English interior finishing touch. After settling down in the room, we went ahead to Seven Eleven, seated behind the hotel to buy breakfast for the next morning. It was freezing cold outside.

Though I booked the air ticket from Air Asia very much earlier, 21st August 2010, I did not made a wise move to book a hotel from Air Asia. It was too late for me to find a reasonable hotel when I realized my mistakes on 3^rd March 2011. When I checked online, most hot spot for tourist were all fully booked.  I only managed to book in Lexington Hotel for 3 nights as it was taken-up after 18th March 2012. The booking was made when I was on official trip to Delhi. I had no choice but trying to get in touch with my friend in Seoul, Mr Dong Shin Park. I was looking up and down for his contact email. Finally, his contact was given by his branch office in KL. On 7^th March 2011, he responded to my mail, saying “Thank you for your e-mail dated Mar. 4, 2011. Aswana long time no see.  This is D.S. Park. I welcome you and your families visit to Korea and I hope you and your families will have a good time during stays in the Korea. At this time our country Korea still cold, some time temperature come down to minus degree around 3 to 4 in the early morning, so you may will provide thick clothes separately like a Jumper, Sweater”.

Well, my sister is wiser than me, she managed to get a reasonable hotel in Myeundong area and a pick-up transport from Incheon International Airport. We parted at the airport and hope to see each other somewhere in the trip.

To be continued....