Final day in Busan.
Breakfast at Paris Baguette, just opposite the uni. Then we went back to the hotel to check-out. Thought want to hire taxi to the Busan Internation Airport but with our luggage, we would ended up with 1 person 1 cab, not saving any cost at all. Some more we all were runnng out of money. I left about KRW30000+. So we ended up using the subway. Hard work! I had problem dragging my luggage, 2 backpacks, and my kite! -.-” Luckily the only guy in our group helped me with my luggage. Still it’s quite heavy because my laptop was quite bulky.
I was at the airport very early, my flight should be around 9pm but the others at 4pm+. While in the airport, I thought I want to claim the tax back for my purchases but at the end I did not because I need to go to the other terminal and I was feeling very lousy, feeling sick. So I thought I would do it in Incheon International Airport. Since the purchases were exceeding the liquid allowance, I opened my check-in luggage to store them in there. I was extremely tired mentally and physically. I didn’t realize I lost my key.
Once all my friends boared their flight. I was left alone. Goodness! The airport was small, didn’t have much to do. Besides, I thought of just sitting there doing nothing but with so many luggage, they really made me no mood. Finally I saw that I could check-in my luggage already, I quickly went to the check-in counter to check in so that I didn’t need to take care of that big luggage. When I was near the counter, I asked one of the staff there whether I could really check in since my flight was hours away. He joked with me, “check-in? not flying early?”, I just laughed. I went to the counter, the lady checked my ticket and she told me there’s a flight at 5.30pm, it’s quite empty and asked me whether I wanted to change or not. I told her I want to provided no charge and I got on the flight! 4 hours earlier! WEEE! I quickly went to the departure hall. I was lucky, the flight was delayed due to technical problem that’s why I could get on it. Thank God!
Goodbye Busan…
Hello Seoul! Gimpo International Airport… It’s kind of sucks since my luggage could only check-in till here because there’s no code sharing between the airlines I’m flying. The consquences when you just want to get the cheapest flights. Dragged and carried 3 heavy luggage, walked all the way from the airport to the train station. It was not easy with me feeling very sick but I managed to get to Incheon International Airport. I tried to take a nap in the train but didn’t really manage to do so because was quite worried if I missed my stop. Once I reached the Incheon International Airport, I was extremely exhausted. I knew my flight would be next day very early in the morning, at about 6am, so I took the opportunity to sit down and rest as much as I could. So… Now I need to wait for almost 12 hours for my flight to Singapore instead of the initial 6 hours. Crazy! Can you imagine? I took the long waiting time to figure out where to get the tax return. Found it but guess what?!?! I couldn’t find my key! DAMN! I was stressed enough already, now with this?!? Luckily it’s not the main compartment. At the end, I didn’t get my tax returend. Good thing, it’s not much.
Then, a thought hit me, “let’s see if there’s any flight going out tonight?”. Thank God again! The last flight out to Singapore, at 12.10am! I quickly went to the counter with my almost very last bit of energy to ask whether I could change my flight to earlier flight. I was so sick already, I didn’t want to sleep in the airport anymore, Seoul was so cold! I rather sleep on the plane. My voice changed, very obvious, I was sick. The staff was great! They knew I’m not feeling well, they quickly check whether I could change to earlier flight and I got it! Even assign the seats in the middle, one whole row, 4 seats for myself and told me I could lie down to sleep on the flight. Amazing! Then I asked whether I could change my flight from Singapore to Adelaide to an earlier flight since I would be in Singapore for about 17 hours instead of 11 hours. They told me the earlier flight was fully booked! WHAT??! I knew this would going to be a lousy flight back to Adelaide. As for my flight, it was also fully booked! Then it hit on me that Australians were going home after the long Christmas’ break! -.-”
At least when I’m in Singapore, I have friends and relatives there. I could go over to my relative’s house to get my needed shower and rest before embarking on the next flight back to Adelaide. Luckily it’s Singapore for transit. Phew… It was first day of CNY some more! I spent all my new year’s eves in Korea’s airports while my first day of the new years in two different countries.
So… 6 hours flight to Singapore began… Goodbye Korea! I slept throughout the flight, it was a bumpy one but I didn’t bother. I was just too tired.
When I was in Singapore, I went to my cousin’s place to kill my time, showered, lunched, slept. No CNY celebration. Then at 4pm, my friend came to pick me up and we went straight to the airport, they bought CNY goodies for me to eat since I won’t get to eat any in Australia and I didn’t get to go home for it. Thank you so much for everything!
That’s the end of my cultural exchange journey at Busan.