11 September 2011
Incheon
Incheon is actually a seperate city, it is basically joined up with Seoul but has its own metro, own very modern central business district etc. It sure looked nice and modern in pictures.
Getting to Incheon on the metro is quite an excursion, it takes about 90 minutes, if you dont get off and you dont get an express (I dont think they run on Sunday).
I had read up that there was things to see at a station on the way called Bupyeong, including a large chinatown area. I went to Japanese Chinatown in Yokohama, so thought I might go to Korean Chinatown near Bupyeong.
Once you get out of Seoul a bit, the subway stations become of a lesser quality, and so do the tracks cause the train slows right down, but at least you are above ground so theres a view. This train also had no electonic boards telling you what station was next....so I had to listen out for BUPYEONG, in Korean.
So after some time of wandering around Bucheon, which sure as hell sounded like Bupyeong to me, I decided I was in the wrong place!
Reboarding a train, Bupyeong was another 4 stations further on, but whilst there were lots of shops and the largest underground mall I have ever seen in my life, there was no Chinatown!
Eventually I gave up looking, reboarded a train for Incheon. Imaging my surprise when the Incheon station (last station on the line), is in the middle of a port area with nothing but tank farms and ship building yards....and a very small crappy Chinatown.
Someone needs to update wikipedia. The modern parts of Incheon are nowhere near the Incheon subway station.
Alas, I found plenty to do anyway, and walked a very long way!
This underground mall was huge and frustrating. It was a grid with no exits and no signage. All the time I was looking for a Chinatown that didnt exist.
Eventually I made it out of an emergency exit, this place is pretty rundown!
Possibly a dog meat restaurant, or not, it was shut so I dont know.
The Bupyeong station, as far as I can figure out now that I am back at my hotel, you get off the train here to transfer lines to the other modern part of Incheon I never got to.
The gate to Chinatown at the end of the line.
There is a hill here, which is where US forces came ashore led by General Macarthur to remarkably end a war in stalemate rather than defeat. Stalemate in Korea remains the best result for any US military action to date, everything since then has been defeat.
This is some sort of monument dedicated to a 100 year anniversary of a US / Korea treaty signed in 1895.
Here is the monument of General Macarthur. He really did lead the troops ashore, I saw photos in the war museum yesterday. He came out of retirement to do it.
On maps I saw there was a seaside fun park on a nearby island (which is joined now by a causeway). There seemed to be a monorail to get there, except it wasnt running. So I walked under the tracks, through a very industrial area making MDF and big ass pipes.
I never saw another person.....1 hour and 15 minutes later I got to the next monorail station, which is the start of the nature park and fairground called Wolmido.
Strangely, to get to the sea, you walk through some slum like housing, its a strange location to live, possibly fishermen live there. Eventually I made it to the sea.
The fun park was pretty run down, lots of seafood restaurants. Im not sure how long the monorail hasnt been running for, but it reminded me of Brighton in the UK, largely abandoned and rusting. The park behind it was quite nice though.
The busiest part of the fun fair.
Theres some sort of rock pool filled with sea water which photos suggested you can swim in, it was a bit too cool today. Im not sure I would swim in it with that pollution skimmer thing nearby.
Nearby there was some more Korean Idol going on. There seemed to be a line up of potential contestants, all doing different acts, there was a juggler before this lady came on and screamed for 6 minutes.
To get back to Incheon, I wisely took a bus. The driver wouldnt let anyone swipe their cards which had everyone confused. Maybe because its Chuseok?