I apologize for being so behind. I was so tired on Saturday night into Sunday that I couldn’t work on blog Sunday (2/18) morning, and I literally was falling asleep at dinner after a full day Sunday (I even rode a tuk-tuk!). I started writing this on Monday, February 19 at 3:30 AM, hoping to finish before having to catch the train at 6, but no luck. Now I’m back 13 hours later trying to finish.

Saturday, February 17

I have weird goals. One is getting good reviews from Airbnb hosts. Maybe it’s because one summer I worked cleaning up townhouses people rented on the University of Alaska-Fairbanks campus, and some of them were terrible. Dirty diapers stuffed in between sofa cushions, toenail clippings piled up between beds and wall, drawers stuffed because they were filled with used tissues! The list goes on, so even in hotel rooms, I tend to straighten up before leaving.

However, I usually clean the airbnb spaces. Thus, the morning was spent–after completing the “Last Day In Korea” post–packing and then cleaning, which involved sorting garbage and figuring out where to take the trash, washing dishes, making the bed, and vaccuming.

Garbage sorting and collecting is very specific in South Korea, and there is usually either someone in the basement of buildings that watches over how you do it or there is a big public area with lots of people watching you do it. Many people I know talk about how they’ve carried trash for blocks looking for a place they can leave it properly.

But it all worked out in the end. I found the spot with the directions sent to me from the host and from a nice man who found me wandering in the parking garage (even being better with Korean, I probably would have missed the sign), and I was able to fit the cheese into my suitcase despite all the extra unplanned items I bought. It required that I wear the new coat and pack the winter coat I wore here since it can fold down nicely and fit into the outer compartment of my carry-on.

I knew that the airport bus comes evey half hour, but I didn’t know the schedule for this stop. The airport bus stop is right across the street from my building, and even though when I got outside, I saw the airport bus right just leaving, I didn’t mind sitting outside and waiting for the next one. Sitting in the quiet, clean apartment would have raised my anxiety. Sitting outside watching the traffic and the cars and counting the ones that were not white, black, or gray (I only saw three) was fun and soothing.

The ride to the airport was uneventful, and I, of course, fell asleep.

Even the automated baggage check-in worked smoothly and really quickly. No line, probably because I was early. I hadn’t eaten any breakfast, so I was pretty hungry. Still, I wanted to take pictures of the airport since I hadn’t taken many on the way in.

Incheon airport is always ranked as one of the top five airports in the world, and I’m not surprised. It always had so much going on whenever I came before, not just flights but historical re-enactments, musical entertainment, and a large shopping experience, as big as many malls. The last time I was here, I remember wondering how people were going to fit all the things they bought as part of their carry-on luggage. One of my friends said that she knew people who had empty carry-on luggage just to put in the things they bought at the shops in the airport.

This time my flights were through the new terminal, Terminal 2, which opened in 2018.

Lots of open air space and indoor plants and trees. It doesn’t feel stuffy like some airports.

The gate for my flight was gate 255, so I headed over there first rather than finding something to eat earlier. I’m always paranoid about finding my gate, so until I actually see it, I can’t relax.

Here are pictures from near my gate. So big, and they are working on a children’s play area as well. Terminal 2 isn’t finished yet. It’s supposed to be finished in 2025. If Alex isn’t ready for our New Zealand adventure that year, I might come back then.

There weren’t as many food places as I expected, since there are a lot more in terminal 1; however, there is space for more restaurants which i’m sure they will be adding because ther terminal isn’t complete. There was a Dunkin Donuts with questionable sandwich options (often true with American chains in international locations), some coffee shops, and then the place I decided to eat: Paris Croissant.

However, I’m not going to lie. The best thing about it was the bathrooms near my gate.

Yes, folks. There are bidet options in the bathrooms, and yes, the seats are heated! I actually considered just staying in the bathroom until my flight was called!

But I did finally leave the stall and the bathroom and read until my flight was called.

The flight from Seoul to Jakarta takes almost 8 hours. More sleeping and watching movies. I watched Love Again (my GOD, but is Priyanka Chopra beautiful or what?!?!) and Shotgun Wedding (Jennifer Coolige is good in everything–even ordinary things). Neither are excellent movies, but there is a real warmth in Love Again, so I can see why it’s become a favorite of some people. And Shotgun Wedding was the kind of movie that I’m not sorry I watched.

Arrived in Jakarta on time. Thank goodness they had people directing us because even with the crowd, I don’t think many of us would have gone in the correct direction.

I always go to the bathroom when I deboard. I’m not sure why people rush to baggage claim when we know we are all going to get there before our luggage. You have plenty of time, people.

In any case, I’m here to warn you about this:

All of my international friends probably know this, but this is not the lever to flush the toilet. I could not find the lever to flush the toilet and thought it must be this. However, this is not a flush level, it is an old fashioned bidet faucet. When I turned it, the spray reach the door of the stall where my coat was hanging! It had enough power that if the door was open, the water would’ve reached the sink! I have to say that even in my embarassment I was impressed.

I scurried out of there though I felt badly for the woman in there cleaning who was probably thinking about the crazy foreigner who just made her job worse.

It is interesting to see the different ways different countries manage their visa process. In Jakarta, you have to go through the visa check/immigration line, then you can go to the buggage claim area. I wish I realized that you also need to also fill out an online customs form because if I had, I would have done it while waiting for my bags. As Kiana says, when your bag is the first to be put on plane, it’s always last to appear. I also didn’t realize that I would need Kiana’s street address for the form, so by the time I looked it up, the app had disappeared along with everything I had already filled out!

Finally, everything was submitted. Whew.

After getting your bag, you get in line to show your completed customs form. Once that is over, you are out and finished.

Kiana told me what door to look for, but I almost passed it because it looked like it was outside. Why would she be outside, I thought.

But then I realized that the Jakarta airport has the waiting area outside.

It’s sort of inside and outside, with a roof but no walls.

Kiana not only showed up with a sign like I was a VIP, but she also had ordered us a car through GoJek, so we were outside waiting. I kept staring at her because I couldn’t believe we were really in front of each other. I also think I was trying to get used to the abrupt heat and humidity. I’m not good in heat.

The whole GoCar operation was really busy but done so smoothly with cars coming in and out as fast as if they were all in some video game.

I don’t remember how long it took us to get to Kiana’s apartment.

The security officers checked the car for bombs (normal practice in Indonesia because of past attacks), and finally I was in the apartment able to unload the cheese. I felt such relief!

I was exhausted. More hugs, a shower, then bed was all I could manage.