Smart Backpacker: Incheon

Seoul, South Korea

Day 3

According to our itinerary, two days were allotted for campus visit and the other two days are for city tour and travel. And we enjoyed our two days of tour.

There was no definite plan for the tour that day. No package tour was made and we had no idea what to expect in our city tour.

But everybody agreed to visit the biggest palace in Seoul, South Korea.

Again, we boarded the train back to Seoul from Incheon. This time we knew how to use the train system in Seoul after two days of using it.

Gyeongbokgung Palace

The royal palace is located in northern Seoul, South Korea. It was constructed in 1395, later burned and abandoned for almost three centuries, and then reconstructed in 1867, it was the main and largest palace of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty. The name means "Palace" [Gung] "Greatly Blessed by Heaven" [Gyeongbok].

The whole palace cannot be covered in 2 hours by foot. It was gigantic!

But we did not mind walking inside the palace. There were so many historical and magnificent structures inside the palace.

But the best part of it is that you can don the Korean attire for free. And we did!

I even took pictures with the Korean women wearing their traditional dress.

There were so many tourists that day.

And I was given the chance to have this picture with a Chinese national.

The palace was a sight to behold!

It was magnificent!!!

After staying in the palace for almost five hours, we went back to the hotel and again used the express train back to Incheon airport (one of the best airports in the world).

Day 4 (last day in Korea)

It was our last day in Korea. And from my understanding, the City Tour was paid by Far University Korea as part of our educational tour in Korea.

We had to bring all our belongings that day to the bus and go back to Seoul for the fourth time.

We were greeted by our Korean tour guide that morning and sped off to Seoul.

It was a long city tour.

First stop -

Seaworld

All of us enjoyed this tour, particularly the part where we had our massage by the Doctor Fish!

We took turns enjoying the sensation of the massage.

Second stop -

Sky Art Gallery
Aerial view of the city

Third stop -

Wax Museum

Tea time with Abraham Lincoln

Fourth stop -

Ginseng House

Last stop - Namsangol Traditional Garden

After the day-long tour, we boarded the bus back to Incheon airport.

And we all went back to the Philippines, Bye South Korea! =)

Related link:

Day 1-2 in Seoul: http://junvillegas.blogspot.com/2013/11/seoul-south-korea-day-1-2.html

There are so many rewards/benefits of being a teacher.

Tangible and intangible rewards.

But the best reward is the recognition coming from your own school and the students.

And second to it is the FREE TRAVEL to KOREA! =)

October, 2011

Far Eastern University (FEU)

Manila, Philippines

Part of the incentive program of FEU for teachers for their excellence and dedication in teaching is that we are rewarded to travel abroad as part of the educational tour program. We are sent abroad to learn the teaching methodologies of our fellow teachers, the country's unique culture, their way of living and as well as to expand our perspective in life.

Before this educational tour, some FEU professors were sent to Thailand and Taiwan. But we were fortunate enough to have been chosen to represent our University to Far East University, Korea.

Originally, we were supposed to be sent to Beijing, China. But we requested instead to be transferred to Seoul, South Korea. And the management was kind enough to oblige to our request. And this was the start of a beautiful, informative and fun-filled travel to Korea.

Day 1 (October 20, 2011)

The flight was 12:05 midnight and it was a very early Korean Air flight!

Joining the the educational tour are the following professors from FEU, namely:

1. Prof. Helen Advincula

2. Prof. Buenvenida Santos

3. PH Joeven Castro

4. Prof. Benjamin Concepcion

5. Prof. Jose Dadulla

6. Prof. Sofronio Dulay

7. AVP Barbara Fernandez

8. Guidance Director Sheila Marie Jocson

9. Prof. Zhenya Lim

10. Prof. Joseph Lopez

11. Prof. Wilhelmina Martin

12. PC Luzelle Anne Ormita

13. Prof. Glorina Orozco

14. PH James Owen Saguinsin

15. Univ. Registrar Grace Sipin

16. Prof. Maricar Tan

17. Prof. Romulo Villanueva

18. Atty. Amado R. Villegas, Jr.

Arriving at the Incheon Airport, I immediately felt the change in the weather. This is Korea!

Oceanside Hotel in Incheon, Korea

From the airport, we were fetched by the hotel's transport bus. It was a 30 minute drive from the airport to the hotel.

I sensed the feeling of excitement and enthusiasm among my co-teachers. The 4-hour flight did not hinder the feeling of excitement instead it rejuvenated the innate passion to travel to Korea.

We stayed in the hotel for four (4) days. Some of us had to share rooms and luckily, I had to share the room only with Prof. Dulay (who happens to be a close friend from my department).

Anyway, we are here in Korea! But we were told to take a brief nap before embarking on our educational tour to Far East Korea. And we did.

After taking the brief nap, we fixed ourselves and went to Far East University. We were fetched this time by the university's bus and it was a 2-3 hour travel to the said university.

Arriving at the university, we were greeted with enthusiasm by the deans and professors of Far East University. Both universities presented their respective powerpoint presentations for their profile.

We toured the entire premises of Far East University. And the premises was so huge that some of us were not able to cover the whole grounds of the university.

On our part, we talked with the Dean of the Business Administration and the latter shared his insights, school's policies, and teaching methodologies.

It was a great experience for us!

After the educational tour, we proceeded to the university's golf course and took this photo.

Everyone was enjoying!

And then, we took our free lunch courtesy of Far East University at this restaurant!

We went back to the hotel and rested.

Day 2

We were supposed to visit again the university the following day, but we were told that the university officials/staff were not available for a very urgent matter concerning the university.

So, we did not stay in Incheon. We went to Seoul!