FAQ's
How long was the flight?
It was about 12 hours to Tokyo and 2.5 to Korea. Sold out flight too. Lots of sitting and walking around. I don't care what you bring with,
a) batteries run out
b) that's just a LONG time on a plane!
Do they speak English?
Yes, most know enough to get by to help us American's out. Their English was better than our Korean.
Is it civilized over there? Or is it all poor etc.?
Yes, very civilized. Seoul is a very large city with tons of businesses and world leading corporations like Daewoo, Samsung, Sanyo etc. Lots of hustle and bustle and cars on the move. It's busier than most cities in the U.S. Seoul is the 6th largest city in the world (New York City is #12).
How were the people?
Pretty quiet and kept to themselves for the most part. Not constantly talking like we do wherever we go. Older natives were always excited to see us and greeted us all the time. Others smiled when we greeted them in Korean. They were always helpful as we verbally stumbled.
What do the wear for clothing?
Koreans pretty much follow our fashion sense.
Did they have alot of traffic?
Yes! Busy streets and highways had 3-4 lanes going in each direction. Streets also had 2-3 U-turn lanes. Crazy! Plus, alleys only had enough room for 1 car at a time. If another one had to pass, often times the mirrors had to be folded in just to make enough room to pass. You could easily reach out the window and tap the car next to you, which ironically, is the signal to the other car to move out of the way.
What kind of food did you eat?
They have all sorts of food. Both the traditional like kalbi and bulgogi but also American "favorites" such as Outback Steakhouse, Dunkin Donuts, KFC, Burger King etc. We ate a little of everything both American and traditional.
What kind of money do they use?
The Korean currency is Won (pronounced like the Spanish name Juan). The exchange rate was roughly 1,000 Won to $1 US. Most street vendors accepted both US and Korean currency. The are quick to convert rates for you...how nice huh?
Would you go back?
Heck yeah!