Airports and aircraft

Incheon International Airport is the largest in North-east Asia, and is proven by the level of breathlessness by running across 2 check-in islands.

Boarding domestic flights is an experience as passengers, instead of walking into the aircraft via a connecting passage after the departure door, have to board a bus to the aircraft and climb up ladders.

Korean Air and Asiana Airlines serve the country's majority passengers. The cabin crew, however, needs to brush up their communication skills by English. Credits are given to the presentable good looks of the stewardess and their sign language interpretation skills.

Highways and kiosks

Traveling across provinces is usually done by rail or coaches. The lengthy rides can be unbearable especially with a full bladder. However, tourists fear not as kiosks are built strategically along highways for toilet and tea breaks.

Toilets

Amazingly, toilets can always be found in streets, restaurants and places of interest. They are everywhere, and they are usually clean with napkins and assured water supplies. Due to the seasonal changes, taps in wash basins have cold and hot water options.

Another public welfare effort is seen in the conspicuous signage of toilet locations and availability of cubicles for the disabled.

Cleanliness

A journalist from the Asian Games held in Busan in 2002 once commented that he felt complied NOT to damage the clean streets in the city. He witnessed how the locals made the effort to walk to a litterbin to discard waste.

Though the streets are not exceptionally clean and neat, Korea is indeed empty of litter. There are no "fine for litter" signs, and the awareness of public cleanliness is commendable.

But the air does smell bad from tobacco. Most Koreans can't get away from cigarette whether in the rural or urban cities.

Water coolers

I left the country with a deep admiration for the amount of care done for the public. Water coolers become a necessity rather than a luxury in most eateries. What's more, the hot water outlet has an additional button to release the sprout flow in case of misuse and accidental scald on ignorant users and children.

 

DMZ (De-militarized zone)

Due to rain, the view up the 342m high Mt Bugaksan was fogged. There goes my wish to take a peep across the 38th parallel into North Korea. I was only so close.