Friday, April 27, 2007

Yeonan & Wolmido

It's been almost two weeks, but I'm finally getting around to adding my last trip. I biked up to two of Incheon's vaunted tourist attractions. Yeonan Pier and Wolmido Island.

My first stop was Yeonan. Home of the ferry terminal and the largest fish market in Korea. The ferry terminal is valuable if you want to head to the west islands (except for the Airport Island, which has a ferry leaving from Wolmido). I definitely plan on taking advantage of that service this year. The fish market, while large than Sorae, has much less character. Sorae is located on an estuary, and the boats pull up right alongside the market. The market itself is crowded and brimming with activity. The fish market at Yeonan is a big warehouse like building, several blocks from the port. Meanwhile, the rest of Yeonan is a big industrial zone, with lots of dust and smoke being spewed in every direction. Unless you're catching a ferry to the islands, take a pass.

After biking 10km to traverse the 100 meters distance between Yeonan and Wolmido (circumnavigating the Port of Incheon) I arrived on Wolmido Island. No longer an island, it does have some interesting attractions. The seaside area is kind of a Coney Island like atmosphere, with a small amusement park and a touristy stretch of restaurants. But the best is Wolmido Park. It consists of a hill that offers some interesting overviews of the surrounding port. Even more interesting than the view itself, is watching other people take in the view. There is a small tower near the top of the hill that is crowded with older Koreans checking out the scenery. It's times that like I wish I could converse in Korean, because I'm sure they have some amazing "What it was like I was a kid" stories. Overall, Wolmido is worth a visit. Check out the park, the seaside attractions.

This weekend, I'm off on an overnight biking trip to one of the nearby islands. It's actually several islands connected by bridges to the mainland. So no ferries will be used. Hopefully, I'll get around to posting the report and pictures a little quicker.

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom as well















Ships in the docks















You can see Korea's number one export, cars, lined up and ready to go

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Yellow Dust

My plan to see the cherry blossoms were thwarted by the Chinese. Or rather, their dust and debris that gets occasionally blown across our skies. My throat and eyes were burning from just sitting inside, so I decided it was best to avoid physical activity outside.

The normal view from my window















A yellow dust day view