Prologue Korean Adventure:

 

Prologue: My First Solo Trip

Korean Adventure

My life came to standstill when the hospital where I was practicing was closed down due to variety of problems. In my early seventies my priorities were completely changed by then. Did not feel like starting it again at some other place, there was that mental satiety that this is it and no more. And I thought, what is life after all? Experience that comes with age is cynical, it does not allow you to venture in the newer pastures while, if the attitude is, Living life for the first time, same life becomes no less than romantic.

I had seen enough worlds by my sixties and had no wish to venture out again to see a new country. But I had never gone on a solo trip before, may be, though I abhorred the concept of bucket list, it definitely was there somewhere at the back of mind.

The idea of going on a solo trip at the age of seventy and with a handicap of hearing loss started heated debate in the family. Even my travel adviser was against the idea. Fortunately enough, my wife backed the idea whole heartedly, saying,

“If not now, when? He is quite fit for his age and who knows, May not be able to do in next few years, let him go”. Younger ones from the family were even more ecstatic, ‘Baba do it’ who else than my daughter who hardly has stayed in India so is completely bought on the idea of solo trip. Even my nieces backed me saying, ‘Shashikaka do it!’

Daughter who stays in Canada is here on vacation so Canada and US of A were out. I had been to Europe, Western; twice and except for a difference of an inch here or centimeter there entire Europe is bound by a common thread,

Churches, Chapels, Cathedrals, Castles and Citadels! All ‘C’s, and eastern Europe is no exception.

During the lockout period while sitting idly at home, I had watched many K-Dramas and that germ of wanderlust which was always there started showing its fangs.

South Korea?

Why not? For Indians it’s still an unknown territory, unconquered frontiers, still to be taken by swarms. The far eastern countries, China, Japan and Korea, of course South, North is out of bounds for Indians, have not been explored to that extent even by the “Middle Class” travelling companies. China has got its own draw backs. Free travel in China is not possible; you can visit the places only Govt. of China approves of. Japan is exorbitantly expensive for Indians if travelled alone, so in South Korea I found the golden mean. Before K Dramas became a rage world over, Korea was [South, unless and until spelt otherwise] known only for ‘Gangnam’ dance, which I always felt a mutilated version of Bollywood flick.

So South Korea it was. I always wanted to do it totally on my own so ‘No travel companies what so ever’, was the dictum. One of the friends had traveled with such agent and “Had done” China, Korea and Japan in one go. She said, ‘It was more flights than the places in eleven days. In essence we spent more time on the air ports than visiting the places.’ Those who know the “Airports” would immediately understand the nuance!

So Help of agent was taken only to book the air tickets and hotels, which in the end turned out to be total disaster. Plus I had to book two day tours in Seoul through him because for them you have to get Korean Army’s permission.

We don’t have direct flights to Incheon, Seoul airport from India. It has to be hop and stop flights. ‘Tukde-Tukde’ flights in Indian parlance. Either it’s Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong, or Singapore airline via Singapore, or Air Asia via KL and last but not the least Viet Jet, Vietnamese airline, via Hanoi. Every airline has its pluses and minuses. For Cathay Pacific you have to take flight to Hong Kong from Delhi as no convenient flight from Mumbai, Singapore airline is most expensive of the lot. Viet Jet though the cheapest takes the longest flight time with 10 hours of stopover at Hanoi and being a smaller airline, is not reliable.

In the end my flight schedule was

1. Mumbai to Delhi by Vistara. 2. Delhi to Hong Kong by Cathay Pacific and last leg from 3.Hong Kong to Incheon by again Cathay Pacific.

Return flight was easier 1.Incheon to Hong Kong by Cathay Pacific 2. Hong Kong to Mumbai by Cathay Pacific with just two hrs of stopover at Hong Kong.

I boarded Vistara flight from Mumbai on 31^st October 2022 at 7.45 PM or around and was supposed to catch Cathay Pacific flight from Delhi at 1 AM on 1^st Nov. With more than 3 hours of stopover at Delhi I was apprehensive, as I was very well aware of the scenario at Delhi Airport; it’s nothing more than a glamorized ST stand!