Greetings from South Korea

Greetings unwitting readers of my travel blog,

I am writing to you from Seoul, South Korea, a all the lights and bustle of Tokyo with none of the charm.

I arrived to a cloudy autumn day with a sprinkle of rain spitting up on sidewalks filled with rough farmers selling squash, bananas and lots of other plants I did not recognize. The flight was fine -- only 25 percent full, so I was able to take advantage of lying around on all three seats the entire way.

The Incheon International Airport is something to behold. For those lucky enough to use the bathroom, try pushing the "Courtesy Button"next to the toilet. It prompts a recording of a very loud flush, to mask any unseemly sounds you might be wont to make on your own.

On the bus ride to the hostel, I was lucky enough to sit next to an Aussie couple who filled me in on the dos and don'ts of Korea. For instance, I'm forbidden to give money to the cashier with my left hand -- it's rude. And if older people start smiling at me in the middle of a conversation, it's because they're embarrassed, not because they're happy.

And they warned me to be prepared for people just not giving a shit. People here don't walk as fast as they do in Tokyo, but they are pushy and they don't seem to really care that I'm a foreigner. Of which there are not many -- I can safely say I was the only whitey roaming around the street today searching for my hostel. But that's because my bus driver dropped me off at the wrong station.

Come to think of it, he didn't seem to care about me either, but the people who helped me decipher my map in the stores were very nice.

Another highlight was a ride past the Red Light District, which measured one paltry city block. The girls were very literal in their interpretation -- the windows and doors were, indeed, showered with red light, but they weren't in their undies. They were fully dressed and seemed chatty. I guess business doesn't pick up until later.

I haven't had much time to see anything else, although I am rooming with an Aussie girl and a Mexican (!) who is studying Korean. I asked her if she was the first Mexican to ever come to South Korea, and I think she thought I was pretty stupid.

Everything is small here, which I expected. Although I didn't foresee the toilet being in the same 3'-by-5' room as the shower at the hostel. Wonders never cease. But they didn't have a Courtesy Button! Tomorrow I'll hunt for the imperial palace and see about a tour of the DMZ.

To be continued...