Day two in Incheon was spent as a relaxing day discovering the area around the cruise terminal. We had a full day on the bus the day prior and decided to walk into the parts of Incheon nearest the port rather than race out to another excursion. We made plans to meet up with some friends from the ship and walked into Freedom Park. The park celebrates the end of the war. A statue of General Douglas MacArthur is the focal point of the park, he remains a hero in the area for leading the amphibious attack that liberated Incheon. The Cherry Blossom trees were in full bloom and the higher uphill we climbed, the better it got. Step by step, the city and the harbor were revealed.
Nearby, is Incheon Chinatown, the only official Chinatown on the Korean peninsula, and one of the earliest, formed in 1884. Its gateway is pictured below. This is a vibrant community filled with the sights, sounds and flavors of China. We enjoyed a delicious cup of coffee while wandering around tasting samples from local vendors.
Joe was not going to be satisfied with his visit until he tasted some local bibimbap, a Korean rice dish that he loves. We managed to find a restaurant at the end of the Sinpo International Market, an open-air marketplace featuring stalls with prepared foods, clothing, produce, meats and gifts. This is a gathering place for locals and it was nearing lunchtime so we were able to see locals line up at their favorite food stalls for lunch. Joe thought the bibimbap was good…not great…but, we have a few more stops in Korea and perhaps we can best this one in Incheon.
On our way back to the ship, we discovered EMart, it is a cross between our Costco and Walmart stores. We wandered around there and picked up a few toiletries we were running low on and returned to the ship. Our sail away was bright and sunny with a cool wind, we enjoyed the outdoors as we watched the lock and dam operation in daylight and saw the beautiful Incheon Bridge that services the International Airport.
The saddest part of the day was leaving Incheon without one of our passengers. Helga, a woman we had met and enjoyed excursions with (she and I partnered in a cooking class in Vietnam), passed away in a hospital in Incheon after a medical emergency the day before. We were a bit stunned to hear she had passed and realize that we would sail away without her. May she rest in peace.
