Dreamscapes magazine, Spring 2011

By Cynthia David

After 12 hours in the air, the Korean Air flight touched down in darkness.

The bright, modern terminal of Incheon airport beckoned, with electronic signs in English alongside the neat block letters of the Korean alphabet. Luggage. Customs. The long ride into the city passed in a blur of dull shapes and black water. Reaching the hotel at last, I sank into sleep on the other side of the world.

Three hours later, I flung open the curtains to discover high-rise Seoul, bordered by green hills, with a river running through it and endless avenues boasting six lanes of cars and buses in each direction.

I chose scrambled eggs, tofu and smoked duck for breakfast, then met my companions for the trip south to two historic villages recently named UNESCO World Heritage Sites.