Jerry Conner: Incheon Chinatown, Freedom Park, Sinpo area

Because of Typhoon Nanmadol, today was a very hot and sticky day. No adjustment to the weather will be required when I return to Thailand. It is exactly like this every day.

I got out of Incheon Station, which is the western terminus of subway line #1, thinking I would walk over to Wolmido, which is like the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for Incheon. I even started walking that way, but turned back towards Chinatown hoping to find a drugstore.

I floated up the hill, through a Chinatown gate, through another cool-looking gate up some stairs, along a walkway, and then, there I was--right at General MacArthur's statue. I guess I was supposed to end up there because there was no plan. I was in the same spot I was in forty-plus years ago.

I left Freedom Park after completing a loop around the hill and headed toward the drugstores that a nice lady told me about. Never saw them. Asked another nice lady. Walked towards those drugstores. Never saw them. Kept walking, hoping to get to a non-tourist area where there's a drugstore on every corner. Found myself heading toward Sinpo Market so I went with it--sort of. I went to a shopping district in the Sinpo Market area. No drugstores. But I found a Cafe Pascucci, where I was able to sit in the air conditioning for a bit, enjoying a decent iced tea.

Walked back to Chinatown in the 31-degree / feels like 36-degree weather, looked at the exposed (no shade) road to Wolmido, looked at Incheon Station, and for once I made the decision to be kind to myself. "I'll stop at HomePlus and get some food. Go back to the room. Take a shower. Rest. And then go back out again later when it's cooler."

Got back to the room about 17:00. It never got much cooler. And I never left the room. Did a bit of research on the logistics for tomorrow night when I fly from Incheon to Bangkok. This trip is coming to an end, and that's alright.