After our classes finished earlier than expected, and our visa renewals went through without a hitch, we suddenly found ourselves on holiday two weeks ahead of schedule. So we decided to head to Korea and Guangzhou to catch up with some friends—and tack on a few days in Hong Kong for good measure.
Getting back to Korea feels like coming home for us. It was our home for so long that we’re almost as familiar with Korean food and customs as we are with New Zealand’s by now. Our first stop was Seoul. Unlike our many previous trips, getting out of Incheon Airport this time seemed to take forever, especially immigration. Being stuck behind 700 Americans in line was borderline torture (our ears are still ringing from the incessant, criminally loud chit-chat), so we were more than happy—and very hungry—by the time we boarded the limo bus to our accommodation.
This time we stayed in a completely different area: Dongjak-gu, south of the Han River. It’s close to Chung-Ang University, so it has a similar vibe to what we’re used to in China. We spent most of our two days in Seoul revisiting old haunts, walking, and eating all the foods we’d been missing. We also stumbled across a hike whilst exploring a different area. We had forgotten how hiking is one of Korea’s favourite pasttimes, and we enjoyed an afternoon stumbling up and around the hill in the middle of the city.
After Seoul we headed south to Iksan, the first city we ever lived in when we moved to Korea almost 15 years ago. Honestly, Iksan hasn’t changed much in that time—there are a few more coffee shops and bakeries and some extra Western conveniences, but overall it’s the same as it always was. We loved catching up with friends and, unsurprisingly, doing a lot of eating and cargeolli. I think a diet might be in order after everything we’ve consumed!
Next up was Guangzhou. While our route probably makes no sense on paper, it was only slightly more expensive to travel from Nanchang to Guangzhou via South Korea—and totally worth it. Why Guangzhou? To see some VIPs (Very Important Pussycats) and their parents. A bit of backstory: our good friends had to leave China in a hurry last year, and their cats came to live with us for a semester. We got very attached to those fluffy bundles, and after six months apart, it was high time for a reunion. So we spent a few lovely days catching up, getting thoroughly covered in cat fur, and exploring the area our mates now call home.
As for Hong Kong, we did much the same as we did in Korea: revisited old haunts, wandered around, and ate. The only difference was the humidity—it was horrendous, and we spent most of the time melting. But it was still a nice chance to relax before the next leg of our trip.
Next stop: Skopje, North Macedonia—our first new country in six years!
2 Travelling Kiwis 
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