My journey to Korea was more...eventful... than I had planned.
I flew down to London Heathrow from Glasgow, arriving at about 2pm. I had managed to check my luggage through to Seoul, and so I wangled my way into the transfer lounge, meaning I didn't have to go through Heathrow security (it's ok, by "eventful" I didn't mean "terrorist"). I then had a 4 hour wait during which I booked my place at Soul in the City, which was an event in London happening in a few weeks' time. There was much frantic web-surfing and mobile-phoning...
At 6:30pm I was to meet Cyril Isenberg at the Korean Air check-in desk, and collect my ticket. I had checked where the check-in desk was, so when I left TGI Friday (the only place to eat that isn't a sandwich bar after security) at 6:29 I knew i'd only be a couple of minutes late. To my slight concern, I arrived at the check-in desk to find no excited Physics boffins, and not even someone with an IPhO sign. By 7pm I was getting worried. By 7:15 I knew something was wrong. I asked the man at the check-in desk if it was the only check-in desk for Korean Air. The very helpful man behind the desk informed me that it indeed was the only one...apart from the one downstairs before security...D'Oh! After much frenzied negotiation, he phoned the desk downstairs, and we eventually had it announced "Would Dr. Isenberg please bring Richard Bowman's ticked to the Korean Air Check-in Desk". My ticket arrived downstairs, my passport and myself were upstairs, and at last I was checked in. I am the only person I know who has checked in at 2 check-in desks simultaneously! [insert bad superposition of 2 states joke here].
After a horrible 12-hour flight without sleep, we arrived in Korea. It was hot, humid, and very green. We were met by helpful Koreans holding "IPhO-204" signs, and herded into a bus and on to your next airport, and arrived in Pohang at 9:30pm. It was still hot, humid, and green, but we didn't notice so much of the green because by then it was dark. And we were all so sleep-deprived that we didn't know what was going on anyway. We were going to the Geongjhu Hilton, where 5-star bedrooms beckoned.
The Hotel was really nice (as one would expect from a 5* Hilton) and the food was good. We ate at the international buffet restaurant, so we got to taste Korean food that wasn't cooked on a plane, and as much as we liked (and pasta for those whose stomachs were still adjusting). We had agreed to meet at 11am on the second day to do some problems, and Janek and I wanted to go to the pool and/or the gym first, but we were still jetlagged - woke up at 11:30!
We also spotted an intriguing looking roller-coaster out the leaders' bedroom window. Unfortunately, we didn't get to go as we had to leave. However I did manage a swim, and Janek and I got our visit to the gym. And we realised you had to pay for movies and the minibar before it was too late... (hmm...drinks...hmmm...100,000Won...£50...Maybe not).
Getting There