Incheon: Tail End of Cherry Blossom Season, Incheon, South Korea

Having arrived at the very tail end of the cherry blossom season, the first order upon arrival-nevermind not having had any sleep for more than 24 hours-was to go to Incheon, in the hopes of gazing at cherry blossom petals on branches and not on the ground.

I was in South Korea, why would I want to go see China? I did not want to, but I had to. From Incheon Station, there was no other way to get to Songwoldong Fairy Tale Village and Jayu Park, but through Chinatown.

Walking the uphill main road of Chinatown, I followed my nose and turned right to a street lined with many different shops and stalls selling so many unfamiliar food. I wanted to try everything! But my common sense, budget, and stomach were all in agreement: No! Just two or three. The woes of traveling alone.

So Many Delicious Smells Wafting from Every Direction, but These Are the Must Try Ones When in Chinatown:

- Gonggalppang - The name means "empty bread". These are large, sweet, round, and hollow baked crisps. After trying a piece or two (okay, maybe three) from the free taste bowl, I wanted to buy one gonggalppang....but it was sold in bags of five to eight!

- Onggibyeong - These are oven-baked dumplings which looked to me more like buns. The dumplings are stuffed with sweet potato, pumpkin, meat, or red beans, and baked in a large clay jar. Onggibyeong are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).