Seoul + DMZ Tour

Right from the get go after arriving in Seoul I had little time to get myself into a bed for sleep. I arrived after taking the KTX – Korean Train Express service at some time around 10pm, from this point I had to make my way from the middle of somewhere I didn’t know to another place where I didn’t know but knew I might be able to get a room for the night. Using a recommendation given to me by my friend Jace I made my way over to a hostel called the Bong House a few stops away from the centre of Seoul. Getting to the right train station was the easy part, following the instructions that I took a picture of the earlier in the day was the hard part. I got lost twice but eventually, with effort, found the place and with extreme luck was able to secure the last bed. After talking to some of the people still awake about some hiking in Hong Kong I had a quick shower and went to bed as I had to be up early the next day for the DMZ Tour.

DMZ time!

The Demilitarized Zone Tour, or DMZ Tour for short. This is something I had been wanting to do ever since I decided that I would be going to South Korea. So getting up at 6am, I had another shower (I’m special like that) and headed off to City Hall train station to meet with the tour guide at a certain exit which escapes me now to jump onto the tour bus. Well I made it, paid the 46,000 won and sat myself next to a bunch of engineers from the Netherlands. After exchanging life stories and talking a bit about the Korean writing system we picked up a few more people until we were a full tour bus and headed off towards the first destination which turned out to be some weird theme park looking place where we switched into a special shuttle bus that was allowed into the military zone. In truth the first destination was just before Freedom bridge (or was it Reunification bridge? =P) and was designed to be a meeting place for families that were separated with the split of Korea into two Koreas.

So close yet so far away!

Next stop was Dorasan train station, the station that will reunite North and South Korean by train. This train station was built in preparation for the day where the two countries become one again. We were able to buy a ticket and go down to the platform and poke around, it was all very interesting and it turned out that even former President Bush ventured out here once and made a speech. After Dorasan train station we went to Dora Observatory where we were able to actually get a glimpse of North Korea, yes yes I’m proud to be able to say I’ve seen North Korea! the entire thing was kinda funny to say the least, they wouldn’t let you photograph North Korea and actually made a line where you can take photos which didn’t actually let you see anything. But me being me was able to convertly take a few photos of North Korea, being said they don’t look like much. When these DMZ agreements were being hammered out, they said that they’d allow one village to be in the DMZ. The funny thing about the North Korean side is that their village is completely empty and mostly fake and there is one black tower that is just taller than the South’s tower to show superiority.

A guard on duty at Dora Observatory.

Our final stop was the 3rd Tunnel part of the tour where we were able to go into the 3rd Infiltration tunnel dug out by the North Koreans in a plot to invade Seoul. Although the North Koreans deny they were digging an invasion tunnel and that they were looking for coal (something they tried to support by painting the walls black as they retreated) evidence stands for the contrary. Again we weren’t supposed to take photos down here but me being the cool lad that I am, I was able to get a few shots although nothing special.

Maccas was supposed to be behind these trees but it wasn't! *cry*

And that was basically the end of the Tour, they took us to some amethyst gem shop afterwards but it was hardly of importance or interest to anyone and as I had to be at the port in Incheon to catch my ferry to Tianjin I had to get going. After what seemed like an age on what I can only think of as a local train and having to endure a public rant by a guy with one leg I finally made it to Incheon train station and then onto ferry terminal, a whole 3 hours early. To spend my time I went off in search of food and found a McDonalds sign only to find on the other side of the sign was no maccas, feeling disheartened I asked a group of political supporters and they were able to point me in the right direction. I imagined what a sight I was, the poor old white gaijin looking for the only food in the world I eat, a Big Mac but alas I found it and I did enjoy a certain burger that doesn’t end in Mac. Before long I was on my ferry to Tianjin, but that’s another story.