South Korea, Part II
Hello everyone! This is our last post from South Korea and possibly our last post until we leave China next month. As I mentioned earlier, all Google blogs (which includes this one) are censored in China. I do not believe we will be able to access our blog until we leave on December 8.
We have been busy sightseeing this week and have the gotten the opportunity to see a few sights outside Seoul.
On Tuesday, we stayed in Seoul and visited N Seoul Tower at the top of Namsan (a mountain in Seoul). The brochure claimed the building was the 3rd tallest in the world at 360 meters, but we believe they were cheating a bit on this measurement and counting the mountain as part of it’s height. It was a cold day when we hiked up the mountain but the brisk walk kept us warm. When we got to the top, it was snowing. It was a fun experience to be up there in the light snow. It does not snow much in Seoul. We went to the top of the observation deck and looked out on the city. While we were up there, I was sitting on a bench waiting for Dave when a Korean girl around eighteen years old asked me if I would take a picture. I obliged, thinking she wanted a picture of herself and her boyfriend. When I stood up she stood next to me and this is when I realized she wanted a picture with me. When we mentioned the story later to a woman at our hotel, she suggested the girl was from outside Seoul and had never seen blonde hair before. We took a gondola back down the mountain since the sun had set. It was a nice way to spend the day.
The next day we got up early to head to the DMZ. The DMZ is the de-militarized zone that divides North and South Korea. As you know, the Korean War ended in 1953 and the country has been divided into two ever since. When we approached the DMZ, we were able to see North Korea from across the river. There were buildings built up that have been named "propaganda buildings" by the South Koreans. When the North Korean government learned of the South Korean wealth, they built the buildings in order to appear as if North Korea was also prospering. No one actually lives in the buildings (although recently high ranking military officials can live there), they are just for show. They don’t want any North Koreans actually living there because they do not want them exposed to the South Korean way of living even from across the river because, of course, the government does not want its power threatened. The high-ranking military officials can live their now because they have proven they are devout communists.
In fact, the North Koreans are incredibly poor. In a documentary we watched on CNN before we left, we learned about the extreme poverty that envelops the country. In videos smuggled out of the country by a North Korean who hopes for change, people were shown lying dead on the street. According to the smuggled video, people will just die there and no one will do anything about it. The entire country struggles with starvation. The situation is very sad for the South Koreans who all hope for peace soon. Their strong desire for peace is partly due to the fact that 10 million families were separated during the Korean War and have yet to be reconciled. This is an extraordinary number considering the population of both North and South Korea combined is only 70 million (22 million in North Korea; 48 million in South Korea). The hope for peace is strong, but seems a little optimistic in our eyes. The South Koreans we have met have primarily believed that peace is coming soon despite Kim Jong-Il’s stubbornness and the recent nuclear tests. In fact, the South Koreans have already built a train station that will lead to Pyongyang (North Korean capital) and beyond hoping that the borders will open soon and they will be able to use it. It is strange for us to see such optimism when we hear so many bad things about North Korea in the United States. In fact, South Korea is the second biggest provider of resources to North Korea behind China (but they only provide food). Currently, it is very difficult to be able to travel into North Korea although a woman we met knew a Russian man who was able to get a visa into the country. He said the poverty was devastating and that it was a very odd situation because a guide had to follow him wherever he went.
We had to have our passports checked in order to enter the DMZ and were not allowed to take many photos once we were in there (for security reasons, of course). They warned us to watch out for active land mines while we were there, but we didn’t get taken into anywhere that had any marked land mines. We got to see the Freedom Bridge where 30,000 POWs crossed to South Korea after the war ended.
We also got to visit the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel. The tunnel was built by the North Koreans and discovered in 1978. It was the third tunnel the South Koreans have discovered (hence the name) built after the war by the North Koreans. They believe there are at least twenty more undiscovered tunnels. The 3rd infiltration tunnel was the biggest tunnel they discovered, big enough to bring 30,000 troops through every hour. This is clear evidence that the North Koreans were planning an attack after the war ended. After the tunnels were discovered, the North Koreans claimed the South Koreans built the tunnels to make the North Koreans look bad. Besides being obviously untrue, evidence left from the dynamite and shovel marks and the flow of the water supply point to the fact that only the North Koreans could have dug the tunnel. It was really neat to visit this tunnel. We got to walk through the whole thing until the end where the North Koreans had sealed the tunnel off.
The next thing we did was look at the DMZ from a viewing point. We couldn’t get very good photos of it because we had to stand behind a line to take photos. Again, this measure was placed for security reasons. We were able to see North Korea, the DMZ, and South Korea from the viewing point. Both the North and South Koreans have a flag raised on their border. The South Koreans were the first to put up their flag and shortly after the North Koreans raised their flag, just a little bit higher. The South Koreans raised theirs higher and the battle for the tallest flag went on for a bit until the South Koreans conceded and the North Korean flag stood higher. North Korea is now the proud owner of the tallest flagpole in the world.
Our last stop was Dorsan Station, the station that will connect South Korea with North Korea and more of the world once North Korea opens its borders. This recently finished modern train station is the symbol in our minds of the South Korean optimism that the borders will open soon. The railroad tracks have already been built between the two countries (although they may be in disrepair because of the war) and the tracks connect with other railways that would allow people to travel by train to China, Russia, and Europe.
It was so interesting to visit this place and learn more about the views the South Koreans hold of the North Korean government and policies.
After we returned to Seoul, we went out to dinner with a Korean woman our age that we met at our hotel. As we are on the subject of age, the Koreans calculate age very differently from Americans. Let’s say you are born on July 6. You are already one year old on the day you are born. You turn two on January 1 of the next year. Each January 1 you become one year older. If you are born on December 31, 2006, you will be two years old the next day on January 1, 2007. She took us to a traditional Korean barbeque restaurant where we ate beef and pork that we made at our table, kimchi (a spice cabbage dish), kimchi stew, and sticky rice. In Korea, people eat kimchi stew or kimchi at least once every single day. People also go out to dinner a lot. "Every night is Friday night in Korea," our friend told us. I enjoyed it and thought it had a great flavor although Dave didn’t share my opinion.
Yesterday, we got the marvelous opportunity to visit Jeju Island, an island a bit south of the mainland of South Korea (but still part of South Korean territory). We took a bus one hour to the airport and then took a flight that took about fifty minutes to Jeju Island. The beauty here is stunning and is most certainly what Korea advertises in it’s travel brochures. Our friend from the hotel, Joanne, set us up with a taxi driver and English tour guide for the day. It was a little weird to be chauffered around but it made for an interesting day and we were able to dictate the sights we wanted to see more than we would have in a big tour group. We told her we wanted to see some natural beauty and be in the outdoors. Although the weather has been very cold in Seoul, Jeju was quite comfortable.
She began by taking us to Hwangwuji Coast where we got to see the 12 Caves. The caves were built by the Japanese at the end of WWII. Japan occupied Korea from 1910 to 1945. Near the end of the war, they planned to fight the American troops on Jeju Island and built the caves in order to launch sneak attacks on the Americans coming into the island. Yet, the anticipated battle never took place because the Americans dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Japanese surrendered, giving Korea back its independence. Not many tourists come to Jeju Island (although we would recommend it to anyone) and so the people were really interested in us. The schoolchildren were all yelling hello to us and our tour guide told me that all the people were talking about my appearance as I passed by.
After visiting the Hwangwuji Coast, we headed to Mount Songak where we hiked up the mountain to see a crater in the center. Jeju Island was formed by volcanic activity. In the tradition of Asian women, our tour guide hiked the mountain precariously in her chunky heels. It was a beautiful view from the mountain, although very windy. It was quite stunning and actually reminded us a bit of New Zealand.
We then went to the Yongmeori Cliff at the foot of Mount Sanbang. In English, Yongmeori Cliff translates into Dragonhead Coast because the coast forms the shape of a dragon’s head. The walk along the coast was about one hour and was full of beautiful rock creations. Sometimes life is so beautiful that you can’t capture it in a photo and I’m afraid my pictures don’t do the place justice at all. It was truly stunning. Along the way, we kept running into old women who are divers. The oldest diver is 84 years old and can hold her breath underwater for nearly 2 minutes. The women dive into the ocean beginning in the morning and capture food which they sell on the coast. People come and buy the raw seafood and eat it on the rocks. Since we were foreigners we were given a free sample of boiled octopus. We both tried it although we wouldn’t probably make a meal out of it. It was very chewy and salty.
After walking this coast, we were taken to Cheonjiyeon Falls, a set of three cascading waterfalls. The Koreans have a myth that angels descended from heaven to bathe in the water. Unfortunately, it is forbidden for humans to swim in the water.
Jeju Island was a very lovely way to end our time in South Korea. We leave tomorrow afternoon for Beijing.
We have been busy sightseeing this week and have the gotten the opportunity to see a few sights outside Seoul.
On Tuesday, we stayed in Seoul and visited N Seoul Tower at the top of Namsan (a mountain in Seoul). The brochure claimed the building was the 3rd tallest in the world at 360 meters, but we believe they were cheating a bit on this measurement and counting the mountain as part of it’s height. It was a cold day when we hiked up the mountain but the brisk walk kept us warm. When we got to the top, it was snowing. It was a fun experience to be up there in the light snow. It does not snow much in Seoul. We went to the top of the observation deck and looked out on the city. While we were up there, I was sitting on a bench waiting for Dave when a Korean girl around eighteen years old asked me if I would take a picture. I obliged, thinking she wanted a picture of herself and her boyfriend. When I stood up she stood next to me and this is when I realized she wanted a picture with me. When we mentioned the story later to a woman at our hotel, she suggested the girl was from outside Seoul and had never seen blonde hair before. We took a gondola back down the mountain since the sun had set. It was a nice way to spend the day.
The next day we got up early to head to the DMZ. The DMZ is the de-militarized zone that divides North and South Korea. As you know, the Korean War ended in 1953 and the country has been divided into two ever since. When we approached the DMZ, we were able to see North Korea from across the river. There were buildings built up that have been named "propaganda buildings" by the South Koreans. When the North Korean government learned of the South Korean wealth, they built the buildings in order to appear as if North Korea was also prospering. No one actually lives in the buildings (although recently high ranking military officials can live there), they are just for show. They don’t want any North Koreans actually living there because they do not want them exposed to the South Korean way of living even from across the river because, of course, the government does not want its power threatened. The high-ranking military officials can live their now because they have proven they are devout communists.
In fact, the North Koreans are incredibly poor. In a documentary we watched on CNN before we left, we learned about the extreme poverty that envelops the country. In videos smuggled out of the country by a North Korean who hopes for change, people were shown lying dead on the street. According to the smuggled video, people will just die there and no one will do anything about it. The entire country struggles with starvation. The situation is very sad for the South Koreans who all hope for peace soon. Their strong desire for peace is partly due to the fact that 10 million families were separated during the Korean War and have yet to be reconciled. This is an extraordinary number considering the population of both North and South Korea combined is only 70 million (22 million in North Korea; 48 million in South Korea). The hope for peace is strong, but seems a little optimistic in our eyes. The South Koreans we have met have primarily believed that peace is coming soon despite Kim Jong-Il’s stubbornness and the recent nuclear tests. In fact, the South Koreans have already built a train station that will lead to Pyongyang (North Korean capital) and beyond hoping that the borders will open soon and they will be able to use it. It is strange for us to see such optimism when we hear so many bad things about North Korea in the United States. In fact, South Korea is the second biggest provider of resources to North Korea behind China (but they only provide food). Currently, it is very difficult to be able to travel into North Korea although a woman we met knew a Russian man who was able to get a visa into the country. He said the poverty was devastating and that it was a very odd situation because a guide had to follow him wherever he went.
We had to have our passports checked in order to enter the DMZ and were not allowed to take many photos once we were in there (for security reasons, of course). They warned us to watch out for active land mines while we were there, but we didn’t get taken into anywhere that had any marked land mines. We got to see the Freedom Bridge where 30,000 POWs crossed to South Korea after the war ended.
We also got to visit the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel. The tunnel was built by the North Koreans and discovered in 1978. It was the third tunnel the South Koreans have discovered (hence the name) built after the war by the North Koreans. They believe there are at least twenty more undiscovered tunnels. The 3rd infiltration tunnel was the biggest tunnel they discovered, big enough to bring 30,000 troops through every hour. This is clear evidence that the North Koreans were planning an attack after the war ended. After the tunnels were discovered, the North Koreans claimed the South Koreans built the tunnels to make the North Koreans look bad. Besides being obviously untrue, evidence left from the dynamite and shovel marks and the flow of the water supply point to the fact that only the North Koreans could have dug the tunnel. It was really neat to visit this tunnel. We got to walk through the whole thing until the end where the North Koreans had sealed the tunnel off.
The next thing we did was look at the DMZ from a viewing point. We couldn’t get very good photos of it because we had to stand behind a line to take photos. Again, this measure was placed for security reasons. We were able to see North Korea, the DMZ, and South Korea from the viewing point. Both the North and South Koreans have a flag raised on their border. The South Koreans were the first to put up their flag and shortly after the North Koreans raised their flag, just a little bit higher. The South Koreans raised theirs higher and the battle for the tallest flag went on for a bit until the South Koreans conceded and the North Korean flag stood higher. North Korea is now the proud owner of the tallest flagpole in the world.
Our last stop was Dorsan Station, the station that will connect South Korea with North Korea and more of the world once North Korea opens its borders. This recently finished modern train station is the symbol in our minds of the South Korean optimism that the borders will open soon. The railroad tracks have already been built between the two countries (although they may be in disrepair because of the war) and the tracks connect with other railways that would allow people to travel by train to China, Russia, and Europe.
It was so interesting to visit this place and learn more about the views the South Koreans hold of the North Korean government and policies.
After we returned to Seoul, we went out to dinner with a Korean woman our age that we met at our hotel. As we are on the subject of age, the Koreans calculate age very differently from Americans. Let’s say you are born on July 6. You are already one year old on the day you are born. You turn two on January 1 of the next year. Each January 1 you become one year older. If you are born on December 31, 2006, you will be two years old the next day on January 1, 2007. She took us to a traditional Korean barbeque restaurant where we ate beef and pork that we made at our table, kimchi (a spice cabbage dish), kimchi stew, and sticky rice. In Korea, people eat kimchi stew or kimchi at least once every single day. People also go out to dinner a lot. "Every night is Friday night in Korea," our friend told us. I enjoyed it and thought it had a great flavor although Dave didn’t share my opinion.
Yesterday, we got the marvelous opportunity to visit Jeju Island, an island a bit south of the mainland of South Korea (but still part of South Korean territory). We took a bus one hour to the airport and then took a flight that took about fifty minutes to Jeju Island. The beauty here is stunning and is most certainly what Korea advertises in it’s travel brochures. Our friend from the hotel, Joanne, set us up with a taxi driver and English tour guide for the day. It was a little weird to be chauffered around but it made for an interesting day and we were able to dictate the sights we wanted to see more than we would have in a big tour group. We told her we wanted to see some natural beauty and be in the outdoors. Although the weather has been very cold in Seoul, Jeju was quite comfortable.
She began by taking us to Hwangwuji Coast where we got to see the 12 Caves. The caves were built by the Japanese at the end of WWII. Japan occupied Korea from 1910 to 1945. Near the end of the war, they planned to fight the American troops on Jeju Island and built the caves in order to launch sneak attacks on the Americans coming into the island. Yet, the anticipated battle never took place because the Americans dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Japanese surrendered, giving Korea back its independence. Not many tourists come to Jeju Island (although we would recommend it to anyone) and so the people were really interested in us. The schoolchildren were all yelling hello to us and our tour guide told me that all the people were talking about my appearance as I passed by.
After visiting the Hwangwuji Coast, we headed to Mount Songak where we hiked up the mountain to see a crater in the center. Jeju Island was formed by volcanic activity. In the tradition of Asian women, our tour guide hiked the mountain precariously in her chunky heels. It was a beautiful view from the mountain, although very windy. It was quite stunning and actually reminded us a bit of New Zealand.
We then went to the Yongmeori Cliff at the foot of Mount Sanbang. In English, Yongmeori Cliff translates into Dragonhead Coast because the coast forms the shape of a dragon’s head. The walk along the coast was about one hour and was full of beautiful rock creations. Sometimes life is so beautiful that you can’t capture it in a photo and I’m afraid my pictures don’t do the place justice at all. It was truly stunning. Along the way, we kept running into old women who are divers. The oldest diver is 84 years old and can hold her breath underwater for nearly 2 minutes. The women dive into the ocean beginning in the morning and capture food which they sell on the coast. People come and buy the raw seafood and eat it on the rocks. Since we were foreigners we were given a free sample of boiled octopus. We both tried it although we wouldn’t probably make a meal out of it. It was very chewy and salty.
After walking this coast, we were taken to Cheonjiyeon Falls, a set of three cascading waterfalls. The Koreans have a myth that angels descended from heaven to bathe in the water. Unfortunately, it is forbidden for humans to swim in the water.
Jeju Island was a very lovely way to end our time in South Korea. We leave tomorrow afternoon for Beijing.
posted by Lindsay | 9:11 PM
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