James' parents decided to fly out to South Korea over Labor Day to see their sons while they were still stationed in the same place. Thanks to military space available travel, I was able to join them for a full week of adventures.
My plane landed around noon on Monday, and I met up with Claire in time to catch a bus to Incheon Airport in Seoul to pick up Bob and Nancy. We then traveled to Itaewon, the international neighborhood in Seoul, and checked in to the Hamilton Hotel. This is where we stayed during our three nights in the capital city. There are all kinds of fantastic restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. While we were there we had Greek, French, Italian and American food, and lots of ice cream! The Baskin Robbins and Cold Stone Creameries in Korea have the most spectacular ice cream cakes I've ever seen. I wish restaurants in America would take as much pride in the food they prepare.
Authentic Greek cuisine.
Ice cream cakes
On Tuesday morning we walked to the Korean War Museum. We never devoted much time to studying the Korean War in school and so I was excited to go and learn more about it. This is especially true now that our boys are involved in the conflict. Outside of the museum they had dozens of planes, tanks and ships on display. There were also some impressive statues and art pieces set up as memorials to bravery of the soldiers of the Republic of Korea (South Korea).
"The Statue of Brothers" depicting brothers in the North
and South Korean army meeting on the battle field. So sad.
Beneath the Statue of Brothers were these incredible mosaics.
Inside the museum they had all kinds of displays set up about how the war began, and explaining the contribution several nations made. They emphasized the high price they paid for being unprepared, and how much they desire reunification. Especially after touring the DMZ and learning more about North Korea, I wish with all my heart that the North and South could reconcile and be at peace again, but I am not at all confident that that will happen.
The three evil masterminds.
The last thing we saw in the museum was a large exhibit
of photos taken from inside the DMZ.
After the museum, we had lunch in the Dragon Hill Lodge on Yongsan Army Base and then spent the afternoon exploring Insadong - a neighborhood with many arts and crafts shops. While we were there, a group of high school girls approached Bob and asked him some questions in English for a school assignment. He looked like Christmas had come early. He loves talking to people and getting to know about their life and so he really enjoyed interacting with these Korean girls. I made sure to get a good picture commemorating the occasion.
We had fun taking pictures with the local artwork.
The next day, we got up early for the USO tour of the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. It was a pretty intense experience. First we went to the joint security area that the UN has set up for peaceful meetings between the two nations. In most of the JSA we were not allowed to take pictures. They gave us a short briefing explaining the history behind the conflict and had us sign a waiver basically saying that they have no control over the North Koreans and so we can't sue the UN if we get shot. No joke - it's happened before. We also had a strict dress code to make sure that we didn't shock or offend the North Koreans since they are not accustomed to our western style of dress. Then we were sternly instructed not to speak to them if they were out and not to make any gestures that they could use in their propaganda tapes. Thank goodness none of us did anything to spark an international incident!
They took us to the room where the North and South meet. It is built straddling the line of demarkation. Outside the ROK guards stand and watch vigilantly. We didn't get to see any North Koreans that day, but we knew they were watching. All of the buildings on both sides were lined with security cameras. They led us into the meeting room and we had a few minutes to stand safely in North Korea and take pictures with one of the guards. Claire and her friend Linsey couldn't help flashing the Juvat gang sign for a picture.
Next, we got back on the bus and toured the rest of the JSA. There are actually a couple of small villages within the DMZ - one in the South and one in the North. The North Koreans put up a massive flag pole in their town (jokingly called "Propaganda Town" because they blare propaganda for hours on end). So the south constructed an even larger flag pole in their town, it's about 100 meters tall. Not to be outdone, the North Koreans made another flag pole. This one is 160 meters tall. The South Koreans gave up and did not try to top it. Apparently the North Korean flag is one of the largest in the world. When it rains, thirty men have to be there to take it down otherwise it will tear under its own weight. Unbelievable.
After that, we got to see one of the four tunnels that have been discovered leading from North Korea under the DMZ toward Seoul. This tunnel was really deep underground. We had to put on hard hats and hike 300 meters down a steep incline to get to its opening. It was definitely interesting (and somewhat terrifying) to see the lengths the North Koreans have gone to infiltrate the South. It's even more disturbing to think that there are probably more tunnels that have not yet been discovered. Thankfully, they're not very smart. When this tunnel was discovered, they spray painted the inside black and tried to pretend it was a coal mine. Really??
We couldn't take pictures inside of the tunnel, but couldn't pass up a photo op in front of the big DMZ letters outside of the visitor center.
After that, we went to an observatory overlooking the second largest city in North Korea. To respect their privacy, we were not allowed to take pictures beyond a certain point. So everyone stood behind the yellow line and raised their cameras as high as they could above their heads to get a picture of the forbidden North. What we could see of this city looked fairly civilized... but I'd hate to see what the rest of the nation looks like beyond those beautiful rolling hills.
Our last stop was Dorasan Train Station. The former president of South Korea was on fairly good terms with Kim Jong Il and they worked together to build a railroad that stretched from South Korea, through the north and on to the rest of Asia. Their dream was to have one railroad that stretched from one end of the continent all the way through Europe. However, when the new South Korean leader came to power the North shut their borders and so the station remains empty, waiting to reopen after reunification - if that ever happens.
The map of the projected railway network.
After a heavy day we needed something to lift our spirits, so we took a cab to the other side of the city and hopped on a sunset riverboat cruise. This took us slowly up and down the river and serenaded us with cheesy pop music as we watched the city lights come on. The lights are one of my favorite things about Seoul and so this river cruise was one of the highlights of the trip for me. From the river we got to see a few famous landmarks that I missed on my last trip, namely the 63 building which is apparently the tallest building in Korea, as well as Yoido Full Gospel Church which currently has the largest membership of any church in the world.
63 Building. I love this picture because it reminds me of those
posters they sell remembering the World Trade Center towers.
Yoido Full Gospel Church
What a beautiful night of sight-seeing and enjoying the vibrance of what has come to be one of my favorite cities in the world.
Putting all of the elements together was so fun! Since it's finally starting to cool down a bit, we had it outside with lots of candles and white Christmas lights casting a glow on all of our blue and yellow decorations.
The food that night was incredible. One of our resident chefs, Kate Vella, put together an impressive spread of summer veggies, fruit, and grilled gourmet pizzas. Mmmm!
