Seoul Much to See, so Little Time

Another Chuseok holiday has passed by, and this time I actually had a travel plan in place. Tom and I decided to head up to Seoul for the 5 day break since neither one of us had truly been there. Another location checked off my bucket list!

Day 1: National Museum of Korea & Seoul Tower

The journey to Seoul began way too early in the morning for either of our liking. We made it to the train station at about 6:30 in the morning, and then quickly boarded the train. As always, the train was smooth sailing and rolled into Seoul station a few hours later. We dropped our bags off in a locker since the hotel check-in was not for several more hours, and then headed out for our first stop of the trip.

The National Museum of Korea was quite impressive by any standard. It was 4 floors of stunning artistry and history, but my feet were killing me by the end. There were a few exhibits closed for various renovation projects, but there was still so much to see. My favorite displays were the different jewelry pieces (of course) and the blue glass ceramic pieces. The garden area was also gorgeous, but it was far too hot to walk around the entire outside of the museum. I was even sweating sitting in the shade!

The next stop on the itinerary was Seoul Tower. The walk up to the gondola station just about killed me, but it was better than having to walk up the small mountain to the tower. While I had been there before, I never actaully went inside the tower let alone to the top. The view was gorgeous from way in the sky but not necessarily worth the price. We both enjoyed seeing the impressive 365 degree cityscape all the same.

We then checked into the hotel where our room had no windows and a toilet shower, but it was only meant to be somewhere we slept. Needing some hot food in our bellies, we stopped by a Chinese restaurant that had some of the best food I have ever had. I had jjamppong (a Korean style Chinese spicy seafood noodles) and dimsum while Tom had jajangmyeon (a black bean sauce typically atop noodles) with fried rice and tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork). The jjamppong was superb; with a mixture of octopus, mussels, and shrimp I was quite content with the amount of seafood covering my noodles. Tom also thoroughly enjoyed his food. A good way to end an extremely long day.

Day 2: DMZ

The morning started at a crisp 5:40 (more like 6 for Tom) since we had to meet the bus by 6:40. The only people milling about this early were other foreigners who were on their way to their own DMZ tour buses. We were told explicitly to not be even a minute late lest we mess up the VERY strict schedule, so of course a man tried to have the tour guide wait for his friend who was 20 minutes away. Needless to say we did not wait for said friend.

Our tour guide, Nancy, was absolutely spectacular. She made funny quips about certain leaders AKA Trump and Kim Jong Un being moronic besties, provided an insightful historical overview of the Korean War, and even acted as the certified photographer at times. Team Nancy for the win!

The actual reason we had to keep such a tight schedule was because there were no offical reservations for any of the tours within the site. The buses would show up to the DMZ office, and the guides would then run (yes, actually sprint inside) to wait in line for their group placement. Even though our bus got to the office well before opening, we still ended up with spot number 18, which meant about a 2 hour wait before we could drive into the DMZ. Not to worry, though; it meant we had more time to explore Dorasan Peace Park.

While our group was waiting for our timeslot, Nancy explained to us the sad history behind the park. It is open year round, and majority of the elder visitors are ones who once lived in North Korea or have family that are stuck on the other side of the border. Millions of tears have been shed by those who miss their loved ones and hometowns since it is the only way for them to see the place they had once called home. It was heartbreaking to hear about, but even more so because the older generation is the last generation that remembers when Korea was once a united country. When they are gone, people will only remember through stories.

The park was a beautiful representation new and old, hope and angusish. There was even a small section that was only accessible via a gondola ride (Nancy helped to get us a 20% discount on the ride). The area was once an American military outpost that had been converted into a museum for the lost youth in the war. Contrary to popular belief, a great many of the soldiers involved in the Korean War were middle and high schoolers who were forced to defend their homes. Many were without modern weaponry and died for a cause they did not truly understand. There were notes written by 15 and 16 year olds who struggled with the guilt of having to kill another human being. There were stories of dozens of children defending strongholds at their schools with only a few making it out alive. Other stories even told of children being sacrificed so British and American forces could land troops in Incheon to take back fallen Seoul; absolutely heartbreaking.

Nearing our time to enter the DMZ, we boarded our bus and set off. Nancy made it abundantly clear under no circumstances were we to photograph the military zone, any military personnel, or anything inside of the DMZ... so of course someone on our bus took pictures of the soldiers once they came aboard. The soldiers look at all of our identification to ensure we are not suspicious individuals, and if they catch you taking a picture of them they have every right to deny the bus entry into the DMZ. I personally do not think the photo was worth it considering the large consequences that could occur, but oh well.

Once inside, we headed to the first stop which was the observation building. Apparently the building had been closed for several months and had only just reopened the day before our tour; score! Nancy informed us the outside observation deck was still closed due to the North Koreans occasionally shooting actual bullets at the building. To provide a little background for that fun fact, the South Koreans blast propaganda and K-pop songs through loud speakers attached to the building. This noise can be heard from 30 km away, yet the nearest North Korean city to the border is 20 km away; they do not want their citizens to potentially defect, so their bright idea is to shoot at the speakers (spoiler: it has yet to work).

Within the confines of the observation building, there is an unrestricted view of North Korea. I was able to see their flag waving high in the sky, the nearest city to the border, the ghost village located next to the border that North Koreans swear people actually live in, and the abandoned industrial zone where South Korea exported goods for refinement. It was amazing to look out upon, but also quite disconcerting. There is so much land in between the 2 Koreas to prevent any contact, especially since there are over a million land mines buried within soil of the 2.5 mile wide buffer zone. So much protection for such a small space.

Continuing on our tour, we made it to the 3rd infiltration tunnel, which is one of four tunnels North Korea dug in order to invade South Korea. We were not allowed phones or cameras once in the tunnel, so no photos unfortunately (we even had to walk through a metal detector). Donning our trusty hard hats, we headed inside. The tunnel begins with an 11 degree decline that went on for about 300 meters. Once the tunnel leveled out, it was about a 10 minute walk to the very end where two concrete barriers were in place with strategic windows in place so tourists could see further in the tunnel. From the first concrete blockade, we were only 170 meters from where the MDL (Military Demarcation Line) was located... so we were basically on North Korea's back porch. We then turned around to walk up the 11 degree INCLINE. I was huffing and puffing the entire time, but I lived to tell the tale.

Sweat dripping down my brow, I meandered into the gift shop for some much needed air conditioning. Within the gift shop were pieces of the old barbed wire fence that surrounded the DMZ, so of course we bought a piece. It was authenticated by the Korean and American governments, which means it is completely legit. We also bought North Korean stamps. Previously at the park, we had also bought 2 North Korean won bills that had Kim Jong-Il on them. We made sure we were getting all the souveniers because when are we going to be back at the DMZ?

Seeing as how it was midday by this point, our group stopped for lunch at a restaurant located in the DMZ village. Interestingly enough, the village has 500 residents who are governed by the UN. The restaurant was small, but the food was tasty. Unfortunately, we were not able to explore the village since there had been a previous incidence of Chinese spies trespassing in order to gain knowledge of the Korean government.

The final stop of the tour was to see the red suspension bridge. The bridge was only a small hike up a hill. Along the way we saw old military lookout posts and some random fake animals. The bridge itself was very scenic and fun to bounce across. It only went across a highway and not some cavern like in all the movies with suspension bridges (disappointing, I know). Nancy was the perfect photographer for those of us who wanted pictures on the bridge; she made sure to get all the angles. Then we headed back over the bridge and onto the bus for the end of the tour.

Since our hotel was so close to Myeongdong, I took Tom over so he could experience the nightlife like I had so many months ago. We stopped by several food trucks so Tom could sample various meat sticks (chicken, pork, and lamb) and I could buy some mini kimbap and grilled octopus. I also bought a giant hotteok that had been calling my name the entire night. We enjoyed people watching while we ate since it was such a busy area. Dinner completed, we headed back to the hotel for a well deserved night of rest.

Day 3: Gyeongbokgung Palace

Because of the very early start the previous day, we decided to have a late start to the morning. Gyeongbokgung was the main attraction for the day, and I was quite excited. Even though it was extremely warm outside, it was still nice to walk around the inside of the palace and around the gardens. There were people at every turn, but occasionally we would stumble upon a quiet corner. By the time we had been walking around for about 45 minutes, my back was completely soaked with sweat. Honestly, the one day I tried to look cute and my dress was a completely different color from the perspiration. Just my luck!

Needing to cool down, we went inside the National Folk Museum of Korea. The place was small, however, there were still some interesting exhibits. I was simply enjoying the cold air that was helping to dry my hair and clothes and face and really anything else that was sweaty. My favorite part were the 21 lanterns hanging on the wall that all had unique shapes. The shrimp and lotus flowers really stood out to me.

Desparately needing a drink, a coffee shop was next on the list. I had a tiramisu latte and Tom had a grapefruit ade, and we split a strawberry shortcake. It was nice getting to relax and talk for a little bit before continuing on to the next place, which was Starfield Library. This place was absolutely stunning with bookshelves going all the way up to the ceiling. We did not spend a great deal of time here since it was a popular tourist spot and people were everywhere trying to take Instagram worthy photos. Since we were nearby the Studio Ghibli store, we decided to stop in for a quick look. While we did not buy anything, Tom did take a photo with No-Face from Spirited Away, so a win-win either way.

Day 4: Everland

Everland is the most famous amusement park located in South Korea. The park held a variety of amusement options such as a zoo that featured Giant Pandas (even though they are not even there anymore since China took them back), several rides and rollercoasters, and country themed zones... or so we thought.

I am a huge rollercoaster rider. Anytime I would visit Six Flags over Texas you could bet on me standing in line to ride the Titan, Texas Giant, or literally any other coaster that would flip me upside down, spin me around, or drop me from an incredibly high height. Maybe I have been spoiled by the rides at Six Flags or even those at Disney World because this park was simply not it. To begin with, there were maybe 2 rollercoasters... TOTAL. There were maybe 4 rides that gave a hint of a thrill, but they were along the lines of something you would see at the State Fair of Texas (or any state fair for that matter). I was deeply disappointed .

We then stumbled upon an interesting Stranger Things themed activity area. We were given a list of tasks to complete, such as decoding a Russian message and closing the Upside Down portal, in order to earn a prize. I have no idea why this little collaboration was in the park, espcially since it was based on season 3 which came out 5 years ago. We had fun completing the challenges all the same.

The rest of the park simply looked run down and was unnecessarily expensive. The one saving grace was that I was able to get a Pumpkin Spice cold brew latte (or something along those lines). It was my first time having anything pumpkin spice in the last year (cue the tear drop running down my face). It was delicious and certainly brightened the outlook of the day. Overall the experience was far from either of our expectations. We enjoyed one another's company and did have fun on a few rides, but I'll save my money next time I'm in Seoul.

Day 5: COEX Aquarium

In honor of our last day in Seoul, Tom and I decided to check out the aquarium and see how it compared to the one in Busan. We noticed immediately how kid-friendly the place was especially since there were dozens of children running around with their parents. We enjoyed seeing beautiful fish with funny names, silly otters dancing in the water, and a random mermaid doing tricks in the water. Honestly, the most impressive part about the aquarium is that it is located on the bottom floor of a mall. It is so spacious and deep that it is almost a mind trip walking out and seeing department stores next to the exit.

Our last stop before the train station was to visit a little market area I had been to previously. I had really wanted to buy a ring I had seen a few months back. Not only did I buy that ring (it was Tom), but I bought another one (also Tom) in a little shop run by the sweetest old woman. She was really upselling the various stones and settings they had. I settled on a malachite ring that was very similar to one I had previously bought in Greece.

With our final goodies in hand, we headed back to Seoul Station and boarded our train. The real bummer was being placed in 2 aisle seats instead of next to one another on the train. Even with this little hiccup, we both had an absolute blast exploring Seoul and all it had to offer. Cheers for a fun holiday weekend away from home!