April 9 Seoul
I had my money on missing this port. Kim Jung Il has been lobbing missiles and artillery towards South Korea intermittently over the last few weeks and I thought Oceania would get a little worried and skip the whole country. But no, we arrived and we toured.
We chose the DMZ and Tunnel 3 tour, typically choosing a war related tour. Photographically there was little on this tour, since photos were not permitted after the checkpoint near the DMZ, including within the tunnel. It was interesting to see all of these things, especially the tunnel, blasted through solid granite by the North Koreans as an invastion path to the south. Hard hats are issued to all of us tourists, and they were necessary. I bonked my head at least every five feet over the 273 meters of tunnel we could walk. The tunnel was for diminutive Koreans, not large imperialists.
Barbed wire and guardposts along the highway that parallels the waterway dividing this part of the country.
Freedom Bridge, the only path between the north and south
Photos were allowed within a prescribed area at the DMZ overlook. Solid fog prevented a view or photo of anything. That solid white area is the DMZ.
On the road, the dog, dog collar and car all match
Cherry blossoms and easter eggs.
Lunch did not rotate, but was cooked right at your table. Beef on rice, very tasty. Stayed away from the kimchee.
In downtown Seoul there was a workers march asking for more of something and less of something else, but generally just snarling traffic
We were given a
half hour on Insdong Street, an old and traditional shopping street in
the city. Some wore traditional dress -- it was a weekend, and they got
free admission to a museum if they were dressed that way.
Blog administrative note: Snuck in these posts at the Kobe Terminal. Our room is on the terminal side at this port -- sitting on the verandah to enter these. No internet for the next couple of days -- unless Okinawa has good connections.
I had my money on missing this port. Kim Jung Il has been lobbing missiles and artillery towards South Korea intermittently over the last few weeks and I thought Oceania would get a little worried and skip the whole country. But no, we arrived and we toured.
We chose the DMZ and Tunnel 3 tour, typically choosing a war related tour. Photographically there was little on this tour, since photos were not permitted after the checkpoint near the DMZ, including within the tunnel. It was interesting to see all of these things, especially the tunnel, blasted through solid granite by the North Koreans as an invastion path to the south. Hard hats are issued to all of us tourists, and they were necessary. I bonked my head at least every five feet over the 273 meters of tunnel we could walk. The tunnel was for diminutive Koreans, not large imperialists.
Barbed wire and guardposts along the highway that parallels the waterway dividing this part of the country.
The photo line -- pictures allowed only behind the line. Guys with guns patrolling.
Lunch did not rotate, but was cooked right at your table. Beef on rice, very tasty. Stayed away from the kimchee.
In downtown Seoul there was a workers march asking for more of something and less of something else, but generally just snarling traffic
Blog administrative note: Snuck in these posts at the Kobe Terminal. Our room is on the terminal side at this port -- sitting on the verandah to enter these. No internet for the next couple of days -- unless Okinawa has good connections.
2 comments:
Awesome pictures. Glad you got to see the DMZ, even if N. Korea was just fog. Oh, and you're showing your age - our Dear Leader is Kim Jong-Un these days. :)
right you are...and i think he published before i got to proofread....that said, i might not have caught it either. And yes, we are wearing & showing our age!!! thanks for the correction!!! c
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