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We navigated our way between numerous container ships, bobbing up and down on the waves, awaiting their turn to dock and be loaded with goods destined for the West. Our ship, after entering the port, made a surprising but well-timed 3 point turn to dock in between two large vessels at the Donghae international passenger terminal.
Donning our backpacks we nervously made our way down a swaying, creaking gangplank. After clearing customs and saying farewell to our 24 hour travelling companions Gemma and I walked in the direction of the train station. It was a gloriously warm day, we strolled past row upon row of chili plants in small gardens and allotments and it felt somewhat appropriate. After enduring fairly dull diets for two weeks in Russia, Korea promised to be a little more spicy!
Donghae train station was just a 15 minute walk away, and given that we had not planned anything at all at this point we reached it with surprising ease. At the counter the woman spoke very good English, so we booked our tickets to Seoul and sat down to wait for an hour, relieved to have removed our backpacks. On hearing our accents one elderly gentleman, also waiting for the train, came to speak with us. He was amazed to discover how we had reached his sleepy hometown. What he didn't know was that just a 15 minute walk away a merry band of Europeans were navigating the towns bus network.
We treated ourselves to an ice cream, whilst completely unaware of the exchange rates (they were fairly priced in hindsight), but it was so warm and humid we would have paid quadruple! The wait for the train didn't take long, and soon we found ourselves on our train, sat in large seats with plenty of legroom. It seems like all the signs in Korea are written in both the local and Latin script, more often than not with English translations which means its generally very easy to find out where you to go.
The only slight downer to our spirits came when we realised that our train would take five and a half hours to reach a station on the outskirts of Seoul. We came across a tourist map with an advert for the express bus to the centre of Seoul - three hours. Still, the train ride was fascinating. Every time an attendant entered a carriage, they would bow in respect to the passengers, something for London Transport to think about surely?
We arrived at our station in the darkness, without a plan. Fortunately it was equipped with excellent WiFi, so we looked up some hostels online , caught a metro across town, and arrived at one site in time to book the last two beds. Of course having moved back two time zones our body clocks were now well and truly ruined and there was no hope of immediate sleep.
In fact, there was little hope of any sleep during the night too. A mosquito took a fancy to my collarbone, a cold breeze blew in through a window with no glass, and the stranger in the bunk above me tossed and turned all night long. At least I didn't hear the kids come home at 5am, drunk and falling over bags and each other before launching into a dawn chorus of snores. Unfortunately Gemma did.
The following morning we checked out and made our way to the other side of the Hongdae district (Hongik University), finding a different hostel with friendly staff and guests. It was a little humid, and there was only 1 bathroom, but otherwise it was an improvement. In fact the only negatives are the humidity of the rooms and the noise. The hostel is located in a really vibrant part of town, the streets are busy, full of shops and bars which stay open until the last patron leaves, which seems to be about 7am judging by our two young American room-mates.
There are some really cheap, exciting dining options in Hongdae, the street-food in particular is something to behold. Deep fried fish, meat and vegetables in various batters, all covered in a spicy sauce. A good sized plate, enough to fill up on at dinner costs 2500 Won (under £2). My particular favourite was a battered crabstick, served on a stick like a corndog. There are also a range of Western foodchains here, like Taco Bells or TGI Friday, and some upper end restaurants too, there is something for every budget or tastebud.
After a day of chores, catching up on washing, a hot shower, blogging and the like, we decided to be a little more active the following day, so we booked up to see the De-Militarized Zone and have a peek across at North Korea.
We were picked up at 7am and driven to a meeting point across town. We just had time to dive into a Dunkin Donuts for a surprisingly expensive coffee before boarding the bus. Our tour group was driven to Imjingak, about an hour from Seoul, where we saw the unification bridge and got up close to a ROK army watch post.
We then crossed a bridge, having to show our passports as we entered the civilian control zone, and went to the third infiltration tunnel. This tunnel, apparently built by the North Koreans, was capable of moving an entire division of soldiers into ROK territory in just one hour, from where they would be within 55km of the capital. The South has discovered four such tunnels, but who knows how many may actually exist.
After covering my thick skull with a hard hat (thank god they were provided) we walked down a surprisingly steep entrance. It took several minutes to go down, but as it's wide and high it lulls you into a false sense of security. Passing a natural spring you enter the tunnel proper, and it's at this point that anyone bigger than Dopey, Sneezy or Grumpy begins to stoop. At 6"2 I found myself staring at my feet for most of the walk, smacking my head on the uneven rock roof at least 30 times (and listening to Gemma giggling behind me).
Despite the stooping, the trickling water and the occasional bit of scaffolding the tunnel didn't feel too claustrophobic. Until the queues started to form, but at least that meant we were close to our goal. And by goal I mean concrete wall, because of course the South couldn't just leave the tunnel open for the Great and Glorious Leader to wander through when he pleased. So your reward after all the effort is to stare at one concrete wall with a very small, hole in it, through which you can see a second concrete wall. After three seconds you are herded back, to begin the far less exciting prospect of a very long, slow creep back uphill.
We then made our way to the Dora observatory, 20 minutes late after four of our group got lost. I still haven't worked out how it's possible to get lost in a single tunnel, but my suggestion that perhaps they had defected didn't go down too well with our tour guide.
The observatory was fascinating, but not so much for the view. Although a clear day, there was a haze on the horizon. We were able to see a famous North Korean propaganda village, complete with the worlds tallest flagpole and heaviest flag. What I found most interesting was the ROK soldiers insistence that all photographers stand behind a yellow line, making decent photo's of the North virtually impossible. And infringers were rewarded by having their memory card deleted. All of which seemed faintly ridiculous, given that we were at the Observatory. What were they afraid we'd see?
The last stop on the tour was at the Dorasan train station, located in the middle of nowheresville and sold to us gullible tourists as a symbol of hope and reconciliation. To Pyongyang read the destination board, but no-one was walking to the platform. The tour guide was at pains to emphasise that Korea is one country divided but would be reconciled. But i 'm not so sure I can see the Northern Dynasty agreeing to step aside to allow free democratic elections. And even if they did I can't see why they'd need to stop at Dorasan.
The drive back to Seoul was pleasant (until we hit the traffic jams). It was nice to chat to a few more mature people on the tour (hostels, whilst usually playing host to friendly people, naturally attract a younger crowd). An Austrailian artist, a Texan living in Japan and Larry and Buddy from California, who have given us their details and told us to look them up when we arrive next month. They live just north of San Francisco, wine country, so it is an offer we will struggle to refuse!
The following day we took a tube across town and, armed with the hostels copy of Lonely Planet, tried to find the huge palace. The guidebook told us to get off at a stop that was actually quite a long way from the palace, but by pure chance we happened across a shrine instead. We paid 1000 Won (about 57p) for a guided tour around the shrine, Jongmyo.
The shrine (and apparently the accompanying ceremony) is listed with UNESCO as a world heritage site. Built to house the spirit tablets of the Joseon dynasty, the spirits of these Kings and Queens are supposed to reside here, although we only saw a jet-black squirrel and a couple of ducks. But the shrines were at least pleasant on the eye, and the ear as the area is surrounded by dense woodland and a park where the most strenuous activities were a bit of tai-chi and a number of pensioners playing a curious chess-like game.
Tomorrow we are leaving Seoul, heading south to Busan for two nights before we catch the ship to California, so this will probably be the last blog update for a few weeks now. But I'm sure there will be lots to catch up on once we're back online. Until then farewell!
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