South Korea DMZ Tour: 3rd Tunnel & Panmunjom

This past weekend I signed up for an English guided tour to the DMZ.

We had to meet at Lotte Hotel in Seoul (Euljiro-1 subway station -- line 2 -- exit 8) at 8:00am. Since I was coming from Gangnam Station, it took me about 35 minutes to get to Euljiro station and then another 15 minutes to get to the hotel. Once in the hotel, finding the right elevator was stressful since not all the elevators went to the 6th floor (where the DMZ tour office was). I was able to make it to the bus at exactly the departing time: 8:30am. I realized then why they encouraged everyone to arrive at 8:00am.

To get to Lotte Hotel from Gangnam Station, the subway fare cost me 1100 won, I think. Once you exit the subway station, the hotel is to your left, If you enter from the center doors, the elevators will be straight and to the right. They will take you up to the 6th floor where you will go left down the hallway. There should be alot of people walking in that direction as well. When you arrive at their office, you will need to show them your passport and pay the tour cost (if you didn't pay in advance). They will give you a receipt with your bus number and seat number. Don't lose that receipt.

This is the tour company I signed up with: http://www.tourdmz.com/english/main.php

They offer English, Japanese, and Korean tours of the DMZ. You can tour just the 3rd Tunnel, which allows you to walk through one of the underground tunnels that North Korea dug trying to get to Seoul. You can also tour just Panmunjom, the only place where the North and South can meet and have talks. There is also a DMZ Fence tour they offer, "The tour will take you to the northernmost part of the DMZ in South Korea, so you can observe up close the barricade set up along the Southern MDL, where the GOP forces are standing on guard."

I signed up for the combined tour: 3rd Tunnel & Panmunjom, which costs 120,000 won per person and includes transportation and lunch. The single destination tours cost 66,000-80,000 won depending which one you sign up for.

The 3rd tunnel & Panmunjom tour is conducted every day except for Mondays and holidays. Here is a schedule for the tour:

~ 08:30	Depart from Hotel Lotte
08:30 ~ 09:30	Move to Destination (Freedom Highway)
09:30 ~ 10:00	Tour of Freedom Bridge in Imjingak Park
10:00 ~ 10:10	Pass through Unification Bridge (Passport Check)
10:10 ~ 11:10	Tour of 3rd Tunnel (Monorail) / DMZ Exhibition
11:10 ~ 11:40	Tour of Dora Observatory
11:40 ~ 12:10	Tour of Dorasan Station
12:10 ~ 12:30	Tour of Unification Village (in the Bus)
12:30 ~ 13:40	Lunch (Bulgogi)
13:40 ~ 14:00	Pass through Unification Bridge
14:00 ~ 14:15	Arrive at Camp Bonifas
14:15 ~ 14:50	Slide show on JSA
14:50 ~ 16:50	JSA Tour (UN Command Advance Camp - Freedom House - Conference Room - Military Demarcation Line(MDL) - 3rd Sentry Post - Bridge of No Return-Site of Axe Murder Incident)
16:50	Leave for Seoul
17:50	Arrival in Seoul

THE 3rd TUNNEL

I really enjoyed the combined tour. We went to the 3rd Tunnel tour first. You have to put your stuff in a locker and wear a helmet before boarding the "monorail" that takes you 300m down the tunnel. Once inside, water is dripping everywhere and you have to bend over a little bit to avoid hitting your head on the "roof". It is really amazing to see how long the tunnel was. You only get to see the South Korean part of the tunnel. The tunnel ends when you get to the border because North Korea destroyed their end of the tunnel when South Korea found it. You will also see the walls are painted black because North Korea claimed they were mining. The tunnel is actually composed of granite and impossible to be considered for mining. You can't take pictures inside.

After exiting the tunnel and getting your stuff, you will get to watch a movie (a pointless and boring one) and then have 20 minutes to do what you want. There is an exhibition that I recommend going, it is really informative and they have a model of the DMZ area.

The DORA OBSERVATORY

The next stop was the Dora Observatory. This was a silly place. They marked specifically where you can stand to take pictures, but there were so many people on tour I wasn't able to get any good ones. It is at this observatory where you can actually seen South Korea and North Korea. You can see North Korean cities and people and the differences in environment. For 500 won you can use the stationary viewers to get a close up look at the buildings in North Korea. It is worth it to me to pay it and have a look. Inside the building, there is not much to see. There is another model of the DMZ area and a description of the buildings you are looking at.

DORASAN STATION

This is another silly place. It is a train station that doesn't really operate. I think it used to once or it was built in hopes of one day connecting the North and the South. Inside the building, you can pay 500 won to walk onto the platform where the train would arrive and you can walk along the train tracks and take pictures. It is fairly empty but George W. Bush visited, so I guess it's a big deal.

LUNCH

After Dorasan Station, we had bulgogi at a traditional Korean restaurant where you sit on the floor and have many side dishes. It was so delicious!! Korean food is something I haven't tired of after 8 months of living here.

IMJINGAK PARK

This is where you will change buses if you signed up for a combination tour. If you didn't sign up for a combination tour, they you won't have much time to see Imjingak. This is where the tour got really great. The site seeing here is amazing and the park is huge. Everything is free.You can walk the Freedom Bridge, the same one the North Koreans walked to get into the South. There is also an observatory you can go up to for free and look around.

Because this was mainly a change-buses-stop we didn't have much time to see everything. I had to run around and still didn't get to experience everything this place had to offer. I plan on returning on my own (and for much cheaper) later.

PANMUNJOM

This is the most exciting part of the tour! To actually step onto the North Korean side and see ROK soldiers and North Korean soldiers was quite an experience. As you can see from the picture above, the distinct line where South Korea ends and North Korea begins.

An interesting fact: if a tour is conducted in the rain, the people on the South Korean side are not allowed to have umbrellas. We also cannot wave or gesture to the North Korean side, because then the North Koreans can accuse us of propaganda. But, North Koreans can gesture and carry umbrellas even in the sun. It is so North Korea would seem more generous to its people than the South. "Oh look, it is raining but they aren't even allowed to have umbrellas! And look how unhappy they are, unable to wave or smile!"

Another interesting fact: The top floor of the North Korean building in the picture was added later because the building on the South became taller than theirs. So they decided to add another floor; now their building is taller.

In the picture below, the 3 black objects on the table are microphones that North Korea uses to listen to us. The ROK soldier standing at the end of the table has to stand like that, immovable. You can take pictures with him, but you cannot touch him or walk behind or in front of him. Nothing to interfere with his duty. From this building you can take pictures inside and out the windows. On the right side of the table, is the North Korean side. On the left side of the table is the South Korean side.

After this stop we headed to the bus and were taken to the sight of the famous Axe murder incident where some UN officials had gone to trim a tree and were attacked and killed by North Koreans. The tree is no longer there, but a memorial plaque is in its place.

You will also get to visit a gift shop before heading back to the Lotte Hotel in Seoul.

Overall, I really enjoyed the combination tour. I was really tired at the end of it and fell asleep on the bus ride back into Seoul. If you don't have the money or the time to go on the combination tour, I strongly recommend going on the Panmunjom tour. It was my favorite part and the most informative. Imjingak is also a great place to visit and you don't need to sign up for a tour to visit.

The only thing I was saddened by was the limited photography. It's not the tour company's fault, it is just the rules.

Duck Boating in Jinju (진주)

Along the river running through Jinju, you can do duck paddling or turtle paddling. The rental place is right outside the JinJuSeong Fortress. The duck boats are for 2 people and the turtle boats (they look like yellow dragons) are for 4 people. Since there were 3 of us, we went on the turtle boat. It is 5,000 won total for 30 minutes (it's not strict). We were able to paddle from one bridge to the other. You have to maneuver your boat with the handle bar in the center. It is simple to figure out. I forget which is which, but when the bar is pushed all the way forward or all the way backward, it will go either left or right. When it is in the center, it is still and should go straight.

In the middle of the river there is a model of a women and a man on a boat:

Here is the pricing sign:

For a row boat, 2 people, 30 minutes, 4,500 won.
For a turtle boat, 4 people, 30 minutes, 5,000 won.
For a duck boat, 2 people, 30 minutes, 5,000 won.

You are required to wear a life jacket, which they provide included in the fee.

Masan's 3 Movie Theaters

LOCATIONS:::

1. Lotte Cinema
4th floor, Gyeongsangnam-do Masan-si HaeUn-dong 68 Beon-ji Pokseujon Building
Phone number: 1544-8855

롯데시네마 마산관

4층 경남 마산시 해운동 68번지 폭스존 빌딩 내 - 1544-8855

2. Cinus Cinema
7th floor, Cinus Building
Gyeongsangnam-do Masan-si Wolnam-dong 5

씨너스 마산

경상남도 마산시 월남동5가

3. CGV Cinema
7th floor
Gyeongsangnam-do Masan-si Huiwon-gu Hapseong-dong 126-4 Bobos jon
Phone number: 1544-1122

CGV-마산

7층 경남 마산시 회원구 합성동 126-4 보보스존 - 1544-1122

Lotte Cinema and Cinus Cinema are located in South Masan (남마산) where Nambu Bus Terminal (남부버스터미널) is located. CGV Cinema is located in the northern part of Masan, about a 20 minute taxi ride from Nambu Bus Terminal. The taxi ride will cost about 6,600 won.

Lotte Cinema and Cinus Cinema are within walking distance of Nambu Bus Terminal. When you exit the main entrance of the bus terminal, take a right, passing Roti Roti Buns Cafe on your right. At the main intersection (McDonald's is on the corner), you will see Cinus Cinema across the street on your left where Paris Baguette is. To get to Lotte Cinema, at the McDonald's, take a right and just keep walking straight about 5 or 6 blocks and you will see Lotte Cinema. Here is a link to Google maps: http://www.google.co.kr/movies?hl=ko&near=masan&ei=gWLNS7GPG4re7AOVwfyoDQ&view=map

Cinus Cinema:

SHOWTIMES:::

To get showtimes, I typed in Masan Movie Theaters into Google.co.kr:
http://www.google.co.kr/movies?hl=ko&near=masan&ei=gWLNS7GPG4re7AOVwfyoDQ&view=list&date=0
In my opinion, it is easier to use Google.co.kr than finding the cinema's website and trying to figure out all the Korean to find showtimes. But you may have more luck; here are the movie theater's websites:
Lotte: http://www.lottecinema.co.kr/LHS/LHFS/Global/Main/Index.aspx
Cinus: http://www.cinus.co.kr/front/default.aspx
CGV: http://www.cgv.co.kr/

COSTS:::

Movie tickets in Korea cost about 8,000 won for an adult. 13,000 won for 3-D movies.

Bus Fare to and from Masan
Goseong	4,200
Tongyeong	6,100
Busan	4,100
Jinju	6,300

Shopping in Jinju

Jinju (진주) is a 1 hour bus ride from the Goseong (고성읍) Express Bus Terminal.

Here are the bus schedules:

고성 --> 진주	진주 --> 고성
6:20	6:00	9:39	12:15	14:51	17:15	20:15
6:55	6:30	9:51	13:03	15:15	17:40	20:55
~	6:45	10:03	13:28	15:27	18:15
every 15-20 minutes	7:32	10:30	13:51	16:00	18:27
~	7:52	11:03	14:15	16:15	18:42
20:50	9:03	11:27	14:29	16:27	19:10
21:25	9:15	11:51	14:39	16:51	19:50

The bus from Goseong doesn't go to the main Jinju terminal. It goes to 시외버스터미널 and you can only get back to Goseong from this terminal. This terminal also serves Tongyeong (통영) and Geoje (거제). If you need the schedules for those cities, let me know and I can post them. This is the Jinju terminal you will arrive at:

To get to the underground shopping, walk to the right of the bus station. If you pass a Paris Baguette on your left, then you are heading in the right direction. You will need to walk to the next major intersection.

There are many cell phone shops and wig shops (though they don't have red colored wigs! only natural colors and purple and blue.) along this road. When you get to the other main intersection, you will need to cross the street to your right and at the corner you will see stairs leading underground. These stairs lead you to the beginning of the underground shopping.

The underground shopping, in my opinion, is more expensive than the shopping above ground. Their prices are around 50,000~100,000+ won. But if that doesn't bother you, there are some really nice shops for cocktail dresses, clubbing wear, baby clothes, socks/stockings, bags, jewelry, beauty products, and lingerie. This is what the underground shopping looks like:

The underground shopping doesn't extend for very long, but once you reach the end, take the stairs up and you will be where the "downtown shopping" area of Jinju is. The above ground shopping has great shoe shops like Puma, Nike, Converse, ABC mart, Les More. The shopping area isn't very big, though, so if you go looking for something in particular, you might not find it. They do have many cheap places for clothes and accessories. They also have western places like Baskin Robbins and Pizza Hut.

Across the main street from the shopping area (the main street is the street you came up the stairs to) is the traditional market area where you can find many household products and do grocery shopping. There are also many umbrella shops and cheap shoe shops there if you need to buy any.

Typing in Hangul

A great website to practice. 자리연습 lets you practice the characters one by one so you can get familiar with the placement. 단어연습 lets you practice combinations.

http://www.yamtaja.com/typing/hangultyping.html

Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival 2010

2010 Cherry Blossom Festival runs from April 1- April 11

A great informational website on the Cherry Blossom Festival:

http://discoveringkorea.com/2009/03/24/jinhaes-cherry-blossoms/
This was the only website I could find about transportation from the southern part of Korea.

You can take an express bus from Goseong-eup to Changwon and go to the train station to catch a train to Jinhae. The Cherry Blossom Festival is located 2-3 minutes walking from their train station.

You can also do what I did and take an express bus from Goseong-eup to Masan Nambu Bus Terminal ( 남부버스터미널). In Goseong-eup, Masan is labeled South Masan (남마산). That just means that the express bus is taking you to the Nambu Bus Terminal, near Kyungnam University. You will then need to walk about 2 blocks to the local bus stop where there are frequent buses to Jinhae (진해). With your back to the main entrance of Nambu bus terminal, you will need to walk straight. There is a GS store on your right and you will pass a MAXRIDER on your right as well. You will need to walk until you reach the next main street and the bus stop will be on your left. It is a big bus stop with many people waiting there. You can't miss it. Bus numbers 160, 161, 163, and 164 will take you straight to Jinhae. They run pretty frequently, we didn't have to wait at all. It is about a 30 minute bus ride.

If you plan on staying overnight in Masan, there are a ton of motels surrounding Nambu Bus Terminal. The prices range from 25,000-45,000 per room for the night.

When you reach Jinhae, you will see a TON of cherry blossoms lining all the streets. The first stop will be high up near a bunch of parks. You will see picnic benches and such. It is possible to get off there, and it is quite beautiful to walk around. Or you can get off at the next stop. After the bus stops or passes by the park area, press the stop button on the local bus. The next stop will be where the most popular place is to go see the Cherry blossoms. This is the street where the bus will stop:

Once you exit the bus (with the bus behind you), you will need to take a left and walk to the next intersection and take a right down the street. Walk straight ahead and you will be in the right area. There will be a ton of people everywhere.

This is another great website where you can get phone numbers and other information about the festival:

http://english.gntour.com/03Event/01.jsp
They also have information about the other festivals in Korea.

And another good website about other festivals in Korea:
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_2_2.jsp

Ancestor Day

A year after a person dies, it is Korean culture to make a big feast in offering to the ancestor. The whole family is present to pay their respects. I was invited to attend such a gathering.

The grandmother's name is placed inside a wooden plaque and one candle lit on each side. Then the food is placed on the table.

Red colored foods are placed away from the grandmother because superstitiously red is a bad color. Incense is lit and must be burning the whole time. The grandmother starts to eat first.

When she is finished with her main meal, every family does a toast with her. In this case, the eldest son and his family was first. The eldest son would pour her a glass of soju, wave it over the incense 2 or 3 times and then place it next to her plaque. Next he would step back and with his family, all would bow all the way down (on their knees, head on the floor). They would bow twice and then the next family would go.

After everyone has paid their respects, the food is taken and divided among us. It is now our time to eat! Usually the food is placed around 11pm. Then around 11:30 is when the bowing begins. We didn't finish until a little after midnight. I was told they began this ceremony so late because when the night is the darkest the spirits come out.