Sunday 10 November 2013

8 Oct 2013 - Morning trip to DMZ on a rainy day

Information pertaining to the city tour with reference from Seoulcitytour as follows :

Time Required:
E) 07:40 ~14:30 Morning minimum Pax: 1
F) 07:40 ~15:00 Morning + Lunch minimum Pax:1
No Tour day: Every Mondays & National Holidays
Fee: E) \46,000 -\44,000p/p (more than 3 persons group has special D.C.- \41,000p/p-only for morning tour) F) \55,000 -\53,000p/p
*Special price for online reservation
Course:
E) Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) Building - Hongik University Subway Station Exit 1 - Imjingak Park (Freedom Bridge, Memorial Stone) - Dorasan Station - Dora Observatory - The 3rd infiltration Tunnel - DMZ Theater / Exhibition Hall - Ginseng Center - Dimissed in front of City Hall
F) E + Lunch


*My pick up point was at Boa Guest House.


First stop was Imjingak Park.
Nothing much here.
We did not have enough time to check out the Freedom Bridge.

Only enough time for a toilet break and checking out the Peace Bell.





Our tour guide told us dynamites were hidden on the bridges for a purpose.

Our next stop was the 3rd infiltration Tunnel instead of the Dora Station. The 3rd infiltration Tunnel was also the main reason why I wanted to check out DMZ. No photo taking is allowed in the tunnel but the chap beside me was busy snapping pictures. Going down the tunnel can be a bit damaging to the knees but coming up the tunnel was even challenging!


Next, we walked over to the DMZ Theater/Exhibition Hall and we had only sufficient time to choose either the theater or the Exhibition Hall. We decided to go for the Exhibition Hall.







No regrets to choose the Exhibition Hall.
 It was quite interesting actually.









Our third stop was the Dora Observatory, where tourists can view the North Korean propaganda village in the DMZ using the telescopes.


See the North Korea flag? 
We were only allow to take pictures from a distance but I saw a tourist taking pictures secretly, while many tried to stretch over the designated line to take pictures. I did not manage to capture the South Korean flagpole in this picture but I think I saw it when I was there. Tour guide said in the 1980s, the South Korean government built a 98.4m tall flagpole with a 130kg flag of South Korea in Daeseong-dong. The North Korean government responded by building a taller one, the Panmunjeom flagpole, at 160m with a 270kg flag of North Korea in the Peace Village, Kijŏng-dong. 
Tour guide also said that we were very lucky to be able to see the North Korean flagpole that day becos 70% of the year is foggy here.




Well said.

You can buy a ticket to experience the ride.
We did not try it though..


Hope this can really come true in the near future...
  
Back to Seoul...
The tour guide emphasized many times that no photo taking is allowed near the check point and when the soldier got on the bus to check our passports. She also told us that the bridge we were crossing is called, Unification Bridge aka Tongil Bridge and even Cow Bridge. It was also known as Cow Bridge becos it was built by the Hyundai founder, Chung Joo Yung when he was allowed to go back to North Korea to visit his family. He was the first person who visited to North Korea as a civilian. He brought 1001 cows with him back to North Korea as a symbolic pay back to his father with interest of the cow that allowed him to start his life in South Korea.

Our tour at DMZ ended around 1pm. The last stop was a visit to a Ginseng Center which was located in Hapjeong. We were given a choice to tour the Ginseng Center or leave the tour from there. People who continued with the visit to the Ginseng Center can either choose to get off at City Hall or Hongdae. The couple and I did a quick visit to the Ginseng Center becos my colleague requested me to buy some ginseng for him. From the Ginseng Center, we went to Sangsu for our lunch.

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