Visiting Seoul

Seoul is a nice cross between Asia and the west. It will be startingly Asian in one sense and then suddenly it will feel like anywhere else in the world. The top priority for anyone visiting Seoul would be Changdeokgung Palace with its beautiful hidden garden. For those interested in something different and unique, the DMZ tour is a must. Nothing like visiting a war zone as a tourist destination. For shopping, Itaewon is the best place to go for deals on leather and other clothes.

Quick Tips:

Spellings used in this journal are the current romanticized ones being used in most places although the old spellings will be around. The "k" and "g" are interchangable as well as the "b" and the "p." On the subway, remember to keep track of your ticket because you will need it to exit.

Best Way To Get Around:

The subway is the best way. It is easy to read and understand. The cost is only 600 won as well which is a price that is hard to beat. Taxis are also cheap, but avoid the black, deluxe taxis because the meter starts at 4,000 won with no extra perks. Buses will be hard to use because they are in Korean, so you will need to obtain an English bus schedule and then find out which number bus you need. Walking is nice, but it is crowded at certain times of day. The summer is also quite humid and hot, so water is good to have along. Because of a lack of street signs, it also might be difficult to find where you want to go by walking. The subway is the best choice to get you to a destination.

A decent hotel for a pretty good bargain. All rooms have air-conditioning, shower, T.V. and fridge. The air conditioning can be a little slow and it takes time to cool a room. The restaurant is not that great. It is a little expensive for the quality. But there is one free breakfast per room and it is a hot meal of eggs, ham and coffee. Clean and nice overall, and the staff is friendly and helpful. The location is perfect, centrally located in downtown Seoul right next to Nam Sam Park. Take the blue line or orange line to Chungmoro Station and get out of exit #4. Go straight ahead and it will be on your left.

The Westin Chosun was first opened in 1914 and is located in the heart of Seoul. It was recently refurbished and is a five-star hotel. Right next to the building is the Ninth Gate and the restaurant of the same name overlooks the beautiful building.

The rooms are excellent and big. A nice mix of west and east. The beds are soft and plump. The furniture is simple but elegant, nice wooden pieces that are easy on the eyes. The bathroom is marble and well-done with a complete supply of toilet supplies. There are a nice supply of television channels and movies as well as Internet access and a fax machine. The art hanging on the walls is modern and livens up the room. Everything in the room is comfortable and inviting.

The lobby is elegant and inviting. The staff are very helpful and friendly. The concierge will help you in any manner she can. She set up reservations at a great Italian restaurant. Everyone is working hard to make your stay wonderful.

There are plenty of restaurants to choose from. There are Korean, Japanese, Western, Chinese, Italian, and French restaurants all through the building. The breakfast buffet is wonderful and good. The Compass Rose is a great place to take in some live jazz and a drink. They have a great wine selection also.

Everything at the Westin Chosun was great and I would stay there again and again.

I did the half-day tour which is probably the better deal because you get to see all the same things as the full-day tour, although in less time. The tour picks you up at your hotel. It is about an hour drive up to the DMZ area. The DMZ was created after cease-fire agreement between North and South Korea as a buffer zone, about a 2 kilometer wide border of no man's land. Technically, the two countries are still at war so I was taking a tour of a war zone. I started to realize we were near when huge strips of barbwire come up and gun emplacements pop-up every once in awhile. The guide, who was very good, then pointed across the Imjin River and said, "There is North Korea." Only 15 kilometers of water seperated us. Very chilling. We then stopped at Freedom Bridge where a prisoner exchange was made after the war. You can buy a piece of the DMZ barbwire mounted on a plaque if you so desire. Or take a ride on a swinging amusement park ride. After that, we passed the first military checkpoint with fully-armed guards and blockade equipment. No photos are allowed after this point. The first stop inside the DMZ is the Anti-Communism Hall where we were given a tour by a ROK soldier. It is a gory exhibition including an exhibit on a North Korean spy ROK Army shot on the border, pictures of the dead body and all. Even the dead man's clothes with dried blood are displayed. After the hall, we went to the 3rd Inflitration Tunnel. It was dug by the North to inflitrate the South by surprise. However, it was discovered before the North could launch an attack. It is a long walk down into the actual tunnel. The tour is complete after the tunnel. The Dora Observatory is closed most of the year, from April until October, because of landmine removal. A very incredible tour through hostile ground and the world's last divided country.

Take Subway Line 3 (Orange) to Anguk Station. Exit 3 and go straight until you see the main gate. Tickets are to the left of that. This palace only gives guided tours for around 2,200 won or 2 dollars. Can't beat the price. It is open everyday except Tuesday. The English tours are at 11:30, 1:30, and 3:30. The tour lasts about two hours. It was hard for me to understand the guide and sometimes I felt rushed by the group. However, it is the most beautiful palace in Seoul.

The palace was built in 1405 by King Taejong as a detached palace of Gyeongbukgung. Because of invasions and fires, it has been rebuilt five times. The buildings are vibrant and kept in pristine shape. The insides of the buildings are also better perserved then the other palaces. Biwon, or the secret garden is the highlight of this palace. Majestically crafted structures melt serenely into the lush green environment and sit handsomely on the edge of lily ponds. The garden is perfect example harmony between nature and human construction.

I went on a rainy day in October during the Chu-sok Holiday. Even in being soaked could not damper how wonderful it felt to be in this palace. It is gorgeous and pristine. It felt powerful to imagine queens and kings walking in their glory around the grounds.

In 1997, this palace was chosen as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List, and it definitely deserves the ranking.

Get off at Gyeongbokgung Station on line #3 (orange). Exit #5 will get you there. The entrance fee is only 700 won (55 cents) and the palace is open everyday except Tuesdays. Gyeongbokgung was built during the Choson Period, started in 1395 by King Taejo. It then became the seat of the government. It is one of the most beautiful palaces in Seoul. I loved being able to meander through the maze of beautiful, wooden buildings. It is like an Asian version of Verseille. The lily pond is a highlight as well as the pavilion, the largest in Korea. The palace is very relaxing and there is no rushing through with a guide, although guided tours are available. Definitely worth seeing.

Going to Itaewon is a little like a Korean version of Tiajuna. Plenty of people willing to take your money. It is the favorite hangout for the soldiers so plenty of short-haired men are running around. At night, the place is wild and full of drunk people.

There are some good deals on clothes however. Silk ties for 3 dollars and tailored suits for 100 bucks. Itaewon is known for leather goods also and cheap prices.

Mike's Gallery, next to McDonald's, offers some great hand-made paintings for reasonable prices. I bought a huge hand-painted scroll mounted on silk for 30 dollars.

Near the mosque is a great second-hand English bookstore. For those in need of literature, I highly recommend visiting this place. There is a wide variety of books there and even some first editions and the such.

For eating, Gecko's is quite popular and offers a nice menu of American-style food. The chicken sandwich is quite good. As for bars, there are plenty to choose from. At midnight at the Grand Ole Opry, the play "Proud to Be an American" and it is fun to hear the soldiers sing along.

Inside Namsan Park lies a reproduction of a Korean Folk Village. Take subway line #3 or 4 to Chungmaro Station and use exit 5. It is directly inside the park and there is no entrance fee. Closed on Tuesdays.

The village is composed of a traditional Korean garden and five traditional Korean houses from the Choson Dynasty. The houses were moved from their original places from around Seoul and restored completely. You go from the maddening, crowded streets of modern Seoul directly into a time warp back into ancient Korea. Every day features performances of everyday tasks, ceremonies, etc. The day I want the center square featured a bunch of games for children to participate in. For example, they had a Korean version of hackey sack going on. They also had a see-saw where the participants jump on end to send the other high up into the air. Also available for children was a swing in which one stands up and is pushed.

I also saw a man pound bread out of rice with a huge wooden mallet, a person chopping a tree into a Korean "totem" pole, women pounding out cloth, and a demonstration of a Korean marriage. The folk village itself is well-done and is a good example of ancient Asian architecture. I like the contrast of the modern steel buildings in the background with the ancient grace of the Korean houses.

This village is good for families especially because it is interactive and offers activities for children. It is also good for anyone interested in seeing history and culture in the third dimension.

Built in 1994, this museum offers information on the many wars Korea has been involved in. To get there, take line 4 to Samgakji Station. The entrance fee is 3,000 won.

The structure is an impressive gray concrete building with hundereds of steps leading to the entrance. In front is a giant statue of two brothers hugging who were on opposite sides during the Korean War. Also outside is an impressive array of military planes, vehicles and weaponary. Even the helicopters from M.A.S.H. are represented.

The two outer walls flanking the main building list the thousands of soldiers who died in Korea's recent conflicts, including the Vietnam War. After entering the museum we were were lead directly to the Korean War Memorial. It is dark and somber with a black marble fountain in the middle. The most powerful part to me was the single beacon of light that entered from the ceiling and shot down into the middle of the fountain.

The museums houses thousands of pieces of military history. Because of Korea's location it has been the victim of many wars. Japan and China use Korea as the crossing ground for its conflicts. The bottom floor houses military history all the way to the end of the Japanese occupation. It also has a full-scale model of a turtle ship from the late 1500's, stock full of spikes to ram invading Japanese ships.

The upper floor displays exhibits the Korean War often presented in diorama format. It is an extensive exhibition and will answer any questions you might have had about the "Forgotten War." I was moved by the entrance which is a circle of war footage playing non-stop. There is no music and no voice-over; just the sounds and sight of the destruction of war.

The last floor details the Korean Military's strength as of today as well as chronicles its participation in the Vietnam War.

All together, the museum is very moving at times, and very informative and extensive.