Friday, May 2, 2014

DMZ Tour from the South Korea Side: Lunch! And After Lunch

DMZ Trip Report Series:
DMZ Tour from the South Korea Side: Intro and Booking
DMZ Tour from the South Korea Side: From the South Side to the North Side and Back Again
DMZ Tour from the South Korea Side: The Lonesome Train Station
DMZ Tour from the South Korea Side: Lunch! and After Lunch

After Dorasan station it was LUNCH TIME! I was pretty full from breakfast but eating more Korean food cafeteria-style renewed my appetite. For 10,000 Won (~$10), we had access to the bulgogi (marinated beef) buffet. There was also a vegetarian buffet for 7,500 Won (~$7.50).



Loved this meal! There were so many goodies. Upper left: bulgogi over rice. Upper right: sugar donuts in the form of triangles and a package of seaweed strips. Bottom (L-R): kimchi, orange slices, scrambled eggs, sausage and tofu balls in sweet sauce.


I chatted with a few people on the tour during lunch. There was a couple from San Fran visiting a relative. They said that fruit was very expensive in Seoul. I believe they said it was $5 for an apple. Eek! We all helped ourselves to multiple helpings of those orange slices.

We made two more stops after lunch - Dora Observatory and Third Infiltration Tunnel. Unfortunately, they weren't as fun as the places we visited before lunch. Dora Observatory offered a beautiful view of the North Korean landscape but the experience was rushed and somewhat limited. We started by watching a video. There was a really cool model of the landscape with the North Korean landmarks at the front of the room but we were rushed out of the room to the observation deck. Sadly no pictures allowed. Once on the observation deck we could only take pictures from behind the picture line which you can see is pretty far away. Hmph.

Color scheme - ugh


I desperately wanted to spot the statue of Kim Il Sung but unfortunately, try as I might, I could not locate it through the viewing lens.


We had a lot more time at the Third Infiltration Tunnel but again, no pictures inside. Grr. The tunnel was the third one discovered by the South Koreans under the DMZ indicating that the North Koreans were planning for a surprise attack. The tunnel was dark and cramped and not that interesting to walk through. We were informed that the walls were painted with coal dust to make it look like a coal mine. The most memorable part was walking back up the corridor from the tunnel to above-ground. There was a lot of huffing and puffing. I also had to take a short break in the middle. Of all the pictures I wish I could have taken, it was that corridor, so I could show you the painful incline. We couldn't even take contraband pictures. We had to lock our bags in their lockers before heading in. We were warned before heading in to avoid the tunnel if we had health problems. It wasn't until after I got out that I noticed the pictures they put up of people being taken out of the tunnel by stretchers. SMH. There is a ride that people can take down to the tunnel and back up BUT we didn't pay for that upgrade.



It was a long and exhausting tour but it was really amazing. I learned a lot and saw some really cool places. If you ever plan to go to Seoul, take the time to go on the tour. It's worth it!

No comments:

Post a Comment