Those interested in expanding their knowledge about traveling in South Korea, specifically in the DMZ, and those eager to learn about historical sites.
Requirements?
Having read “170 Meters South of Eden.” We’ll be working with information mentioned in that text, so if you’re not at least somewhat familiar with it, this article might feel like a sequel to a movie you’ve never seen.
What we offer:
“170 Meters South of Eden” is part of our longer work. Our stubborn donkey decided to go rogue and said, “NO! I won’t add the Donkey’s special to an already long article. I’ll write it separately.” And as he said, he did:
THE DONKEY’S SPECIAL – FIRST TIME INDEPENDENT!
Any uncertainty tourists had about which bus to board at Myeongdong was resolved by guides with the game “find your name.” They showed you a board with names in their hand, and you had to match it with the name in your ID documents. If unsuccessful, the game continued with “find the next guide with a board.” We succeeded on the second attempt, but there were many buses parked, and dozens of tourists wandering around.
Given the time and place (morning in Myeongdong – who goes to Myeongdong in the morning?!), guides approached anyone who didn’t look Asian, figuring that there was a good chance the person was looking for their DMZ bus. Statistically speaking, not approaching them wouldn’t make much sense.
The first stop on the 9-hour trip – the suspension bridge – was a classic example of a filler (a pointless chapter added just to pad the content, common in series, movies, books, comics, manga… basically any form of media).
This article is not a filler; it’s a full-fledged donkey special that finally earned its own headline among the others!
Rope carpets can be found in various locations across the country. Andy isn’t exaggerating when mentioning the carpet or stairs as the only two options; in Mokpo, I thought we’d stumbled upon a lucky find – a hill path similar to what we’re used to back home. But the Koreans had closed it and put up “no entry” signs; paths like that are dangerous!
On December 31, 1950, the Peace Train was en route from Kaeseong to Pyongyang when it came under fire from the Chinese army fighting for North Korea. The locomotive was hit over 1,020 times, and we know this thanks to testimony from a train conductor (Han Joon-gi, born in 1927), who survived the attack and got off at Jangdan Station.
The first underground tunnel was revealed to the South Koreans by a North Korean defector, specifically a North Korean architect responsible for building them. According to him, there are supposed to be several dozens such tunnels, all aimed at initiating an attack on Seoul simultaneously, creating chaos in South Korea, and leading to a destabilizing ground attack through the DMZ (despite using the latest technology, only four tunnels have been found so far, either there are more, or they’re classified information).
The demarcation line is the boundary separating two opposing sides, like the one we had in Europe. Between South and North Korea, it runs along the 38th parallel.
The path to the tunnel descended steeply, with the temperature feeling close to zero. Benches for rest were placed at regular intervals; many people used them, especially on the way back up.
I walked through the tunnel dug by the North Koreans “duck-style” (in a deep squat), and even then, I occasionally felt my helmet bump against the low ceiling. You’re practically bent over the entire time, waiting for the person in front of you to stop – a sign that you’ve reached the end.
The word “Koryo” eventually evolved into the modern term “Korea” (I mention this in the prologue of our first travel to South Korea).
In the photos from the Dora Observatory, you can notice a strip of forest and a strip of plain. The plain is North Korea. It was originally forested, but due to a desperate shortage of materials (like heating fuel), they cut down the trees.
The village of Tongil Chon turned out to be a well-packaged tourist trap. Our guide recommended it as an ideal place for lunch – not mandatory, of course, but they have a cafeteria. So, if you “want to,” you can buy a meal there. Across the hall was a large souvenir shop (more like a small supermarket), the second “optional” stop for tourists. To blend in, we skipped lunch, browsed the souvenirs, bought a coffee outside, and waited for the others. The guide allotted only 40 minutes for all activities, which we appreciated. In the village we visited in the DMZ zone five years ago, there was at least something to do, but here we were stuck on the outskirts with not much to do apart from the cafeteria, supermarket, and a coffee stand outside. We could have also gone to the bathroom, I suppose…
THE DONKEY’S SPECIAL UNDER THE DONKEY’S SPECIAL SPECIAL:
Imjingak Park also commemorates the 35-year Japanese occupation of South Korea (ended in 1945), and the introductory photo features two small statues of Korean girls, the so-called “comfort ladies,” who were forced to serve Japanese soldiers, reportedly as many as one hundred per day.
The Donkey is the fourth member of our team (the third being the Sheep, are we clear?).
