KOREA

DAY 44 — February 17,  2017 — Sailing the East China and Yellow Seas

There are always a variety of shopping opportunities on-board a cruise ship.  HAL has its own stock of every kind of merchandise from cheap to extravagant but occasionally a group will come in from one of the ports to sell local items.  Yesterday, the Princeton Tailors came onboard.  This Hong Kong company brought catalogues and fabric samples and was offering custom-tailored clothing that would be ready for us when the ship stops in Hong Kong on March 6^th.   I seem to remember stories about how fast, easy and CHEAP it was to get Hong Kong tailored clothing.   Hmmm, no.  Plus, none of their styles appealed to me.  I was disappointed.  Ron breathed more easily.

DAY 45 — February 18,  2017 — Incheon, SOUTH KOREA

When considering our touring options for our visit to Korea, the choice to visit the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) was an easy one.  The famous/infamous demarcation line between North and South Korea and its secret tunnels offered far more allure to us than the city of Seoul, our other option.  The Korean War was a big part of the news in our early childhoods but even more memorable for us was the movie and TV series, MASH.  Hawkeye Pierce, you gave us so much to think about.

The DMZ was created when the US and Russia drew the 38^th Parallel in 1945 as an administrative demarcation to disarm the Japanese armed forces after WWII and then it was used again to divide the country when the Korean War was settled in 1953.

The 90-minute trip to the DMZ from the port took us 30 miles north of Seoul and its forests of high-rise condominiums.  The DMZ, aka the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), runs 155 miles from east to west and is 2.5 miles wide.  It contains mountains and plains, valleys, and basins, numerous rivers, inland wetlands and fresh water and coastal ecosystems.  But from the south side, where we were, it just looks barren.

The “Infiltration” Tunnels under the DMZ

Our mission was to visit the Third Tunnel located near the Imjingak Tourist Resort, a park area that preserves the sorrows and pains of the Korean War and the conflicts between North and South Korea.  It is a place for South Koreans to visit, gazing toward the North, remembering their country as it used to be and the friends and families that were split apart.  The park features various war memorials including the US Forces War Memorial Monument and a Harry S Truman statue.  The USA was the first of 27 countries to respond to the UN’s call for participation in the Korean War in July, 1950.  572,000 US troops were dispatched and that totaled 90% of the UN’s fighting force.  When the armistice was signed three years later, over 2 million lives (including civilians) had been lost with the US losing over 36,000.

The South Korean military learned about this particular tunnel in September, 1974 from a North Korean defector.  A systematic search began based on his instructions and in June, 1978 the possibility of a tunnel revealed itself.  It took South Korea three months to build an “interception” tunnel which now allows access for visitors to the North Korean infiltration tunnel 300 meters below ground.   We rode a small train through an access tunnel down to the main tunnel and explored on foot for 265 meters until a blockade was reached 170 meters from North Korea.

Everyone had to wear safety helmets which we initially thought unnecessary until we started hearing “bonk—bonk—bonk” noises coming from ahead of us in the tunnel.  Everyone hit their head on the stones or pipes overhead and no one seemed to learn the lesson because the bonking continued all the way in and all the way out.  And that everyone included the shortest people, like me.

This was the end of the visitor area.  North Korea is 170 meters beyond that wall.  Photographs were not allowed at this point inside the tunnel so this image is from the book I purchased about the DMZ.

Three other infiltration tunnels from North Korea have been found.

The first one was discovered in November, 1974 when a South Korean army search group saw steam rising from the ground and began to dig there.  They were immediately fired upon by troops at the North Korean outpost which was a clue they were in a sensitive spot.  They eventually found a tunnel big enough to allow an entire regiment to enter the south within one hour, presumably to bring troops into the South, and/or secretly send in spies, kidnap South Koreans, and gather military intelligence.  This tunnel can be visited by appointment only.

Four months later, in March, 1975, a second tunnel was discovered when South Korean army sentinels heard explosions from below ground.  This tunnel turned out to be much larger, dug through solid granite, and estimated to allow 30,000 troops along with vehicles and artillery to pass into South Korea each hour.

A fourth tunnel was found in March, 1990 just 1.2km from the Military Demarcation Line and can be visited using an electric train with a clear dome cover that takes its passengers throughout the tunnel.

Ron and I agreed that our visit to the DMZ was the most fascinating shore excursion we have ever taken from a cruise ship.  Our tour guide was exceptionally knowledgeable and used the entire 90-minute trip to review the history of the divided nation, the establishment of the “peace” zone, the nature of the Korean people, and their deep appreciation for the help from the United States.  We both had read up on North and South Korea before the start of the cruise so we were primed but our guide added so much more.   Plus, “being there” was an experience that we will remember for a long time.  A fellow passenger visited North Korea last July and had a wonderful experience.  That is now on our bucket list.

DAY 46 — February 19,  2017 — Incheon, SOUTH KOREA

This day was meant to be a day at sea sailing to the beautiful volcanic island of Jehu but docking problems at that port caused our Captain to alter our plans and skip the stop altogether.  Instead, we were given another day in Incheon which meant we could go to Seoul after all. 

A 60-minute drive from the port into Seoul brought us to the Gyeongbok Palace, the largest and grandest palace of the dynasty that ruled Korea from 1392-1910.  All the palaces we have visited on this trip are not just large, they are HUGE.   They did not house just the immediate members of the royal family but also all their servants, advisers, concubines (and their servants and advisers), etc.  It was a city all by itself.

This was the party room in the middle of the palace grounds.  Serenity seemed to be the guiding design principle throughout.

The current President of Korea lives near the Palace in the Blue House (for the color of its roof).   But she is currently not in residence because she was impeached in December.  Park Geun-hye has been temporarily removed while she is being investigated for Presidential influence peddling and her handling of the 2014 ferry disaster that killed 300 people.  The outcome of the investigation could come by the end of February and protesters were lining the streets all over the city to communicate their support for either keeping or ousting her.

  

On the grounds of the palace was the Korean Folklore Museum, a beautifully presented showcase of the lifestyle of Korean people from the prehistoric age to the 20^th Century.

Ron learned that his Korean Zodiac symbol is based on the year of his birth – 1947 – the Pig.  Those born in this year are destined to have lots of money, said the girl in the shop who was trying to sell him jewelry.

We had intriguing Korean lunches both days, which turned out to be quite tasty once we got over the mystery of it all.  But we didn’t take to the Kimchee, Korea’s adored fermented cabbage dish.  Sour and hot, it was hard to figure why everyone said they could eat it like candy.

Our day in Seoul was rounded out with a stroll on the famous Insa-dong shopping street and a visit to the South Market, an area of wholesale shops overflowing with pallets of merchandise and pop-culture.  K-pop seems to be the reigning business of South Korea, despite Samsung.  And, apparently, a tourist visit is considered incomplete without some time here. 

DAY 47 — February 20,  2017 —Sailing the Yellow Sea

Since we arrived in Japan, the outdoor temperatures have been in the 30’s.  The indoor cabin temperatures on Decks 1 & 2 and the Verandah Deck (6) of the ship have been about the same as the outdoor temps.   Everyone is complaining about the cold and the ship’s engineers have been cranking up the heat but it doesn’t seem to go where it should.  Our cabin’s temperature, which has always been at a very nice 70 degrees, is now above 80.  The cabin of two of our dinner mates remains at 25 degrees.

The President of Holland America, Orlando Ashford, came on-board in Seoul for a week with his family.  The ship’s management and crew want everything to be perfect, of course.  The passengers want the President to see what they must deal with.  Rolling seas and a lot of blunt questioning have contributed to his uneasiness on board so far.

While he is here, several Mariner Appreciation events feature free alcoholic drinks.  That tends to soothe even the crankiest (and coldest) passengers.

DAY 48 — February 21,  2017 — Sailing the Yellow Sea

We are both still trying to kick this DAM cold, cough, and wheezing, Jane visits the Medical Center again.  Not surprisingly, it is filled with sick passengers and crew.  More medicine.   More bills.  It is hard to look forward to your first visit to China when it feels like there is an elephant sitting on your chest.