14 August, Andong

A civilised train departure time this morning, on the KTX 705 at 11:00am. The KTX is Korea’s version of the Japanese Shinkansen. The fares are crazy cheap in comparison to Japan Railways. Our two hour trip cost around AUD$35 each and that was for business class. At these prices, why not? A similar Shinkansen journey would be close to six times that. Picking up a bus from the out of town KTX station was a bit of a puzzle at first, but we had a list of suitable buses and eventually we found the right stop. As is always the way with buses, getting on isn’t the biggest problem. It is knowing when to get off. Yet again, our trusty phone GPS saved the day and we were dropped off just around the corner from our hotel.

 12 August, Seoul

Having seen a lot more of the city, we feel confident in saying that Seoul is among the most modern of cities in Asia. Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai and Tokyo are probably on the top rung in our experience, but Seoul, while not as big as three of the other four (Singapore being much smaller), wins. Wide, sweeping boulevards, large parks and open squares are framed by high-rise buildings with spectacular design features. Sadly, the down side is heavy traffic. Of the more modern Asian cities, only in Beijing have we seen such heavy street traffic. For us, getting about is not impacted. The subway can get us to any part of the city we want to see and the subway is not at all crowded by Asian standards, although the frequency of service is a little less than we are used to. Oh dear! We have had to wait more than 5 minutes on several occasions!!

No rain at all today, although a little overcast, but that was a blessing, as it kept the temperature down to the mid 20s. We did a lot of walking, around 17kms, doing the Namdaemun markets, Deoksungung Palace, Myeongdong Catholic Cathedral and walking alongside Cheonggyecheon Stream that flows through central Seoul.

The markets were enormous and, although we, at first, thought bargains were few and far between, in comparison to the high-end brand names that dominated the Lotte Department store we passed through on our travels, the prices were cheap, cheap, cheap. 

Our rain-spoiled visits to the other two palaces in Seoul made our visits not terribly enjoyable. Although the late 19th  century Deoksungung Palace is the smallest and most modern of the palaces, it is the most original, the others being rebuilt in the 1950s. Nicely laid out,  with nice shaded areas to sit and enjoy the open spaces, Deoksungung is our favourite. We should add, that over 65s, even foreigners, enter all the palaces and associated museums for free on provision of proof of age.

The Catholic Cathedral was extremely difficult to find, until we happened upon the “Cathedral Shopping Mall,” which led us past food outlets clothing shops and of course the Cathedral “merch” shop. You have to wonder about the bible story of Jesus throwing the money changers out of the temple. 

We went close to one of the almost daily street protests that are almost a daily occurrence in Seoul. Every side street we went up was lined with police busses. As serious as all this might seem, these demonstration very rarely end in violence. 

Ended our day at Cheonggyecheon Stream, covered over after the Korean War, then restored as part of an urban renewal plan in 2003. It is 11 klms long and features 22 bridges at street level as well as stepping stones at stream level and water features and is a popular walking path.  

13 August, Seoul

Except for our trip in from the Airport, today was our first day on the Korail network. We were headed to the nearby city of Suwon. As this was our first go at using Korean trains, we feel the need to record our experiences to help others who may like to travel independently in Korea.

Our subway line runs directly to Seoul Station so we had no line changes to negotiate. Seoul Station stands separate from the Metro network and there are walkways between the two, but we found some of the signage a little confusing. We had not pre- booked our tickets, although we could have done so online through the Korail website. Bookings can be paid for using foreign credit cards, but be warned, the identification departure and destination points will need some work until you get familiar with the system. The ticket machines wouldn’t work for us as domestic cards only are recognised. Booking at the ticket window isn’t a problem. Service staff generally speak good English and are very helpful. Just a hint at this point. Know your train number or departure time and obviously, your destination. We have spent much time fuming, while standing in line, as people who have no idea what they are doing, waste everybody’s time. 

Today we were off on a very short journey of about 30 minutes to Suwon which is on the main line to Korea’s second city Busan, so three of the types of trains on the network can be booked for this trip. As it is a short trip, we took the Mugunghwa train, the lowest level. The other options are the ITX and KTX. The KTX is the equivalent of the Japanese Shinkansen high-speed trains. The ITX are express trains of a standard between the other two. The Mugunghwa trains are comfortable, cheap, but slow. For our trip, our train was fine. Internally clean and fairly modern with toilets and ample leg room, but no dining car or snack trollies. On our return trip, we were only able to get one confirmed seat and one standing ticket, because we hadn’t pre-booked our seats. The cost for two of us was 5000W, about AUD$6. The deal with standing tickets is that the holder can sit in any seat until the person who has booked the seat shows up, then seat must be relinquished. Today, our one booked seat and one standing seat allowed us each to have a seat for the whole trip.

There is a lesson here. Today was a Sunday and Koreans like to travel about on weekends and holidays, so stations and trains are crowded. Booking is probably a good idea.

So, back to today’s trip. Our purpose was to visit the Hwaseong Fortress, built in the late eighteenth century by a king, for defensive purposes as well as to house the tomb of his father.  Much of the almost 6 klm wall has survived, or more correctly, been restored and reconstructed. The 281 steps up to the highest parts of the wall, leave the climb up parts of the Great Wall of China in the shade. 

Some shade would have helped us today as the high temperatures and humidity have returned. The views over the city compensated to some degree  for the oppressive conditions. 

Heading back to catch our bus to the station we stopped off at the Hwaseong Haenggung Palace. This is the third Korean royal palace we have visited, and while there is always an historical value in each, it must be said that the Korean royals, or their architects, lacked some imagination, as all that we have visited are very similiar.  

 12 August, Seoul

A solo trip to the DMZ today as the dreaded travel stomach bug has struck again.

The day started out just as miserable as yesterday (in more ways than one for one of us), but things improved slightly as the day wore on. The DMZ pickup was at a subway exit, so it was with some trepidation that I waited in the rain for the pickup but, as with most arrangements in Asian countries, it all worked out in the end. The tour group was a mix of an English speaking tour and a Japanese group, so some of the history that was discussed could have been a little sensitive for those Japanese who could understand English.

Our trip through the suburbs and out on the motorway to the DMZ was a little eye-popping. Korea’s infrastructure is just so new! Everything is clean and, mostly, efficient. Hundreds of high-rise apartment blocks line the suburban streets and, from the highway, clusters of scores more can be seen in the distance.

I’ll condense the history lesson here, but our guide, Erica, was well informed and able to answer any questions that our diverse group threw at her. The Japanese were driven out of Korea at the end of the war. At this time the whole peninsula was, to some degree, left to flounder. The coming of the Cold War era of tensions between the USSR and the West brought things to a head for the people of Korea. China and the USSR decided to take control of Korea, much to the chagrin of the West, particularly the USA.

To cut the story short, the Korean War broke out in 1950 when the North, supported by China, invaded the South and quickly took most of the country. The US mounted a mission, supported by the UN, landing troops at Incheon. After three years and more than 3 million civilian deaths, the war reached a stalemate and an armistice was reached, creating the DMZ, a strip of land 4kms wide running the entire width of the peninsula. Seventy years on, there is no peace treaty and Korea today is still a divided country.

So, about the DMZ itself. Interesting, but just too touristy. Nothing really to see, but hearing all the histories and stories from a Korean perspective was very interesting. Would I recommend it? No. Read a good history book.

 9 August 2023, Oriens Hotel, Seoul

Spent last night at the Great Western Premier Hotel at Incheon Airport. It is better to stay locally, rather than trying to find a hotel in the dark after a long, tiring flight. Our timing was near perfect. Clearing Immigration and Customs took less than 20 minutes as we only had Carry-On luggage.

After a good night’s sleep and a short shuttle back to the airport, we made a quick visit to the KT Communications counter to collect our pocket WiFi. At around $50AUD for 20 days, with blistering speed, it will be an indispensable tool for our travels. We also purchased a couple of T-Money cards last night from the convenience store at the hotel. The T-Money card is an IC stored value card that is used in subways, buses and even convenience stores across the country.

Loaded up with the necessities for independent travellers, we bought tickets for the ARex Express train to the city from an easy-to-use ticket machine. The ARex is the fastest option to get into Seoul and, at about $10AUD each for the 50 minute journey, it is well worth the difference in price over the “All Stops” train which is about half the price.

Our room in our city hotel wasn’t ready, so we dropped our bags and took the subway to the National Museum of Korea. Seoul’s subway is extremely efficient and well-signed. We were amazed at how uncrowded the subway was. Even on our return trip home, after 4:00pm, there were plenty of seats.

The National Museum of Korea is a huge, well-designed building, with English signage to explain the  theme of the rooms, as well as individual displays. European as well as Asian history was included. The Korean War Memorial was a short subway trip away. It is well worth a visit. From an Australian perspective, the museum recognises the role of the U.N nations, including Australia, in the conflict. There was also a great outdoor section with a large range of military equipment used in the conflict. Including a B52 bomber! 

10 August, Seoul

A very miserable day weather wise today as Typhoon Khunan approaches South Korea. The storm is expected to arrive near Seoul sometime late tonight or early tomorrow. Heavy rain rather than destructive winds seem to be the biggest issue further south around Busan where the typhoon crossed the coast this morning. We have had constant drenching rain and some gusty blows that have threatened to turn our umbrellas inside out.

Most of today’s activities were outdoors, so we spent the day in wet sandals and damp shorts, but we pressed on regardless! Our subway trip was fairly simple to manage as our local station is a transfer station for the two lines we needed today. Two palaces, Changdeokgung and Gyeongbukgung, the National Folk Museum and the Bukchon Hanok Village were on our list. Even on such a miserable day, the palaces were spectacular, well preserved/restored and extensive. Both palaces have had a difficult past. Palace coups over the years and a Japanese invasion all but destroyed both in 1592. They were progressively rebuilt by 1602. 

The Hanok Village was well preserved with narrow curving alleyways. The village area has avoided the temptation to become rows of T-shirt shops, a transition that has ruined some similar areas we have seen elsewhere.  

We were disappointed to find that part of the Folk Museum was closed for renovation. If the bits we missed were as good as the displays we saw, we missed a lot. Fishing has been an historically important industry for the Korean peninsula, as nowhere is too far from the sea.

Tomorrow we have a trip to the DMZ booked and we have just had it confirmed despite the pending typhoon.

 Covid has delayed the travel plans of millions all over the world, but with the easing of travel restrictions, people are on the move again. In a few days we fly off at the ungodly time of 6:00am for Sydney, then on to Seoul. This is the first time in several years that we are visiting a country for the first time. Our planning is done, our backpacks stand ready, and we are anticipating another adventure.