Him and Her still on the road.: South Korea, Seoul

Seoul : Not sure what we expected but this is a great city. The people are really friendly and getting about is a doddle, although most people do not speak English there are enough that can manage a few useful sentences. Our digs are a 9 bed dorm in the heart of the city above a Dunkin Donuts outlet.

Our room mate, Moon soon made us feel at home, she took us out on our first night and we ate at a Korean BBQ, which was superb. Later we went to City Hall and took in a few of the night sights.

Next day we ventured across town to get some books as we had read our last ones 5 weeks ago and had not been able to get any replacements in China. After acquiring a few tomes we headed for the Seoul Tower. Later we ventured to the Gyeongbokgung Palace, a large traditional Palace in the heart of Seoul.

Our last day in Seoul we took a trip to the DMZ the 4 km wide no mans land between North and South Korea. Since the peace treaty of 1975 was signed the South Koreans have discovered 4 tunnels from North Korea under the DMZ and into South Korea, all dug by North Korea who claimed they were old coal mines, not a bad excuse considering they are are in prime Granite Geology. We were not allowed to take photographs inside the Tunnel we entered nor at the Boarder wall lookout station. There was a short film showing how and why the DMZ was created. Areas around the DMZ are littered with mines so much of the area is fenced off, quite a scary place.

On the way back from the DMZ we stopped at a new train station Gyeongui Stationwhich was constructed with agreement from North Korea to allow the transportation of goods but shortly after it was finished the North Korean Government refused any trains permission to enter their territory, so there sits a brand new station which goes to nowhere. It had that Mary Celeste feel about the place, very strange.

It would be bad manners not too mention how great our room mates were in Seoul, Moon, Heejung and yun were fantastic. Thank you.