Julie's Take on Seoul

As you may imagine, Phil, Steven, and I have been running around Seoul like crazy -- I have enough material for 20 blog posts. So I'm just going to put up some of the best pictures to take you through our travels.


Goodbye, U.S.A. Helloooooo, Korea!


Arriving in Itaewon, the "Homo Hill," where our hotel, The Hamilton, was located. I would rate it 3 stars.


Early in the morning, we joined a tour that took us to the DMZ, a demilitarized zone between the two Koreas at the 38th parallel.

Phil and Steven with Freedom Bridge in the distance. This is where South Korean and North Korean P.O.W.'s crossed to be returned back to their respective homes.


Steven and Phil outside the 3rd tunnel that was discovered that North Korea dug in order to invade Seoul. Our tour guide was quite frank with her description of the political state of affairs.

"Please do not take any photos in the DMZ. If you do, you will have a veeery special memory."

"At first North Korea didn't admit that they had dug the tunnels. But now they do. And there is a lot of evidence for it anyway."

"In the DMZ, there is a South Korean aboriginal village that is protected by the UN, and a North Korean propaganda village that is not real -- no one lives there."

"Before, there was a U.S. base in the demilitarized zone, but the North Korean spies would infiltrate and kill them, so they left the area."


A station that will run from Dorasan, South Korea, to Pyeongyang, North Korea, in the future. Very symbolic, very optimistic, a little heartwarming, mostly sad.


Back from the DMZ walking around Seoul. Steven and Phil in front of City Hall. "Guys, turn around! It's right there!"


Steven and I at an amaaaazing restaurant for lunch. The place did not have an English sign, but my newly-acquired-in-the-bus makeshift Korean alphabet skills saved the day! "Pa...k...ss...i...m..." It's here, it's here, it's here!!" Park-ssi Mulgo on Jebi: I rate it 4 stars.


At Changdeokgung Palace with Phil+Steven's friends, Phil+Michael. A UNESCO world heritage site. Huge and beautiful.


So during the Changdeokgung Palace tour, the woman kept saying how the Japanese invaded Korea and burnt down this gate, that hall, that over yonder pagoda. And every time I would feel a little pang of guilt, which the boys thought was hilarious.

The killer came when the tour guide said:
"Now, 1945. Of course it is a very important year, when the war ended. Actually, it was between the U.S. and Japan. And.... Japan lost."

And then what does Phil do? He starts chuckling away for a good 5 minutes!! Omg I don't know him...


After the palace, we headed to Insadong, an artsy area with lots of nice souvenir shops. Phil, Michael, Steven, Phil, and I stopped for some tea at a nice cafe. The tea was potent but definitely much-needed since it was getting really cold and we had been walking around all day.


After shopping around and having dinner in Insadong, we took the subway back to Itaewon. And we were standing in front of this lil' lady lookin' very stern in her perhaps feigned sleep.

"Hello, lil' lady! I'm Phil, I'm happy to be in Korea!"
"Stupid foreigners... standing in front of me..."


We visited Phil+Michael's apartment in Itaewon and then turned in for the night.
That's the end of Day 1! Day 2 to come soon!