Home » South Korea » I've Got Seoul....

Quite possibly the most overrused title for visitors to Seoul, yet I feel this title perfectly describes my experience in Korea. My 'soul' was rejuvenated a) because I got a break from the monotony of my job (all July and August I sit at my desk and do NOTHING- good way to spend my time...thank god for sudoku!) and b) I met up with some old friends from Berkeley, which was a nice slice of home. Given the short time I was alloted for summer vacation, it was a quick trip into Seoul and the DMZ, then back to Japan.

I've Got Seoul....

Casey Lary
2007-03-08 20:52:10

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went to the Seoul Tower during sunset (great views of the city)...all in all got a good taste of the city. Tonight we also met up with Jen and headed out to meet up with Ben, another Cal grad, was in the same frat as Taz, and now worked for the State Department at the Korean Embassy. He showed us a good time at a bar where we witnessed an extremeley drunk American take off his shirt and swing from the poles...wowsers.

DMZ

My favorite part of the trip was definitely going to the Demilitarized Zone, better known as the DMZ. Going to the DMZ was like nothing else I have ever experienced on a trip. I didn't even know what I was really getting into before signing up for the tour, except that it was cool and worth shelling out the $50 to go. We arrive at the South Korean border of the DMZ where our U.S. military guide greeted us. The moment we stepped into the briefing room I realized these guys meant business. Here I was, thinking I was going on a safe tour, expected it to be somewhat touristy, and comparable to say, the cave tour we went on in Thailand. Before I knew it I was signing my name stating that if I was hurt in the line of action or killed, the USO was not responsible. I was entering a war zone. This was cool! Today I went in as the stupid uninformed America, sad to admit but true. In addition to signing our lives away to the USO, photos were forbidden, I wasn't allowed to take an extra liability form home for my scrapbook, we were restricted on what we could wear, told where we could look, point, told don't go anywhere, and all instructions to prevent us from possibly dying. Man, this was a completely different experience than I expected! We had a 20 minute very rapid history of the DMZ explaining how Korea was divided post WWII, they were fighting over the border for years, and finally came to the 38th parallel to separate the two countries. The DMZ was created as a safe area where both countries could meet along ...