Run away Trip : Going to the North part 1, when I am craving for nature, culture, and hystory.
I am back again and then I realized that all the pictures from my previous posts were gone... (poor me... I am still trying to fix it. Anybody know how?).
Anyway, I want to share about several of my trips whenever there is official holiday or even just weekend. Since my status as a fulltime graduate student doesn't allow me to have extra vacation even though I have maximum 2 weeks of dayoff with strings attached. but then, I am not going to live here forever so whenever I get a chances, I go.
As you can see in the title, this post is about my first trip going to the northern part of South Korea where the border line of North and South is located. As you may already know, the border between the two countries is not just ordinary border but it's one of demilitarized zones that still exist in the world (If you want to get more information about Korea demilitarized zone or DMZ you can go here). This area is quite interesting because apart from its security status, it's also become famous tourism areas which attrach people like me to go there.
My first trip to the north was visiting Ganghwa and Seokmo island in Incheon. I knew those island from one of my professor who always said to me to explore this peninsula while I am here. You can reach Gangwa island by bus from Seoul, it just took around 1 hour and you don't need to take a fery because there is a bridge that connect main island with Ganghwa. And the good news, the guide at bus terminal is very kind and can speak English clearly and tourism map that provided there is quite helpful.
My first destination was Seokmo island (this island is much smaller than Ganghwa and you need to use cash for public transportation because the buses don't have scanner machine for Tmoney) and there are just limited number of buses that run only until evening. From Ganghwa island, you need to take small ferry to cross the narrow strait between both island which just take around 5 minutes only. Most of the passengers are enjoyed to feed groups of seagull with shrimp snack (but I suggest you not to follow them).
There, I visited one of famous tourist destination, Buddhist temple called Bomunsa temple which have a big Buddha sculpture in top of rocky hill. you must do little hiking since the contour of the temple is hilly. Right before the entrance, you can buy many kind of snacks mostly are seashore products, maybe you will need extra energy because the way to the Buddha sculpture is quite tiring (at least for me).
In the evening I continued my journey at that small island by visited a so called sandy beach nearby the temple (but I forgot that western part of Korea beaches mostly are muddy beaches). Well, if you like to play in the muddy beach, you will enjoy being on this beach. For me and my friends, we prefer just enjoying the breeze and having a big bowl of Korean seafood noodle.
Where can you stay at night? I choose to stay at the small port at Ganghwa island. Right after I got of from the ferry, I walked around to find a nice motel to sleep. I decided to sleep at the biggest motel with a good view and booked 1 room for 3 persons (it cost you around KRW 60000).
The next day, I continued to travel to the northern part of Ganghwa island to the Ganghwa peace observatory. On the way, I visited one of dolmen site in Ganghwa island where the biggest dolmen was there. It said that those dolmens in Ganghwa area are the representatives of northern style dolmen of the bronze era.
Then if you aren't patient enough to wait for bus since the buses there aren't as many as Seoul so it takes little bit long to wait, you can used taxi to go to the observatory like I did (of course it cost you more).
That was my first time to see the iron fences border right before the river Han and about 1 km to the north, I can see the North Korea (I was excited). You need a KRW 500 coin to use the binoculars but don't expect too much to see North Korean farmers there. You can see the farmland and several farm houses through that binocular but it felt too silent for me. This observatory also have a room full with a short notes about the hopes of the unification from the visitors and a museum about Korean war.
My last destination was one of Goryo palace. Blame my habit watching Korean historical drama which made me wanted to go there, my friend and I impersonated the scene of historical drama. Around that area, you also can find the Ganghwa west gate, old Anglican church, and the fortress. And also, It close to the bus terminal so you can directly go to bus terminal by local bus.
That was my first time going to the northern part of South Korea. And I went to near border line again for the second time with different type of journey. See yaa...
Anyway, I want to share about several of my trips whenever there is official holiday or even just weekend. Since my status as a fulltime graduate student doesn't allow me to have extra vacation even though I have maximum 2 weeks of dayoff with strings attached. but then, I am not going to live here forever so whenever I get a chances, I go.
As you can see in the title, this post is about my first trip going to the northern part of South Korea where the border line of North and South is located. As you may already know, the border between the two countries is not just ordinary border but it's one of demilitarized zones that still exist in the world (If you want to get more information about Korea demilitarized zone or DMZ you can go here). This area is quite interesting because apart from its security status, it's also become famous tourism areas which attrach people like me to go there.
My first trip to the north was visiting Ganghwa and Seokmo island in Incheon. I knew those island from one of my professor who always said to me to explore this peninsula while I am here. You can reach Gangwa island by bus from Seoul, it just took around 1 hour and you don't need to take a fery because there is a bridge that connect main island with Ganghwa. And the good news, the guide at bus terminal is very kind and can speak English clearly and tourism map that provided there is quite helpful.
My first destination was Seokmo island (this island is much smaller than Ganghwa and you need to use cash for public transportation because the buses don't have scanner machine for Tmoney) and there are just limited number of buses that run only until evening. From Ganghwa island, you need to take small ferry to cross the narrow strait between both island which just take around 5 minutes only. Most of the passengers are enjoyed to feed groups of seagull with shrimp snack (but I suggest you not to follow them).
 |
| buying ferry ticket |
 |
| some of them were feeding the seagulls |
There, I visited one of famous tourist destination, Buddhist temple called Bomunsa temple which have a big Buddha sculpture in top of rocky hill. you must do little hiking since the contour of the temple is hilly. Right before the entrance, you can buy many kind of snacks mostly are seashore products, maybe you will need extra energy because the way to the Buddha sculpture is quite tiring (at least for me).
 |
| buying from them are cheap |
 |
| hilly road from the entrance |
 |
| They have many faces |
 |
| Preparing for Buddha birthday festival |
 |
| make your wish and put it in bottle |
 |
| This is the giant sclupture on the top of the hill |
In the evening I continued my journey at that small island by visited a so called sandy beach nearby the temple (but I forgot that western part of Korea beaches mostly are muddy beaches). Well, if you like to play in the muddy beach, you will enjoy being on this beach. For me and my friends, we prefer just enjoying the breeze and having a big bowl of Korean seafood noodle.
 |
| Muddy beach (good for your skin) |
 |
| evening view from the ferry |
Where can you stay at night? I choose to stay at the small port at Ganghwa island. Right after I got of from the ferry, I walked around to find a nice motel to sleep. I decided to sleep at the biggest motel with a good view and booked 1 room for 3 persons (it cost you around KRW 60000).
 |
| motel information |
 |
| view from my room |
 |
| late night snack |
The next day, I continued to travel to the northern part of Ganghwa island to the Ganghwa peace observatory. On the way, I visited one of dolmen site in Ganghwa island where the biggest dolmen was there. It said that those dolmens in Ganghwa area are the representatives of northern style dolmen of the bronze era.
 |
| This is the dolmen |
Then if you aren't patient enough to wait for bus since the buses there aren't as many as Seoul so it takes little bit long to wait, you can used taxi to go to the observatory like I did (of course it cost you more).
That was my first time to see the iron fences border right before the river Han and about 1 km to the north, I can see the North Korea (I was excited). You need a KRW 500 coin to use the binoculars but don't expect too much to see North Korean farmers there. You can see the farmland and several farm houses through that binocular but it felt too silent for me. This observatory also have a room full with a short notes about the hopes of the unification from the visitors and a museum about Korean war.
 |
| Can you see the North? |
 |
| add 500 won to take a peek |
 |
| notes full of hope for univication |
 |
| Korean war history |
 |
| the observatory building |
My last destination was one of Goryo palace. Blame my habit watching Korean historical drama which made me wanted to go there, my friend and I impersonated the scene of historical drama. Around that area, you also can find the Ganghwa west gate, old Anglican church, and the fortress. And also, It close to the bus terminal so you can directly go to bus terminal by local bus.
 |
| Old Anglican church |
 |
| Palace entrance |
 |
| Ganghwa seen from the palace |
That was my first time going to the northern part of South Korea. And I went to near border line again for the second time with different type of journey. See yaa...
Comments
Post a Comment