The last lap, Seoul, water fights and a peek into North Korea

The last eight nights of a top adventure and I was to base myself in Seoul. In truth I was just too tired to bother about moving on from place to place. Even with all that time I didn't get around all the sights, if it had been earlier in the trip when I wasn't 'templed out' I'd have got twice as much sightseeing done in half the nights.

One thing I definitely wanted to chalk off was a trip to the DMZ (the 4km strip of land controlled by the United Nations that separates North from South Korea). It is not possible to do this day trip as an independent traveller so I had to go in an organised tour. Given the fact I was lazing my way through the last week, this was no bad thing.

The tour started early doors, in dull and wet conditions which in my opinion only added to the moody feel.

On guard at the DMZ

The guide was new to the job and I felt she guessed at answers to questions which only increased the confusion of the tour. I gave up on my questioning and reverted to the tried and trusted technique of reading information boards at each of the numerous stops.

Looking moody with North Korea in the background

The tour overall was great. The numbers were about perfect, I think there were 8 of us, big enough to be able to avoid anyone you didn't like, yet small enough to get to know all you did. In accordance of the dress code I had to zip on my zip off legs to my shorts, and had to wear a collar. I had a little chuckle when one girl from the Philippines was picked up from her hotel wearing a army jacket. She clearly hadn't read the dress code which stated in block capitals NO ARMY WEAR.

Monument at the DMZ 

All the stops in and around the DMZ were interesting, however if anything we could have done with an extra 20 minutes at each one.

Mobbing up!

We got inside a now not so secret tunnel that the Northerners had built so troops had easy access into the South. The tunnel was blocked half way, which along with the serious mood of the soldiers on duty showed the real threat of the area.

The DMZ now a tourist attraction

The tour I booked wasn't the full tour which was fully booked long in advance. The only stop I missed out on was the JSA (Joint Security Area) which is renowned as the best bit in the Lonely Planet. Here this area is patrolled by soldiers from both North and South who 'stand off' and 'eyeball' each other all day in Taekwondo type poses.

Speaking with another traveller in Busan who had done the JSA area, he told me the poses were for the tourists camera's benefit only, but I don't know if that was another ill informed tour guides guess.

A 'clear' view into North Korea

From the Dora Observatory you could see well into North Korea including the huge flag which squared up against the not quite so huge flag of the South. It was a shame it was a dull and cloudy day but with the help of the binoculars you could see quite enough, although not enough to even be tempted to add it to my list of 'been there' countries.

I wanted to catch some football on this trip having missed out in the Philippines due to rain, so a quick Google found FC Seoul were playing at home twice during my stay, I went to both games.

World Cup Stadium, Seoul

The games were at the World Cup stadium which was a classic. Interestingly you could buy beer from the kiosks and so long as you poured it into a cardboard beaker you could take it to the terraces. A beer and a Hot Dog was under £3, probably a third of the price of the Premier League in England.

Beer and a Hot Dog at the football

The first game was the last 16 of the ACL (Asian Champions League) and they were playing against a club side from Japan. A decent game which the home side were winning 1-0 (I'd missed the goal as I was at the bar) with seconds to go they missed an open goal. I couldn't understand why the crowd were going so crazy until I found out this was the 2nd leg and the aggregate score was 1-1. So extra time it was.

FC Seoul Ultras 

FC Seoul scored early in extra time (I missed this also, this time I was at the toilet). Two goals from the away team seemed to seal the result in their favour. The lads around me said FC Seoul needed to score 2 more goals in the last 5 minutes as they were behind on the away goals rules, they left, I stayed, and FC Seoul scored a screamer (I saw this one).

Into extra time, the pouring of beer into the designated cup rule is flouted

Away goals didn't count and a cracking penalty shoot out resulted. It took ten penalties each to decide the winner, FC Seoul coming up trumps and I was celebrating with the locals like it was Darlington at wembley.

The crowd go wild at the end of the game

The second game was in the league, it was a drab game, playing bottom of the table the hosts rested all the star players, complacency never wins any game and it was a 1-1 draw, the highlight been it was Expat Day Package which I got a match ticket, Beer and Hot Dog for £6. 

At the end of the game a gave myself a private tour of the ground. Plenty of stewards still about but it was if I had an access all areas pass around my neck. I 'found' a match programme in the press box along with another Hot Dog voucher. It was only when I tried to get into the dressing room area that access was denied. I had managed to have a look around the trophy cabinet.

Inside the trophy room

What to do on a rainy day in Seoul? Go out for a long lunch washed down with a bottle of Soju. I got one of the specialist dishes I missed out on in Jeon-Ju. Bibimbap is a sizzling bowl of rice, meat, vegetables and spices topped off with a raw egg and served with all the trimmings. Absolutely delicious.

Bibimbap and Soju - kept me busy for an hour or so

Another day, another sporting event. It was a Friday night there was baseball on and it was a local derby. On the way to the game I wanted to get some sightseeing done.

Changing of the guard

One of royal palaces had a changing of the guard ceremony every day at 2pm. This was free. I decided against getting a ticket and having a look inside. I was following a rule a bloke told me about in Siquijor, Philippines, he said the best way to save money when travelling is only do the things you really want to do. I wasn't that fussed so saved myself the tiny entrance fee of £2 and never went inside, maybe I regret that now.

Instead, there was a the national museum nearby which was free and well worth the one hour I spent in there.

Seoul National Palace

I hopped back on the very efficient and impressive metro to the Jamsil district which is near the Olympic Village and the Baseball Stadium.

The main reason for me going into Jamsil itself was to take in the Lotte Tower which when fully complete and open will be elevated into the top 5 in the world. The key point in that last sentence was 'when fully complete'. I wasn't aware it wasn't finished and expected to go up it for my Seoul Tower fix. 

Lotte Tower in Jamsil, Seoul

The Baseball ground is located by the Olympic Stadium, so off I set off on the decent walk to the Olympic Village. The walk by the main road was full of bronze statues of various sportsmen and women. Turning off the main road found me in a sleazy part of town, Businessmen clubs, Massage Parlours, rooms by the hour and love motels were everywhere.

On getting to the Olympic Village I discovered the Olympic Stadium (and therefore the Baseball Stadium) was in completely the other direction and was 2 metro trains away. I quick walk around the Village and the Museum and it was off to the Basey.

Seoul Olympic Park

The game was the Doosan Bears v the LG Twins. I'd never been to or watched baseball, but it didn't take long for me to realise Doosan Bears were considerably better than the LG Twins.

I really enjoyed it. It was a full house, the crowd were orchestrated well by sets of cheerleaders creating a good, but false atmosphere.

The scoreboard clearly shows it is 7pm, I don't understand anything else

Beers were available to buy and even cheaper than at the football. The scoreboard catered for 12 innings but the game stopped at 9 just after I'd bought a litre of beer. I don't know how long the games usually last but that wasn't ideal. I 'had to' down this beer and then suffer the 1 hour metro back to the area of my hotel in desperate need of the toilet. Many times on the journey I felt like getting off early finding and toilet and then continuing my journey. What a relief when I finally arrived back.

Baseball and a litre of Cass

Fancying a day in the countryside I headed out to a place called Chuncheon. It was described in my book as a nice ride through the hills, with a nice lake and good food. It had the added attraction this weekend of the annual Mime and Water Festival. I'm not much into mime but at least it would remove the language barrier. 

The train ride was nice but did take almost 2.5 hours to get there by slow (but cheap) metro, high speed trains do it from the centre in around half the time.

The guy at the tourist information 'helpfully' gave me a map in Korean and pointed me in the wrong direction for the lake, so I went downtown. 

I never found the Mime element of the festival but well and truly found the water festival. One street was packed with locals dancing to seriously loud music from a live band. Fireman sized hosepipes filled the air with water, all the kids had water pistols and paint powder. It was a decent experience and atmosphere.

Water fight at Chuncheon

Now to find the food element of the town. The local speciality is Dakgalbi and even had a street dedicated to it. I did read that most of the restaurants don't let single diners come in. As I walked up the street an old dear was in a frenzy to get me inside. I was trying to explain I was only one and didn't want a load of food.

Dakgalbi Street, Chuncheon

With the help of some of the locals I managed to get a half portion which was still massive. It was chicken, pasta, potatoes, veg, herbs and spices. Delicious and good value for £6.

It was cooked at my table and I had a good laugh with the local youngsters. The girls back right in the picture found it particularly amusing when I shouted "smile" at at the old lady just before snapping her cooking my dinner.

Dakgalbi been cooked at my table

I stayed in a few different areas in Seoul, the last of which Itewan is said to have great nightlife. I stayed in an excellent hostel and got invited to one of the staffs leaving party and instantly made lots of friends.

At the end of the party only 4 lads were left standing and we went out and hit the town. It was my first experience of a party night out on my travels, but not one I enjoyed. The lads (Dutch, Japanese, Korean and myself) were sound and good fun, but the location was an expat and army base area. One street was completely full of bars and restaurants catering for westerners and tourists. It was also littered with Korean girls desperate to hook up with a foreigner and hookers. 

As decent as the lads were, I was a little bored and not enjoying paying for the overpriced beers. Give me a night out in Korean only locations, the beers are cheaper and the girls are much more genuine. I left shortly after witnessing a street brawl, once the round was complete.

Having been denied the tower experience at Lotte Tower I went over to Seoul Tower. It isn't the biggest in the world by any means, but it is seriously high up from the top as it's base is on top of a huge hill in the city.

Seoul Tower, with love locks in the foreground

It is easy to enough to walk up to the tower base, but I had quite a bit of currency left so I took the cable car late in the day. The plan was to see it in daylight, watch the sunset and see Seoul from above at night. This is a tactic I use many times when visiting towers.

At the base of Seoul Tower

The sun sets over Seoul on the last night of my trip

Once the sun had set and I'd seen enough I headed to the mall under the tower where LG were showing off their talents with a LCD tunnel and a 3D screen both of which were very impressive (and free).

LG LCD Tunnel

Seoul Tower lit up at night

What to do on my last night of a near 100 day trip? I gave the lads I'd met the previous night the swerve and headed out on my own for a Korean meal and an early night. 

Getting cheap Korean food in Itewan wasn't as easy at it should have been. Plenty of international fare, Turkish, Moroccan, Japanese, American, Irish, Indian etc. But not much local, and when I did find a Korean restaurant it was fine dining with not so fine prices.

I ended up in a cafe just around the corner from my hostel, a cafe I'd ruled out a couple of times as not been nice enough to host my last evening meal. The food I chose was Ginseng Chicken Soup (as recommended to me by a Korean lady earlier in the week). It was decent, nothing too special but once again it was a huge feed. The staff tried to get me on the beer or soju, but I wasn't feeling like it. It was the end of a mini era (8 months) in my life.

My last nights evening meal - Ginseng Chicken Soup

My mini era had taken me to some fabulous places in Asia, met up with loads of friends old and new, eaten some great local foods (plus a few not so great), found a life away from possessions and status, and most of all I learned the importance of a smile. 

My final day was last minute souvenir shopping followed by a soak and a relax in a Korean Jjimjilbang (spa).

Souvenir shopping, the bear I bought was quite a bit smaller

Jjimjilbang at Dragon Hill Spa in Seoul

Boarding the late night flight home, I considered my next move in life, my next chapter. My batteries are now fully recharged and I'm eager to start work again. I will ramp up my efforts to find a job in the 13 days I'm home. 

Should I call my 2 week trip to Czech Republic and Hungary the 3rd installment of my career break? This I'm not sure, perhaps I'm looking on it as part of my reintegration back into 'normal' life, a holiday the type I've taken each year for nearly 20 years.

Flying home

Do I regret quitting my job and travelling? No, not one bit......so long as I can complete the reboot of my career and find a new job soon, it was the best decision of my life.

Jeon-ju, South Korea

Jeonju, South Korea

I arrived in Jeon-ju without any accommodation, I'd looked on the internet and anything that was available was pricey. Jeon-ju is a very touristy Hanok (traditional wooden home) village, also famous for its culinary delights. After wandering the streets for an hour or so, it appeared that all Hanoks had no room in the Inn.

Korean tourists in traditional dress

I was getting desperate and fed up. Walking down a small alley a Korean guy with a Labrador dog said hello to me. So I took the opportunity of finding someone who could speak English and asked him if he knew somewhere. He had a guesthouse but it was also full. He phoned around his mates and found me a room, although not been on a position to haggle, I managed to negotiate a £6 reduction over the phone via my interpreter. Within minutes the guy pulled up in his car and took me to his guesthouse.

Once again it was a bed in the floor job. It was just within my price range and very near the heart of the village. I wanted to stay 2 or 3 nights but the guy only had availability for one night. But that was something I was going to worry about the next day

Another bed on the floor 'traditional style'

As it was getting late so I headed for the night market to sample some of the local food. The first place I saw had a huge queue, so I thought I'd get in it and have whatever they were dishing up. When I got close to the front of the queue I found it was selling a paper bowl full of steak, chips, veg and a lovely red wine gravy. Not quite a local specialty but it was bloody lovely.

Flame grilled steak for supper

Steak and chips for tea, a nice change

I had a wonder around the very crowded night market seeing what other food was on offer for following nights. It was packed and walking through was slow, especially around the Karaoke stand right in the middle which drew huge crowds. 

Jeonju night market draws in the crowds

Karaoke Station at Jeonju Night Market

On the way back I passed Pungnam-mun an impressive stone and wooden gateway. It had an excellent light show projected into it. I watched for a while and the noticed a few youngsters had got some take out beers from the shop and were watching on. A little bit hooligan like, but I bought a couple of hite beers and joined them for the rest of the show.

Pungnam-mun Gate Jeon-ju

I had a surprisingly good nights sleep on the floor in the guesthouse. First job was to find another place. This proved very difficult, place after place had no availability, it was Saturday and the place was heaving with Korean weekend tourists.

I went to the tourist information who couldn't speak any English so they phoned another office and I was to try a 3 way conversation across languages. The girl who could speak English was given a near opposite task for finding a private room, in or near the village with just a smallish budget to play with.

I ended up staying at the tourist information girls mates house (who could speak a bit of English). It was a Milliners shop, first floor an exclusive hat shop, 2nd floor a handmade hat manufacturers, 3rd floor a hat museum, 4th floor a kitchen and a spare bedroom which did a right job for me for a couple of nights.

Jeon-ju Catholic Church

All that out of the way I was look around the village. It was really nice place just to wander about and see what was going on. Many of the local youngsters hired traditional dress which added to the atmosphere of the place. Whilst it had very much a feel of a place built for tourism with it's new looking traditional houses, it was just what I wanted for a few days. In fact I like touristy places now and again and if the touristy place is for native tourists then all the better. You can learn lots about the culture of a country when you see the people in a relaxed holiday mode. 

A performance through the streets

I paid the couple of pounds entrance fee to the biggest attraction the Gyeonggijeon, a walled complex with traditional houses and paintings. More young couples in traditional clothes taking selfies everywhere you looked. It was labelled the best attraction so I'd paid in, and it was OK.

New feel with a traditional design

There was a cultural performance for the unveiling of some books I think. Prior to the performance I was sat with a lady from Hong Kong who could speak a little Korean and this is what she made out from the leaflet, The performance started with a couple of jester type characters, mainly spoken and I had not a clue what was going on.  One of the guys had a basket of things, one of which he came over and gave to me. I think I picked out the word ebay as he planted the green rice cakes on my lap. The lady from Hong Kong said I'd won them in an auction which was quite impressive when I didn't even realise an auction was taking place.

Cultural Jesters

I opened the rice cakes, took one out and passed the rest down the line. The performance was boring, during the introduction of the local dignitaries I made a sharp exit before I had to pay for my auction prize.

Rice cakes, 'won' in an auction

At night Jeon-ju was much the same as by day. Again it was pleasant to stroll around, not too much in the way of drinking or nightlife near the Hanok Village. It was nice to graze on food from the many stalls and wonder around.

Catholic Cathedral heavenly lit up by a full moon

Away from the village there was a dancing competition. This was entertaining to watch the contestants bust some cracking moves on a stage.

Jeon-ju dance off

The traditional foods in Jeon-ju didn't really happen, most restaurants were catering huge dishes for 3 or 4 so mainly I ended up having various street snacks. I did force myself out for a traditional breakfast one morning. The place I chose was #1 on Trip Advisor and it had clearly geared up for tourists as the menu even had an English section, some of the first written or spoken English in a couple of days. It was maybe a bit much for breakfast, and I certainly got too carried away when adding the chili. It was a nice soup, very filling and reasonably priced.

Soup for breakfast - just the job

Bean sprout soup with all the trimmings

The local specialty when it comes to alcohol was a slightly alcoholic milk drink or a significantly more potent Soju, (rice wine) of which I had sampled earlier in Busan. I didn't try the milk, I didn't fancy it as most of the stalls had it on display on the street in the hot sun. I did have a night on the Soju which did wonders to make me sleep but it was a big struggle to get moving the next day.

Alcoholic Milk

Jeon-ju Soji - wicked stuff

So did Jeon-ju do it for me as a tourist destination? Yes, it hit the spot, I was pleased I went on a weekend when it was busiest with Korean tourists. It is true it is very touristy and yes it had almost a false, made up feel, but I liked it. After all I am a tourist. One thing it was I must say was very expensive. everything was double or triple the prices elsewhere in South Korea.

Entrance to the village

Ladies in traditional dress

The traditional style roofs of the Hanok Village

So it came time for me to move on. I had 8 nights left of my trip, having a few options of places to visit next it was on the bus to the train station I decided to go all the way north to Seoul and spend the rest of my time in the capital.

Jeon-ju Train Station

The fast train to Seoul