The 38th Parallel and the DMZ

train station in South Korea to take you the the DMZ

Ok, so going to the DMZ (demilitarized zone) between North Korea and South Korea was definitely an adrenaline rush! There are many tours in Seoul that offer this trip, but we decided to pick the one that was run by the US Army’s USO. Not only for safety reasons, but also it is one of the only tours that allows you to actually go into the DMZ and the JSA (joint security area).

The beginning of the tour is actually quite tame. You get outside of Seoul and start to see ROK (Republic of Korea) soldiers and barbed wire along the river/highway, but other than that it is more informative information on the Korean War. In actuality, Korea is always on alert and in “war time” since the separation of the country. The people and government will never be out of “war time” until the reunification of the country. South Korea takes many steps to try to incorporate North Korea economically and in business. However, I personally think that the attempts are in vain. The North is brainwashed so much to hate the South, something major needs to happen in order for the reunification. Unfortunately, I doubt it would be peaceful, but there is always wishful thinking.

After a few hours of museums, looking at tunnels the north built into the south, and going to an observatory, it was time to head to Camp Bonifas. Camp Bonifas is where the US and ROK soldiers work together to protect the boundary and the DMZ. There are also other UN Nations here sometimes as well. The JSA (joint security area) is also located here. It is where the north and south meet. Also, both countries have meetings here, together if necessary. We were allowed to go into the building where these meetings take place. There is a microphone in here and everything is recorded by the north and the south 24 hours a day/7 days a week.

our feet inside of North Korea in the JSA

in the JSA

After our briefing and signing our life away, we were escorted outside in a two line formation to go see the JSA. Well, the North Korean military were using the room. This was not expected, so we were asked to stand still, not move or talk, and do not walk any further. We got to see the North Koreans leave and go back their side of the DMZ base….. to see the US Army soldiers and ROK soldiers concern made us a little bit on edge. However, nothing happened and we were allowed to go into the JSA where the meetings are held. As this room is over the border, we were allowed to walk to the North Korean side. Which means, I temporarily have been inside of North Korea! When we left we saw the soldiers up high on their post looking at us. We weren’t allowed to point towards them or anything like that as we were being “observed”. The joint governments didn’t want to give them any reason to make negative propaganda towards the western tourists.

the hills are cut clean to ensure no one tries to escape to the South.

After our escorted tour was over, we were told that there are always a few North Korean soldiers that are always there as both sides are on alert all the time. However, they’ve never had that many there at once; especially in the middle of a tour. They said we were quite lucky to have a view of so many North Korean soldiers. So, I would say that the one hour at Camp Bonifas and within the DMZ made the entire day trip worth it. I was glad to get back to Seoul as I was a little creeped out and definitely had my adrenaline running when I saw the North Korean soldiers!!! One of the weirdest day trips I’ve done, but also one of the most interesting and intense !

North Korean Flag inside of Propaganda City

Seoul, South Korea

 I am absolutely loving Korea! It is clean, orderly, modern, has a ton of history, modern art on the streets, and is just great. One of my favorite days happened to be a day I wandered around on my own. Unfortunately, my husband was sick and stayed in bed. Well, I wanted to go exploring so I went to the old Hamok Village where the homes are still original architecture of Seoul. I got lost in the village and saw paper signs that said, “private observatory”. I figured, why not?

So I followed them and got to a home. The door was open so I went in. I climbed the steps and the door on each floor was locked. Then, I got to the top and a little old lady was there in her kitchen/patio asking me if I wanted to take photos for 3000 won (about $3 USD). Well, the view was amazing so I gave her some money and started exploring the view from her 3^rd floor patio.

She had me sit outside and brought me some jasmine green tea, and it was just a great experience. Sipping tea, with a stranger, overlooking the old Seoul with the new modern metropolis behind it. Truly an awesome experience. I was sad my husband wasn’t there to enjoy it, but it was nice to have gone out on my own and sip tea with a stranger. Two women, from different countries, different languages, enjoying the same view. It was great.

the lovely lady who made me tea in her observatory

There is a lot to see in Seoul: Olympic Park from the 1988 Olympics, Comic Book Hill, North Seoul Tower with the love lock bridge, many historic palaces, outdoor art, and tons of shopping. Food here is great, transportation is great, and coffee is great! One thing I found quite interesting (and fantastic as a coffee lover) is that coffee shops were everywhere. More so than in the States. Whether it be a local café, Korean chain, a Starbucks, or coffee from a vending machine, it was everywhere. People seemed to work hard here and were always in business attire, in a hurry, with coffee in their hand. I was fortunate enough to not be working so I got to enjoy many a cup of coffee in different settings around the city.

I loved Seoul, the people were great and the city was great. However, if you’re not really a city person and like a bit more adventure, there still may be something to excite you. The DMZ tour by the US Army’s USO. Now that was exciting! It also deserves its own post, so info coming soon! All in all, Seoul was amazing. It was even more amazing to get back to modernity. Not that I have not absolutely loved my backpacking experience, but sometimes you just want some western, modern, comforts. Probably another reason why I loved Korea even more. After backpacking and roughing it in some other places, it was nice to be in a big city and a very modern city at that.  

Hong Kong, 4 - 9 May 2014

So Hong Kong was pretty amazing. It is a huge metropolis with a very interesting history. It is a perfect collision of China meets England. It wasn't until 1997 when the English finally gave Hong Kong back to China; so it has a strong English feel to it. Now, HK is under the “two systems, one country” policy and is supposed to be that way for 50 years post the hand over. My recommendation, go to HK before the 50 years is up as no one knows what China has planned for the city-country-state and what it will turn into after its sovereignty comes into question. Many local Hong Kongians already do not like the mainland Chinese, let alone having to deal with the rules of Beijing. It is a very interesting time to go to HK (while you can!) to see the capitalist, socialist, metropolis blend that it is. 

It is a brilliant city with great food, shopping, history, outdoor activities, and really is just awesome. You need to see it to believe it. The highlight for me was the transportation system as one minute you’re in computer geek heaven looking at weird tablets for super cheap, the next you’re in Old Kowloon with the markets & museums, and then just a quick ferry ride you’re back in fancy Central. You really can be transported anywhere within minutes inside of HK. Seriously, I cannot say anything bad about Hong Kong.... probably other than the crazy thunderstorms we had while we were there. Other than that, you got to get to Hong Kong !  

Interesting, Beautiful, Peaceful.... Laos

overlooking Luang Prabang

the pools at Kuang Si Falls

 Laos, Laos, Laos, we've had our ups and we've had our downs. Unfortunately, almost the entire 10 days I've spent here I have been ill one way or the other. Whether it was a stomach bug, bad reactions to the malaria tablets, or a fever, I still absolutely loved it here. The reason is because less tourists come to Laos. I do not know if it is the fact that Laos is one of the poorest countries in the world, or as it’s a strict Buddhist country and it’s not appropriate to party here, but there were just less tourists here; that was great.

monastery in Luang Prabang

We started in Luang Prabang and traveled by bus from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng, then finally to the capital of Vientiane. My favorite town was definitely Luang Prabang, but I had the most fun in Vientiane. We made friends on the bust to Vang Vieng and ended up travelling with them all the way to Vientiane. We all explored Vientiane together and it made the experience that much better and the city seem fun.

Vientiane

Vientiane

 Vientiane as a whole (in my opinion) is actually quite a dull city. However, there are great places to eat at. One example is the restaurant of MakPhet. It also is a great cause as the funds help to take kids off the streets and train them as chefs. Also, due to the high French influences here, Luang Prabang and Vientiane had amazing cafés, croissants, and baguettes. The one must see would be to head to the Buddha Park. It is a small park filled with Hindu and Buddhist sculptures, but just plopped every which way. It is so strange, but interesting!

Buddha Park

My favorite city was Luang Prabang. It is set between two rivers on a peninsula and is actually a small town. It is filled with temples (Wats), Buddhist Monks, cafes, and amazing restaurants. It is so cute and a great place to just relax and eat. About 30 kilometers out of town, there are some amazing waterfalls. The water is so blue, it is truly amazing. It is called the Kuang Si Waterfall and not only does it have a huge waterfall and amazing blue pools, there is also a moon bear sanctuary. The rescued bears live quite a luxurious life in the spacious area as they no longer can be set back into the wild. Overall, Luang Prabang is a gorgeous place and a must see in Laos. It is so relaxing, peaceful, and simply beautiful.

Luang Prabang

Kuang Si Falls

The bus ride from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng is also an experience in itself! Windy mountainous roads through gorgeous green mountain ranges. It is hard to enjoy the beauty while constantly thinking you’re going to fall off the side of the road due to the small road vs. big bus comparison! Once you get to Vang Vieng, it is kind of a letdown. The landscape around Vang Vieng is phenomenal, probably some of the best I’ve seen whilst travelling. Just imagine breath taking backdrops of limestone mountains, green fields, and streams connecting the rivers. However, the town in itself is quite boring and frustrating.

Vang Vieng

Here is the only place young backpackers go and the only place that seemed touristy. The food here is awful. Young travelers 18 to early 20s come here to enjoy the tubing along the river and drinking in the river, but their sheer disrespect of the culture is an outrage. There are signs everywhere in Luang Prabang reminding people to cover their bodies. It’s like HELLO!!! You’re in a very strict Buddhist country with monks on every corner, so why the hell would you think it appropriate to get drunk and walk around half naked? COMPLETELY disrespectful. It made me sad that the people had to put up with young ignorant backpackers. It seemed that hardly any of these types come to Laos, but if they did they were are residing in Vang Vieng; such a shame. The landscape here was gorgeous, but the actual town was nothing to write home about I am afraid.

Ali & I on our bike ride in Vang Vieng

Laos is a beautiful country filled with amazing nature, landscape, historic towns and Wats. However, I found it quite interesting as the people just seemed so blasé. Everywhere else I've been in Asia, people definitely wanted my money and bartering is quite common. However, it was a struggle to find anyone to barter with! It was like, don’t you want my money? Or my business?

Vang Vieng

You would walk into a shop and no one would be there. Or you would want to buy something at a market and they would just look at you. Even walking on the street you would smile at a stranger and just get stared at. I read before coming here that the Lao people are very easy going, but this was just shocking. I mean, it was great because there was no heckling on the streets from vendors, but really different to the other countries! The customer service was fine, but a simple smile and a please and a thank you would go a long way. That didn't even happened.

the temples/Buddhas of Luang Prabang

I didn’t come across as many tourists as normal on the “SE Asia backpacker route”, but it did make me think if the little ones who do come are leaving a bad example to the locals. Not sure if it’s because now too many young, stupid, backpackers are ruining the reputation for all the other “foreigners” to them, but I did not get a laid back feeling. I just got a sense that no one wanted to help us out. I am not complaining, just notating the indifference as everywhere else we seemed to go there was so much (probably fake) friendliness we didn't get here. Although, I have to admit I did like the fact that I did not get hassled on the street, it made the country that more peaceful !

Jayda and I at Kuang Si Falls

Don’t let this deter you from coming though, we felt incredibly safe, had a ton of fun, and the country is so beautiful, relaxing, and peaceful. One of the best parts of our trip was that we made friends and got to experience the country together. Comparing notes of our travels, what we thought, and making conversation with strangers who become your friends is all part of the experience. Laos is absolutely beautiful and I was sad to go. 

my new friends and I at the Buddha Park !

Hanoi and Ha Long Bay 19 April – 23 April 2014

what we woke up to every morning on Ha Long Bay

At first glance Hanoi wasn't very impressive. It was raining and misty and didn’t seem to have the glitz and glamour of HCMC. However, in the end it was quite an interesting city. If you paid attention to the big poster boards it had the inklings of a very “communist comrade” feel to the city. There were billboards that looked like old communist propaganda artwork, but the date on it would be 2014. I found it quite interesting as we were all having so much fun we definitely forgot about Vietnam's history and that it was a communist country.  I guess that was a good thing as we learned a lot in the South, and now we were just enjoying the current Vietnam. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum reminded us of the past, but it was an extremely impressive piece of architecture.

all of us enjoying Hanoi  =)

at the Mausoleum

We stayed in the Old Quarter which was fun as it was easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the city. Yet, you open a door to a restaurant and are completely transported from the dirty streets to an elegant dinner setting. Hanoi also had lots of traffic with motorbikes like its competitor of the South. Only having 2 days here (in my opinion) was enough as the best parts of Vietnam are out of the cities.

along the Lake in Hanoi

The best part about our time in Northern Vietnam was the trip to Ha Long Bay. The drive to Ha Long Bay was so beautiful. Mist and clouds floated above rice fields and farmers were working in them. It was very picturesque. Then, once you get to the bay to board the boat it became even more beautiful. We literally were sailing through an UNESCO World Heritage site composed of 1600 different islands.

We did a 3 day and 2 night boat trip through the bay. Our time here consisted of kayaking through caverns, jumping off the boat and swimming, hiking through a large cave overlooking the bay, and also climbing to the top of one of the islands to a view point. We also went to a floating water village and a floating pearl farm.

kayaking in the caves !

enjoying the sunset on Ha Long Bay

It was amazing. In the morning you wake up and look out the window to mist hovering over the water and through the islands. In the evening we would sit on the top deck enjoying cocktails and watching the sunset with great friends. I don’t think it could get much better than that.

the last night on the boat.. all of the fun ones enjoying our last happy hour !

Sadly, my time in Vietnam ended with Hanoi and Ha Long Bay. It was sad to say goodbye to our friends. Especially as Joe and his girlfriend live in a different country from Jayda and I, we don’t know when we will see them again. Fortunately, we can’t be too sad as we spent the past 2 weeks travelling through Vietnam with them adding to our already amazing memories.

only THE GIRLS, were brave enough to jump off the top (just saying)... in Ha Long Bay

Vietnam truly is a beautiful place and nothing I write will be able to express how awesome Vietnam is. We felt quite lucky being able to enjoy some of the best sites and food in South East Asia with great friends. Not very many people can say that. Jayda and I are incredibly grateful to have such close friends to travel with. Vietnam was spectacular and I can't wait to see what country I will see my friends in again next !