February 19th, 2017 - Incheon, South Korea

Today was an extra day in this part of South Korea, so Miae arranged a visit
to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) for us. The drive from Incheon took about an
hour and the weather was pretty gray and damp along the way, but we were
toasty warm in her van.

We visited the 3rd Tunnel, one of four known tunnels running beneath the
DMZ, and built by the North Koreans. "This 1,635 meter long tunnel is only
52 kilometers away from Seoul, and can transport as many as 30,000 heavily
armed troops per hour." After our trip into the 2 X 2 meter tunnel we went
to Imjingak, where the Korean War broke out on 6-26-1950. Here one can see,
in the distance, the Freedom Bridge - more than twelve thousands prisoners
walked to their freedom across this bridge.

We then made a stop at Dorasan Station, where I obtained a train ticket to
Dorasan - only problem is, the train stops here for now since Dorasan is the
capital city of North Korea. Standing on the station platform, one could
hear the loud speakers broadcasting their propaganda messages to the people
of North Korea - very eerie.

Took a break on the way back to the ship in Le Provence, a little
French-themed shopping area, and enjoyed some magnificent pastries.

Said a goodbye to Miae, until next time, and made one last visit into the
local markets before heading back to the ship.

February 18th, 2017 - Incheon, South Korea

After the South Korean Immigration department had finished their coffee and
pastries (provided by the ship), they finally started processing passengers
off the ship - only an hour late.

We were met outside by Miae Hyun, Top Korea Tour, topkoreatour@gmail.com as
we got off the ship. If you ever visit South Korea, I highly recommend this
lovely, sweet lady as a guide. I met her when I visited in 2014 and knew
that we had to connect with her again.

Left Incheon and headed into Seoul and the Gyeongbokgung Palace. Miae had it
timed so we would get to see the changing of the guard upon our arrival.
This palace was built in 1394 as the main palace of the Joseon Dynasty. This
is the largest and grandest of the five palaces from that period.

Situated behind the palace is the "Blue House" - the South Korean
president's residence.

A short distance from the palace is Buckchon Hanok Village, Seoul's largest
concentration of traditional Korean homes.

Next we headed to Insa-dong Antique Street, a traditional Korean street that
has been turned into a touristy shopping area. Got to enjoy a Korean lunch,
eaten as the Koreans would - family style - all good.

After having a chance to spend some money and work off our lunch we went to
the Changedeokgung Royal Palace, one of the favorites of the Joseon Dynasty
kings with gardens, pavilions, ponds and meandering trails along the
streams. It was constructed in 1405 as a secondary palace.

Next we wound out way through the city over to Gwangjang Market and then to
Namdeamum Market. It was Saturday, so these local markets were exceptionally
busy. Got to see a woman making Kimchi, pickled cabbage and vegetables, a
Korean favorite eaten at most meals. To get there we had to make several
detours to avoid street closures. Every Saturday, the people here get out
and demonstrate for a "current cause". Right now they are calling for the
resignation of their current president due to her corruption. Up to a
million were expected today and it all seemed peaceful. I asked our guide if
these protests were successful, and she said yes, they will continue this
round of protests every Saturday until the president resigns, then it will b
eon to a new cause.

Left the markets and drove up the city's guardian mountain, Namsen, to the N
Seoul Tower to watch the day end and take in the night views of the city.

Made a stop along the way back to the ship at the Norangjin Fishery market,
one of the largest and busiest fish markets in the world, it waqs night, so
it was fairly quiet.

Arrived back to the ship and looked forward to a "warm cabin" and good
night's sleep to rest up for the next day. Our visit to Jeju was cancelled
due to weather and docking conditions, so we get another day to explore the
Incheon/Seoul area.