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Published: March 25th 2011
Fishing Boats at Sunset
Korean Boats in the Yellow SeaIncheon, Korea has a most unique entry. Outside of the Panama Canal it has the only sea locks we pass through around the world. Because there is such an extreme tide and strong currents in this part of Korea, it was necessary to build the floodgates to protect the ships in the inner harbor. At 30 feet, Incheon has the second greatest tidal fluctuation in the world just behind the Bay of Fundy in Canada. One notable difference between Korea and Panama is about 60 degrees of warmth. Brrrrrrrrrr!
It seems that we have been following in General MacArthur's footsteps most of this trip. The "American Caesar” was in Darwin, Australia, Manila and Corregidor during WWII. Incheon is where he launched an amphibious attack during the Korean War to recapture this strategic port and retake Seoul in one of the seminal battles of that war. The biggest challenge to MacArthur's invasion plan was dealing with the tidal situation. It was also from Korea that MacArthur was relieved of his command and ordered to return to the US by President Truman ending a brilliant and turbulent military career. He is greatly revered in Korea and there is a large statue in
his honor overlooking this port city.
We decided to spend the day in Seoul--- one of the largest cities in the world. Some of the passengers went to the DMZ which would have been interesting, but since we had never been to Seoul we opted for that. It is an hour’s ride from Incheon to Seoul depending on traffic. We lucked out with the traffic and the weather, as it turned out to be a clear winter day. Our first stop was at the Gyeongbokgung Place, perhaps the biggest and most magnificent royal palace in Korea. Our guide told us many stories of the concubines and eunuchs and all the intrigue of palace life. Modern life at Windsor Palace pales in comparison. We visited the Korean Folk Museum and learned about the history of kimchee, the pickled cabbage condiment, and its 187 varieties. We had a traditional lunch at Youngsusan Restaurant. The concept of Yin and Yang is ever present in Eastern society. Even the Korean flag has this symbol of balance between earth and heaven, water and fire. This carries over to their food where sweet and sour and hot and cold must be in harmony in every
meal. After lunch we went to Insa-dong Antique Street for a stroll in the local markets.
In spite of the ongoing tensions between North and South Korea it seems that everyday life continues. South Korea even sells excess rice to its sworn enemy to the North. “We are feeding their army,” our guide said. Just two days prior to our arrival much of the country came to a standstill while they had an emergency drill where all traffic halted and everyone had to go to air raid shelters. Ms Park also mentioned that Korea has changed dramatically in just one generation. Younger people are much more westernized than their elders. They sleep on raised beds rather than futons and they no longer squat. Squatting is a normal position assumed by most people throughout Asia. One nice change is that most toilets are now western style much to the relief of foreigners. We were surprised at how few people speak English. Due to American television and the internet, English is quickly becoming the predominate language throughout the world and we read that English is a required second language in Korean schools. Perhaps they are just shy about using another language.
Hank & Sandra
Jacksonville, FL and Toronto The crowning glory of the huge metropolis is the Cheongyecheon Stream which is a revitalized waterway flowing through the heart of the city. This once cemented over stream represents the rebirth of Seoul. In spite of the constant threat from the North, South Korea is a vibrant, modern country establishing its place in the world economic order.
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