Do you know which country celebrates the longest Christmas? Well, it happens to be on the country where I came from and consider home, the Philippines. As early as September, people are already preparing and Christmas songs can be heard playing in most houses and establishments. By the time December arrives, houses are already decorated with beautiful, colorful and brightly lighted Christmas trees, Belens and Parols. Cheerful and wonderful voices of kids (even if they they are out of tunes or inventing the lyrics of songs.. hahaha! guilty of this) singing Christmas carols can be heard from every side of the streets. Vendors selling puto bumbong and bibingka (both are steamed rice cake) can be found everywhere. Filipinos are busy with Christmas parties, family reunions, exchange gifts, charity works and the list goes on. Catholics attend to their traditional 9 days of simbang gabi (night mass) in preparation for the birth of Jesus. On the eve of Christmas, the festive Noche Buena is being served after attending the midnight mass. And then on the most awaited day, Christmas, everyone are just so jolly and merry, sharing and giving their beautiful smiles and warm love. Children are visiting their ninongs and ninangs (godparents) asking for gifts and aguinaldos (money inside a red envelope). The aura and spirit of Christmas can be felt until the 1st week of January which is the Feast of the 3 Kings.
This is the picture of Christmas that I am always looking forward when I was still living in the Philippines. It was in 2012 when I first arrived here in Doha, Qatar to be with my husband and it has been five years since I’ve been celebrating this season away from home. Here in Doha, Christmas is not considered a festive and religious holiday. Well, I understand and respect that because they’ve got their own beliefs and traditions. But despite of that, Christmas can still be celebrated the way you want it. So, here’s a short video of how we celebrated our 5th Christmas away from home.
Ever wonder how North Korea looks like? Are you curious to know how people go on with their daily lives there? How about visiting the border that separates the North from the South Korea?
During our vacation to Seoul last month, we availed a tour service from Panmunjom Travel Center, which basically gave me a partial answer to the questions above. There were various tours to choose from that includes DMZ or Panmunjom / JSA. We initially chose the one with JSA, however there was an ongoing military training that time, thus we were left with the Special DMZ tour.
By the way, DMZ or Demilitarized Zone is a de facto border barrier that divides the Korean Peninsula into North and South, while JSA or Joint Security Area is the only portion of DMZ where North and South Korean forces stand face to face. It is often called as the Truce Village in both media and military accounts (credits to wikipedia).
On the day of our visit, we went straight to the meeting place which was at Koreana Hotel. The tour that we chose started around 9:am, and it took us close to one hour before we reached our first stop.
Odusan Unification Observatory. Our first destination. This site is outside the DMZ, but included in the tour since it gives visitors some insights about the life in North Korea. Unfortunately, it was foggy during our visit, so I was not able to take great pictures of the place.
Upon our arrival, our tour guide first discussed to us the sites around before entering the observatory.
Entrance to the Observatory.An altar that was built as a place of prayer for Koreans who abandoned their homes in the North during the war for refuge in the South and wish to return to their homes. (Got this from the text on the side of the altar)Statue of Cho Man-Sik -He was a National Activist in Korea’s independent movement. (credits to Wikipedia)
Then, we watched a short film which mainly informs us about the village in North Korea that we will about to see once we peeked through the binoculars. This village is a propaganda in order to show people how “lovely” life is in there.
Didn’t got a great shot of the place because of the fog. Across the river is already North Korea.Peeking through the binoculars. I was able to see the propaganda village, and it really looks abandoned.
We went on a short tour inside where various exhibitions are shown depicting the hopes of many for a unified Korea.
These small frames contain the messages of North Korean defectors to the family that they left behind in North Korea, hoping that they will be reunited someday. “Unification Train” – a train bound to Paris that will someday connect Seoul and Pyongyang
Afterwards, another video was shown to us in order to understand further the life of the people in North Korea. This was also the time when we met a North Korean defector (people who fled the North). She did a short slide show presentation and told us how she was able to escape from her country. The Q & A was done afterwards. It was devastating to know that the government controls the lives of the people there, they don’t get to experience the freedom and democracy that we enjoy.
This is a traditional Korean game where you need to shoot the arrow on a wooden bucket. I was not able to shoot any. During our tour, whoever wins the game will receive a DVD of the short film that we watched.
Imjingak Park. The second stop for the tour, and we were given 15 minutes to roam around this place.
This is an observation deck and a museum. There are binoculars available to see North Korea on the other side.Colorful ribbons tied by the locals or visitors bearing their messages and hopes for Korea’s unification.This train was used during the war. It once connected North and South Korea.Freedom Bridge – used by the North Koreans to flee to the South during the war.Korean style pond garden.
After visiting the Imjingak Park, we headed to a Korean restaurant where we had our Bulgogi Lunch (included in the tour price). We were given around 45 minutes to finish, and then we continued with the tour. Before going to our next destination, we switched to a different bus. This is the time that a military official board the bus and checked our passports one by one.
Bulgogi Lunch
Dorasan Station. This is a railway station which once connected North and South Korea. It was recently restored with 2 trips everyday from Seoul to Dorasan, but no trips going to the North at the moment.
Dora Observatory. Located at the top of Mount Dora, this is also a place where you can see North Korea through binoculars.
You need to insert 500 won to use these binoculars for 2 or 5 minutes.
The Third Tunnel. One of the four tunnels found under the DMZ built by the North Koreans, which they believed will be used for invasion. It is considered the most dangerous among the four since it is the closest to Seoul. There were traces of coal on the walls of the tunnel because it was initially disguised as a coal mine.
Cameras and Smartphones are not allowed once inside the tunnel. There are lockers available to store your stuff. People with walking difficulties and those with claustrophobia are not advisable to enter as you need to trek a long steep incline and the place is confined.
Found this outside the Third Tunnel. Koreans pushing together for unity.Since we were not able to go to JSA, I just took a picture of this JSA model on one of the museums we visited.
Then we went for a short stop to a souvenir store, that also sells some authentic North Korean products. I guess it was already 6:00 pm when we arrived in Seoul.
We had a great time during the tour, but as expected, it was fast paced. I found out later on that there were some great places that we missed due to lack of time. Anyway, I still learned a lot. I also commend our tour guide, Gina, as she provided great information about the two countries. She also kept the communication open through out the tour, so we can ask questions anytime. This tour is recommended to those tourists who want to be enlightened and educated on what is really happening to this part of the world.
Like most Koreans, I am also praying and hoping that someday peace will reign and Korea will be united as one.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
You need to join a tour to visit DMZ and JSA premises. I would advise getting the combined DMZ and JSA tour as it will give you a more complete experience.
You can go on your own only to Odusan Unification Observatory and Imjingak Park. I believe there are buses and trains available to reach the place. Visit this website for more information for Odusan and this website for Imjingak Park.
Advance booking for the tour is required as it easily gets fully booked and the slots for each day are usually limited. I suggest booking at least one month before your tour or earlier than that if you can.
Your passport should be with you at all times during your visit. A military official will check it upon your entry and exit from the premises.
Always listen to your tour guide and be always mindful of the restrictions during your visit. I felt safe when I was there, but keep in mind that these two countries are still at war, so anything can happen anytime.
There’s a dress code to follow (see below). They said that North Koreans often take pictures of tourists who visit the DMZ, and they show it to their residents. We need to give them a good impression of what is life outside North Korea based on our neat and presentable appearance.
There are a lot of Travel Centers that offer DMZ and JSA tours, available in different languages. But it is only with Panmunjom Travel Center that you get to meet and ask questions to a North Korean Defector.
Our tour costs 77,000 won (Php 3,465) per person, the one with JSA was around 88,000 won (Php 3,960). The prices depend on the tour that you will choose.
For more information on Panmunjom Travel Center, you may click on this link.
Technically, it is a requirement for every Filipinos to secure a visa whenever they travel to a Schengen region, unless you’re one of those lucky exempted people because you might be using a different passport. But what I am going to discuss here is, if it’s just layover, do we still need to get one?
This scenario happened during our UK tour last August. Since we intended to visit UK only, then we just acquired a UK visa, which is different of course from a Schengen visa. We purchased a reasonably priced ticket from Lufthansa Airlines with this itinerary:
We didn’t have any problem going there. The flight was smooth, our visa was fine and the layover time was sufficient for us to reach the boarding gate, despite the distance. Anyway, we arrived safely in UK and spent 15 wonderful days there.
On our last night, we tried to check-in online as our flight was around 7:25 am the following day. It didn’t work as it keeps on popping that a visa is needed. We initially thought that what they are requiring is our resident visa in Doha, which we provided, however the same message keeps on showing. We tried doing this many times, but nothing happened.
We arrived at the Heathrow Airport around 2:30 am. I was surprised to see that it does not operate as early as that time. In UK, self service check-in is widely used, that is why we tried using that. But still, we see the same message over and over.
When the check-in counters opened, which was around 3:30 already, that was the only time we knew what was happening. They cannot accept us because we need to have a Schengen visa. Why? Because based on our travel itinerary going to Doha, we have 2 layovers. And those two places happened to be in a same country and in a Schengen region, thus a visa is needed, even though we will be staying only at the airport.
One of the guys at the customer service area explained this to us. If you have 2 or more layovers within a Schengen area, regardless of whether it is on the same or different countries, then a Schengen visa is required.They treat it more like a domestic flight, since you only need one visa to move from one country to another.
We were already worried and nervous during that time, and my mind was already calculating how much we might spend to buy or rebook a ticket. I even tried to argue, that we were clueless that there’s such a requirement. Anyway, I don’t know if I got them through my charm (haha) or Lufthansa Airlines got a good heart (indeed, thank you), but they rebook our tickets for free, yes, FREE! Instead of going Munich – Frankfurt – Doha, they rebook it directly to Frankfurt – Doha, so only 1 layover in a Schengen region and lesser waiting time. We were very fortunate because the airline we chose didn’t took advantage of our situation. Anyway, we arrived safely in Doha and ready to get back to our daily normal lives.
I hope you read the whole blog, it’s kinda long, I know but it’s informative. So the next time that you will book your tickets or plan for your trip, make sure that you already got all the necessary visas and requirements, so you will have a worry free travel.
Whenever people talk about Seoul, what usually comes to my mind are the lovely autumn leaves, the yummy Korean dishes and Lee Min Ho (haha). This is the reason why I got really excited when we planned to go there during the early part of November, which happened to be an autumn season.
During this trip, my friends did all the planning and the itinerary (yup, I didn’t contribute anything, #seoulluckytobetheirfriend!! haha). Anyway, I have listed here some of the activities that me and my friends did during our recent trip, which I hope can help you in preparing your own itinerary.
Zip-wire your way to Nami Island. Nami Island is a very popular tourist destination in South Korea. It is widely known for its wonderful scenery and beautiful tree lined paths. There are two options to get to the island, you can catch a ferry (for a 5 minute ride) or you can take a zipline (which is way cooler and fun). To make the most out of your trip, I suggest spending a full day here.
The view that you will miss if you will not take the zipline (haha), and the guys who prepared our seats for our zipline experience.
My zipline photo. I bought this one for 15,000 won (Php675), which includes one printed copy and a soft copy sent to your email.The famous tree lined path.
Ferry – tickets at 10,000 won (Php 450), which includes entrance fee to Nami Island and return ride. Zipline – tickets at 38,000 won (Php 1,710), which includes entrance fee to Nami Island and return ride thru ferry.
See the border at DMZ and JSA tour. Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is an area which separates the North and South Korea. The only way to see this place is by booking a tour, which you need to do and reserve ahead of time. This tour is very popular and limited, so it easily gets fully booked. A visit to this place will let you see North Korea through binoculars, learn and understand the difference of life between the North and the South, and the South’s hope for a unified Korea.
Get a tour from Panmunjom Travel Center for 77,000 won (Php 3,645) per person, this already includes lunch. Kinda pricey, I know, but the tour is worth it. I will be blogging more about our DMZ tour experience on my next post.
Watch the changing of the guards at Gyeongbokgung Palace. This event takes place at the square of the palace near the main gate. The guards are dressed in traditional Korean royal uniform armed with weapons and instruments. Tourists can watch the ceremony every 10:00 am and 2:00 pm everyday, except Tuesday. That’s not all, make the most out of your visit by walking around the palace (entrance fee at 3,000 won or Php 135) or joining the free tours that they offer.
Experience traditional Korea at Bukchon Hanok Village. A stroll on this traditional area will let you appreciate Korea’s culture and architecture, as there are museums, galleries, hanok (korean traditional house) guest houses and places that offers workshop for traditional experiences. But don’t forget that this village is an actual residential area so tourists are expected to respect their privacy and behave properly.
Photo from visitseoul.net
Rent a hanbok and pose for some photographs. Hanbok is a Korean traditional dress. There are certain places in Seoul which offers hanbok experience, with a fee of course and comes with different rules. Some will let you use the clothing within their premises only, while others will allow you to roam outside. Whatever you choose, just make sure that your cameras or smartphones are always ready to catch that experience.
We rented the hanbok for 7,000 won each (Php 315) at one of the centers in Bukchon Hanok Village. Then, we posed for some pictures on their traditional themed premises using our own cameras. What do you think of our photos? haha..
Shop till you drop at Nandaemun Market. There are a lot of cheap items to buy at this market. They have varieties of clothing, hats, shoes, souvenir items, accessories, skin care products and of course food. K pop fans will also have a blast at this market, as there are a lot of memorabilias to choose from.
One of the souvenir shops.
Haggling with the vendor.
Stroll Myeongdong for some make up and skincare finds. Myeongdong is a crowded and busy shopping district in Seoul. This is the place where you can find the same make up and skincare product stores in every streets. So if you’re going to meet somebody, it is not enough to tell them to see you at Nature Republic store for example, as there are a lot of NR store within the area (got it?). Aside from that, you can also find restaurants, shops, tea houses, coffee shops and street food stalls here.
See how busy it is?
Indulge on Korean dishes and street foods. One of the best dishes for me (do you agree?). Starting your meal with their unlimited and free banchan (side dishes), to devouring on the main dishes such as bulgogi, pajeon (Korean pancake), Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), bibimbap, soft tofu stew and more. And finishing your meal with their sweet and yummy desserts. As for the street foods, there are a lot to choose from and the prices range from 5,000 to 15,000 won. The dining experience is just so good, that I’m always excited for meal and snack time.
Bulgogi for lunch. This was the free lunch included on our DMZ tour.
One of the street vendors.
Enjoy the view at Namsan Park. For a breathtaking view of the city, head over to the Namsan Park. You can reach this place by foot or by riding a cable car. The ride is more of functional for me (saves you from climbing) rather than exciting as each car holds more than 20 people, so if you get stuck in the middle, you wont see any view (like what happened to us). As an advice, it is best to ride the cable car going up, then you just have to go down by foot, in order to enjoy the sceneries around. You may also opt to visit the N Seoul Tower Observatory for a fee (10,000 won = Php 450). Before I forget, this is also the place where you can put love padlocks.
Cable car going up. Tickets at 6,000 won (Php 270) for one way and 8,500 won (Php 383) for round trip ticket.We didn’t go up the observatory tower, but this view that we saw from the Namsan park is already stunning.
Take home some Korean goodies from Lotte Mart. Korean goodies are simply yummy and irresistible. That is why a visit to Seoul won’t be complete without buying and taking home some of it. For more advice on what you can buy at Lotte Mart, you can visit my previous post here.
So, there you have it, hope you will have a blast on your trip and create exciting memories, like the way me and friends had during our vacation.
Notes:
During our trip, the exchange rate was Php 1 = .045 won.
For more information (opening times, nearest station) on the places I’ve mentioned here, you can visit this site.
When I first learned from my friend that we will spend our last day in Seoul at Lotte Mart, I got so excited (due to the fact that Korean goodies are just so yummy and irresistible) and worried (because I have limited luggage allowance, yay!). Continue reading “What to buy at Korea’s Lotte Mart?”→
When we were preparing our 16 day UK trip itinerary last time, we had an ambitious intention of visiting all the 4 countries, just to say that we went all around UK. Unfortunately, we were on a tight schedule and budget (yes, transportation is very expensive), that is why we did not make it to Wales. Anyway, we scheduled our first weekend to visit the capital and largest city in Northern Ireland, Belfast City. During our first day, we took a Game of Thrones tour which I already shared with you last month on this post. Then, the following day was spent within the city. Continue reading “Our Last Day in Belfast City”→
Last month, I posted a blog on the activities that tourists can do in Barcelona, and spend a day at Montserrat was one of those I mentioned. Montserrat is a rocky mountain where you can find a Benedictine Monastery named Santa Maria de Montserrat. There are different reasons why a lot of people visit this place. Some goes here to see the statue of the Black Madonna, some wants to watch the performance of the Montserrat boys choir as they sang Gregorian chants, some goes for a hike to the peak of the mountain while others just want to roam or see the view of Barcelona. But whatever your reason is, you will surely enjoy the time that you will spend here. Continue reading “Spend a Day at Montserrat, Spain”→
Maria Ingrid 