June 18, 2009
Gangneung - Part 2
A few more snapshots from Gangneung...
This is the touristy Seaside Train that runs along the coast for about 1 hour 20 minutes from Gangneung to Samcheok. The day that I took it was a lovely one so it was a scenic ride down the coast. Sometimes soldiers and students wave at you from along the road as the train chugs along the tracks. :)
The middle carriage with all the hearts is supposed to be the carriage for couples. Apparently men like to propose there. That's what I read on some website anyway.
Do you believe me now?
The seats are refitted so that they are face the side and the windows are made bigger so that people have an unobstructed view of the sea. How smart! There is a running commentary by a train staff but obviously I couldn't understand a single word.
The train journey is made interesting by making passengers wave at the cameras (and then you see yourself on the monitor perched in front) and there's also Bingo! Passengers are each given a Bingo card and numbers appear on the monitor. About 30 numbers are thrown up and there is a high chance of Bingo-ing. But I wasn't so lucky. A Korean lady in her 50s sitting three seats (the one on the right in the picture) from me Bingo-ed and her prize was a bag of snacks which she very generously shared with her two friends and me!
Jeongdongjin station where a hotel in the shape of a cruise ship sits atop a hill.
Barb wire fencing stretches along the coast to prevent North Korea defectors from entering South Korea. Gangneung is in the northeast of the Korean peninsula and is close to North Korea.
Rooftops of one of villages along the coast
Pine trees along the coast - Gangneung is an area in South Korea known for its pine trees that are unique to the region.