Back to Singapore

Seoul - The Limo bus to the airport departs from the bus stop just outside Shinsege departmental store and leaves at 6:40am and I arrived at 8am - just 1 hr before departure.  A good timimg...

Seodaemun Prison History Hall

Seoul - As I had time on my hand - one of my customer and YJ decided to bring me to 2 interesting places that is a must for travellers to Seoul.  Surprise after 80+ trips, I have not been to neither of them.

Seodaeman Prison is a grim reminder of a time of sadness and sacrifices of which the modern Koreans benefit today.  It was also a reflection of how the extend of cruelty to another human being and we should never cross this path in the future again.   This prison was built during the Japanese occupation of Korea and it stood for 80 years as a living monument of grief for all Koreans.

A volunteer guide of elderly age took us around the Prison but she can only speak Korea which was translated for me via YJ.   Her patience was commendable in spite of the rain which we had to 'cuddle' at times under a small umbrella.

There were school children all around as it was an educational tour for them.  I think in Singapore we should bring our children to places to show how many people in Singapore sacrificed their lives during World War II and also the 3 years of Japanese occupation.    There are places that depict the scenes but unfortunately are not part of school's educational curriculum.  They go to  nice places like zoo, bird park, Malay village, Snow city, new water , etc but never to places that remind us who we were and the people that sacrificed for us.  Hopefully, someday it will change.

Huge rice cooker for inmates

This prison room are meant for 30 inmates

The small door to push food to the inmates

Rice scoop for inmates - the wood

 will be place in the rice scoop if the

inmates are being punished

At the end of the tour, this kind Korean lady gave me a booklet in English - there is a cost but it's free for me.

A Wet Spring

Seoul - Arrived at Incheon Airport - the weather is wet and cold 10 degrees Celsius.   I decided to stay at  Courtyard Seoul Times Square @ Yeongdeungpo.    The journey took about 2hrs and went the limo bus was nearing Times Square - I was comtemplating whether to stop at Shinsege Stop or final bus stop (which I thought would be nearer to the Hotel entrance).  I was wrong and had to back track to Shinsege Stop and continue walking to the Hotel entrance - quite a distance as I had to lugged my hard case luggage across the traffic light.   The Hotel is situated on the 5th floor.

Finally got into the room - set the temperature to 21 degrees for me to be nice and warm.  

12 noon - YJ came and we took a taxi to see one of our customer. 

Arrive in Jakarta

Jakarta - It was traffic jam majority of the way to my Hotel.   Ambhara Hotel - South of Jakarta - rated 4 star hotel and the room that was given to me is very old.   The hotel room floor is solid surface (like marble) and no carpet so had to wear the slippers that they gave me.  The bathroom is dirty and some parts of the bath tub is cracked.  The bath towel has the hotel emblem on it and looks rather old and being used over and over again.  

Tried to take a bath and the shower cable was bend and water came out of the shower head - as a result I had to use one hand to make the shower cable straight and the other hand to hold the shower head to bath.   Rp 998,000 per night (about US$ 100) with breakfast. 

This hotel was chosen because it's a 5 minutes walking distance to my customer office.