Tours of SHI and DSME

     Today was an early start for us. We were up and out of the rooms by 730 this morning. We had to make a 2 hour trip further south to get to Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) so we could tour their shipyards. Both of the yards are on an island called Geo je. So we had to take a series of bridges and a tunnel to get over there. The bridge and tunnel system is a very impressive feat of engineering. We got to stop at a little rest area before which was also had an exhibit of the construction and the fundamental design features of the bridge.

A replica of one section of the bridge/ tunnel structure.

     The bus driver got a little lost on our way to SHI so we showed up about 20 minutes late to our tour. It started out in a large exhibition hall that highlighted the shipyard and all of the products SHI produces. It also contained a bridge simulator (not a bridge you drive on, but one you drive the ship from). It was so cool! I got to drive a little boat, around New York Harbor. It was such a realistic simulator that Sam was stumbling all over the room as the image on the screen rocked with the waves, and my turns. Then we got an abbreviated bus tour of the actual yard before we headed to lunch.

     Lunch. Lunch was..... smelly, weird, gross, unappetizing.... any number of negative descriptors could be used to describe lunch. Or maybe just a picture will suffice...

"What do you think of lunch?"

     After lunch we walked around a large exhibit of a US Army POW Camp. In during the Korean War, the island of Geo je was used to house POWs. It was a cool place and well put together, although it was quite humbling.

     Next on the schedule was DSME. It was a 10 minute bus trip from the POW camp. We got off the bus, saw a PR video, and then jumped on to another bus for yet another bus tour of a shipyard. We were on time for this one, so we got the full 30 minute tour of the yard. Which was pretty cool, and we were able to stop for a photo at the top of a hill.

A shot of the DSME yard.

    Tomorrow we are staying local, a trip to a museum, and then the beach I think. Be praying for good weather for us!

- Jake