Day 59, 60

Three letters to begin this post: DMZ!!!


Yup, with Alex and Marine, we visited the Demilitarized Zone. The only word I can use to describe that area would be: Surreal. I woke up at 5:30 AM since our tour to the DMZ began at 7:30 so I'm tired as I write this. But it was completely worth it. Even before we were at the DMZ, there were many look out houses. I know they were look out houses since there was barbed wire fencing everywhere, and armed ROK soldiers walking on patrol. First off was the Joint Security Area or JSA, the place with the blue houses and where North and South Korea are separated by a stone slab. Went in there with our US Army guide and, well, I can say I was in North Korea since half the conference house we were in was in North Korea. Also took a photo with the ROK guards there. No smile whatsoever, just standing in a Taekwondo position ready against a North Korean attack. Oh and the North Korean soldier(s) on the other side were taking photographs or just looking through their binoculars at us. It was interesting and at times tense, since we were told that we should not make any gestures or comments towards the North Koreans. If just one of us inadvertently made  a gesture and the North Koreans saw through their binoculars, well you'd be reading about an international incidence on the news... After that we went to an observatory and viewed the North Korea Propaganda village, the place where one of the tallest flag poles in the world stands. Then, we went to the Bridge of No Return, where POWs would be returned to North or South Korea.

Here's a link to the places I saw today, for those that don't know: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Security_Area


The tour after that was ok, but wasn't as exciting as the JSA part. The Third Infiltration tunnel was a good workout, located about 73 m below ground and almost 1700 m long. I say workout because the tunnel was only 2 m high, and the entrance was inclined at 11 degrees for about 400 m, huffing and puffing back up. Then after that, we had lunch in a building near a border crossing with North Korea, and after that our last stop was Dorasan Station, a train station built during the Sunshine Policy years. It's the first train station before North Korea, and symbolizes hope one day that trains will run from Seoul to Pyongyang. 


Well that's what I did for today. This is one of the things that I will never forget, because it was very surreal and at times eerie to be standing in the Demilitarized Zone, and thinking that North and South Korea are just a concrete slab apart.








Places visited in Korea: Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, Jeju Island (Hallasan, IIchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo), N Seoul tower, Hongdae (Trick Eye museum), Yongin (Korea folk village), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Demilitarized Zone [DMZ] (Panmunjeom/JSA, Dora observatory, Third infiltration tunnel, Dorasan station)