DMZ

Dorasan Station

Me posing with a reluctant soldierFreedom bell, bridge and wall

Yesterday, I took a tour of the DMZ. It's about an hour ride from Seoul, I got picked up about 8:30 am, not a problem since I've been waking up around 4 am. It was a small bus and there was a Japanese family, a family from Indonesia, two guys who are working in Shanghai but are originally from Mexico, a guy from France in Seoul on business, a guy from Australia here on a long weekend from Hong Kong where he is working. So it was quite an eclectic mix!

We had to take our passports for the security checks. Our names and passport numbers and nationality had to be filled out on a paper and presented at the check points. There were lots of rules...you can take pictures here, but not there, you can go into the tunnel, but no pictures. You can ride on the bus, but no pictures. You can take pictures before the yellow line, but not after. Pretty crazy.

We stopped at an observatory where there is a rooftop area where you can see the military fences with the razor wire on top. You can see the lookout points where armed guards are still stationed. At that observatory, there are several memorials, and the most interesting, in my opinion, the Freedom Bell. At the end of the Korean war, representatives from the countries who fought brought their weapons to this place where they were melted down into a bell. It's symbolism was moving. There is also a Freedom Wall, where pieces of rock from 85 different battlefields were brought together to build a wall. I'm so grateful for the freedom that we enjoy in America.

Part of the tour we were taken to a train station that is no longer operational. For a short time it was the train station from North Korea to South Korea. Relations have soured so the train no longer runs and this huge station essentially sits empty and is used only for tourists. I did get a passport stamp from North Korea (not on my passport), but on a train ticket.

Our guide explained about the war and how it came to establishing the DMZ (demilitarized zone). As I'm not a good historian, you'll have to read about it, but it is so strange to see the remnants of battle, up close and personal.

Another stop on our tour was at the Third Tunnel. Apparently the military leader of North Korea, still trying to invade South Korea, heard about the tunnels that were dug in Vietnam, and decided he could do that too. We were told that South Korean prisoners of war were used to dig the tunnels through the granite. In total, four tunnels were found, and they believe that more were probably started, but only four have been found. We were able to walk to the bottom of the tunnel where there are heavy metal barriers installed now. There is a lot of water in the tunnel...they have tried to divert it so you don't get totally wet, and there are rubberized walkways so you don't slip. Everyone has to wear a hard hat to go into the tunnel. We were joking about having to wear it, until we were in the tunnel, and you have to walk bent over. Several of us hit our helmets on things at least once. So, they weren't just to add to the dramatic effect. The tunnel went down 356'...which was a brisk walk. There are areas highlighted to show where the dynamite was put into the granite to blast it out. It was hard to imagine having to dig the tunnel out...it was so long. In an effort to disguise what they were doing, the North Koreans put coal dust on the walls, to make an excuse for digging the tunnel if they were found out.

At that same stop there was a video presentation. Of note was the fact that the DMZ has become a nature habitat of sorts. It's basically untouched now, because no one can go into this area, so wildlife has come back in abundance. The only thing about that is that this area is full of land mines still. We were warned not to step off the paved walkways. There were danger warnings around the entire perimeter. I guess some of the wildlife will be killed if landmines are set off, but the birds and little critters are probably fine.

A small amusement park was built at the observatory where we stopped. We all thought that was strange, in this area where the military is so apparent, to have an amusement park. The guide explained that people from the North and South are allowed to use the park, so they can come there to visit each other. The parking lot was full!

Also rolled into our DMZ tour was a stop at the amethyst factory. No one was sure why or how that got into the mix. It was the largest manufacturer of amethysts int he country. The stones were beautiful and much darker than the amethysts I'm used to seeing. They explained it's because of the mineral content of the soil that the stones get so dark...almost black in some cases. Very pretty. No, I didn't get any.

I was dropped off at Itaewon, so I could take the subway back home. Itaewon is the center of Seoul and where the US Army bases are. As I walked down the street, lined with vendors and filled with shopped, it was easy to see the Americans. It's funny, I could see them, but they couldn't see me. It's a funny feeling. I'm not sure if this is where my dad was stationed back in the 60s, and I couldn't really see any of the base...just the rooftops of the buildings. There were tall walls around the base, which is basically in the middle of a busy city. Strange location, to be sure.

(note:  this post somehow didn't get posted.  it was from Sunday, April 4)