Day 2 in Seoul starts off the same as day 1, with pastries and caffeine. We’re picked up a few minutes later along with German couple, also staying out our hotel. We drive in the van to a spot where we meet a large coach bus. The bus fills and we start the drive north to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone). It’s the heavily guarded area between North and South Korea. It’s approximately 55 kilometers from Seoul. Most of the route is along a river lined with high barbed wire fences and elevated guard buildings. The guide later tells us they’re guarding against North Korean infiltration.
One hour later, we arrive at a tourist stop for a 20-minute break (snacks, etc.) and then travel to “The 3rd Tunnel”. It’s a tunnel the South Koreans say was built by North Korea to infiltrate the South. North Korea disagrees, and says they were mining coal. South Korea has found 3 other similar tunnels since 1953. Anyway, entry is down a long (really long) ramp. Of course, what goes down, must come up, so we’re not looking forward to the walk out.
As we’re going in we’re given “hard hats”. At the bottom of the ramp is a long tunnel. The tunnel is just low enough so that Judy goes through untouched. I, on the other hand, spend most of my time slightly bent over, bumping my head every 5 – 10 feet. I get a really good scratch on my forehead when one of the “bumps” knocks my hard hat. At the end of the tunnel, a steel door has been placed, blocking access. It’s supposed to be about 150 meters from the actual border with North Korea.
The tunnel is narrow and damp. Apparently the North Koreans weren’t anticipating the tourist crowds when they built it. The climb out was what we expected, long and tiring. We’re both winded when we get to the top. Most of the visitors are suffering the same symptoms as they reach the top.
The next stop is the Dora Observatory, a mountaintop area with “pay telescopes”, for visitors to look out across the DMZ into North Korea. It’s a little foggy today so the view is limited. We are able to see the Kaesong Industrial Complex, a joint venture in the DMZ between the North and South. It’s been in the news lately because it just reopened Monday (9/16) after N. Korea shut it down in March. There is lot of talk on the tour about the family reunions between North & South that are about to take place. It would be the second reunion since 1953 (the first took place 3 years ago).
Last stop on the DMZ tour is the Dorason Train Station. It’s the last train station on a major train line that leads into North Korea. The railroad line goes all the way Europe, so if the North ever opens up, this will be an important place. It opened in 2002 to great fanfare (George W Bush attended). It was a commuter train stop from Seoul for tourists until 2008, but a lady was shot when she wandered into a forbidden area, so the trains stopped running.
Much of Korea’s contemporary history revolves around WWII and the Korean War. The constant “saber rattling” in the North keeps everyone on their toes. Our guide was in the Korean military, and he’s convinced that North Korea is still working hard to overthrow the South and reunite. The vibe on this tour is definitely “vigilance”.
After our return to Seoul and another Korean lunch, we taxi back to our hotel. I nap and then start updating all our Apple devices to the new IOS 7. The hotel has faster internet than Beijing, so I’m taking advantage. Judy walks to the mall, connected to our hotel, for some window-shopping. We have a late dinner, and organize our stuff for our Beijing return tomorrow.