If you don't know - the DMZ is the Demilitarized Zone on the border between North and South Korea. And if you have been reading the news lately, you know North Korea has issued more crazy threats...and if you are in Korea as I type this, you know it isn't anything that us "South Koreans" are too worried about. But, that's for another post. For now, let's get into what it was like on my visit!
DMZ - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Demilitarized_Zone
Saturday morning, Kristina and I headed to the bus terminal to meet the rest of Adventure Korea and do our overnight tour of the DMZ. Once on the bus, we were told that we would no longer be bungee jumping that evening, we would be doing it FIRST! We were on our way! Here's my post on that part of the trip. After we all tried our hand (or feet, hahaha) and the jump it was time to get back to the bus and go get some food.
Most of us were too riled up from the jumping to be very hungry, so I think it was more of a "snack stop" than anything. But then, our first DMZ spot: Goseokjeong Pavilion on the
Hantangang River. There was a huge statue of the Korean "Robin Hood" and then a BEAUTIFUL spot over the water to see.
After we explored the Pavilion and took photos on the river, we headed inside to the small museum they had on North Korea. There we could see the clothing, food, drink, and education of the North Koreans. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but it was still pretty cool to see some of the items they had there.
Then it was time for our next stop - The 2nd Infiltration Tunnel!!!! This is usally the highlight for most people (me included) and we donned our hard hats and headed in. The tunnel was bigger than I expected (a LOT bigger than the Vietnamese Tunnels) I was able to stand up for most of the walk, and when I wasn't I was only slightly touching my head to the "ceiling". Inside of the tunnel was an orange glow, and all the walls were wet with trickling water and algae. There was a big area in the tunnel, where there was a wishing well, soldier replicas, and a TV that was showing some of the tunnels and how they were made. We also got to stand in a spot that was BOTH North AND South Korea.
Here are some tunnel tidbits:
- The 2nd tunnel was discovered in 1975
- There are only 4 tunnels that have been discovered, but there are suspected to be 20
- The tunnels only run North to South - there are no branches East/West
After the tunnels, we headed to the next stop - the Cheorwon Peace Observatory. Here we watched a short video on North Korea. Then we headed to the binoculars to see DEEEP into North Korea. We were able to see the 3 Sisters Mountain, the Blood Mountain, North Korean outposts, the Demarcation line, and the old Propaganda Village. It was interesting to learn that since there is no human residency in the DMZ, the wildlife has become abundant, and it is as if they have their own wildlife reserve. Egrets, Tigers, Bear, Leopards, Deer, etc. all inhabit this area.
You can also see the difference in the North and South areas by the mountain line. When looking at North Korea, there are no trees on the mountains. They were all cut down to spot the refugees more easily.
I was able to take some photos through the binoculars, here they are:
Then it was time to head to the old railway station - Woljeong-ri Station. This station had a train that ran from North to South Korea - and one of the cars was still in tact.
A cool note: Kristina's family was originally from North Korea. When the war was breaking out, her family (grandparents) jumped on the train to head to South Korea. During the night, her dad's sister fell asleep on the roof (it was so packed that people were EVERYWHERE) and she ended up falling off. Her uncle ended up jumping off the train to find her - and when they did, she was with an American soldier who was helping bandage her up from her fall.
Time for our last stop of the day before dinner! It was the Old Labor Party Building. Not much left to see, but here is a picture of the bare bones of it. You might not be able to see from the picture, but the front steps are caved in, from when a military tank drove up the stairs, to the front doors.
After a LONG day of history and "sightseeing" it was time to finally head to our home for the night - a pension right in the DMZ! Can't get crazier than that, right? WRONG (it gets crazier in a little)!
We all had dinner, and started a campfire for marshmellows and drinks. While we were busy getting acquanted and making new friends, our guide had a different idea.
"Everybody write your name on this paper" (post it note)
Of couse, we all do.
"Now we will go to Baenmago ji and leave our paper under the rocks"
Let me just say a few things: it is probably 11pm. Which means it is pitch black out. We are in the DMZ, when we alreay knew tensions were high on the border (we hadn't heard that NKorea had declared war while we were galavanting around the border). Baenmago ji is also know as the "White Horse War Memorial" where it memorializes over 18,000 soldiers that died during the war. Ok...back to the story.
So we walk (in the dark) to the site, and gather around our guide to find out where to go next. He tells us....
"Ok, now we go one at a time to the top, and leave your name under the rocks."
Um, ALONE?!?!?!
"You will get to the rocks, and then leave your name, then walk past 2 mirrors, and make a circle around the statue, then come back"
Wait, THIS IS STILL ALONE???
"If anyone talks to you, do not answer. If you hear 'what is your name?' 'where are you from?' just DONT ANSWER"
Ok...RE-WIND.
I of course raised my hand (stupid since we were in the dark) but whatever. I still asked my question and it was "WHO IS GOING TO TALK TO US IN THE DARK IN THE DMZ WHILE WE ARE ALONE?!?!?!?!" and this was OBV after we weren't exactly the quietest GETTING to the site.
It seem we didn't have a choice though...so a Canadian named Allie braved it up saying "she wanted to get it over with". While she went up the only path (we thought) our guide had 2 guys go up 2 other paths (that were hidden). When she came back she started with "I felt like I was being followed the whole time!" Ok, we get your joke now, Mr. Tour Guide! Nice Try! We all ended going up, most of us with someone else, now that the scariness was ALMOST gone. At the top they claimed there was a bear, and a few of the others from the group hid in the bushes on the way back down to scare us. Oh, Vey! We were happy once we FINALLY got back to our pension for the night!
Once we had toasted marshmellows, had some drinks, and even had midnight snacks of BBQ duck, and smoked duck over the fire, it was time to fade into sleep....so we thought.
A few of us had discussed sleeping in the bomb shelter, so of course, we did. In all, there were 5 of us (in the shelter for 400). We made our own leadership as well:
Samantha- she was the president since she was the one who convinced us to sleep there.
Me - I was VP because once Samantha was impeached I could be in charge.
Patrick - Head of security, he was STOKED about the bomb shelter, so he was in charge of making sure ONE door was open if the other was locked.
Kristina - she was the "historian" because she had the camera. Her response was "You're making me the historian because you just want me to take pix" she was correct, but we didn't change her title.
Tom - the Consumer. He won this title because he carried the beer, and brough the Ipod for music.
After we got in and the area was secured by head of security, we set up our area and got to work. We veto'd the Presidents idea of a Bomb Shelter Harlem Shake, and after she passed out, I was put in charge. Well, needless to say - that means I made sure everyone had a fair share of alcohol, and that it was all finished before we fell asleep.
Once we finally DID fall asleep - we woke up around 7am FREEZING (no head) and raced back into the main building for warmth and a little nap before breakfast.
Then we started our day with a walk to Baenmago ji to look for our names we placed from the night before. We had a Korean soldier give us some info on it, and we got to see the memorial during the day - which was a LOT less scary!
Then it was time for some free time: bike riding around the area before we headed back home.
I've heard now that the DMZ is closed, with the border become more tense due to the North Korean threats. I will say I am happy I got a tour before it closed, because it was DEFINITELY a site to see and experience!
Ghamsamnidah,
Apes :)
DMZ - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Demilitarized_Zone
Saturday morning, Kristina and I headed to the bus terminal to meet the rest of Adventure Korea and do our overnight tour of the DMZ. Once on the bus, we were told that we would no longer be bungee jumping that evening, we would be doing it FIRST! We were on our way! Here's my post on that part of the trip. After we all tried our hand (or feet, hahaha) and the jump it was time to get back to the bus and go get some food.
Most of us were too riled up from the jumping to be very hungry, so I think it was more of a "snack stop" than anything. But then, our first DMZ spot: Goseokjeong Pavilion on the
Hantangang River. There was a huge statue of the Korean "Robin Hood" and then a BEAUTIFUL spot over the water to see.
 |
| Apes and Korean Robin Hood |
 |
| On the Hantangang River |
 |
| View from Goseokjeong Pavilion |
After we explored the Pavilion and took photos on the river, we headed inside to the small museum they had on North Korea. There we could see the clothing, food, drink, and education of the North Koreans. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but it was still pretty cool to see some of the items they had there.
Then it was time for our next stop - The 2nd Infiltration Tunnel!!!! This is usally the highlight for most people (me included) and we donned our hard hats and headed in. The tunnel was bigger than I expected (a LOT bigger than the Vietnamese Tunnels) I was able to stand up for most of the walk, and when I wasn't I was only slightly touching my head to the "ceiling". Inside of the tunnel was an orange glow, and all the walls were wet with trickling water and algae. There was a big area in the tunnel, where there was a wishing well, soldier replicas, and a TV that was showing some of the tunnels and how they were made. We also got to stand in a spot that was BOTH North AND South Korea.
Here are some tunnel tidbits:
- The 2nd tunnel was discovered in 1975
- There are only 4 tunnels that have been discovered, but there are suspected to be 20
- The tunnels only run North to South - there are no branches East/West
 |
| Entrance to the 2nd Infiltration Tunnel |
 |
| North AND South Korea!! |
 |
| Tunneling through.... |
 |
| Me and Kristina - I hope we make it out!! |
After the tunnels, we headed to the next stop - the Cheorwon Peace Observatory. Here we watched a short video on North Korea. Then we headed to the binoculars to see DEEEP into North Korea. We were able to see the 3 Sisters Mountain, the Blood Mountain, North Korean outposts, the Demarcation line, and the old Propaganda Village. It was interesting to learn that since there is no human residency in the DMZ, the wildlife has become abundant, and it is as if they have their own wildlife reserve. Egrets, Tigers, Bear, Leopards, Deer, etc. all inhabit this area.
You can also see the difference in the North and South areas by the mountain line. When looking at North Korea, there are no trees on the mountains. They were all cut down to spot the refugees more easily.
I was able to take some photos through the binoculars, here they are:
 |
| Wildlife Preserved |
 |
| Outpost |
 |
| 3 Sisters Mountain in the background |
 |
| Demarcation Line, lined with Outposts |
Time for our last stop of the day before dinner! It was the Old Labor Party Building. Not much left to see, but here is a picture of the bare bones of it. You might not be able to see from the picture, but the front steps are caved in, from when a military tank drove up the stairs, to the front doors.
 |
| Labor Party Bulding - riddled with gunshot holes |
We all had dinner, and started a campfire for marshmellows and drinks. While we were busy getting acquanted and making new friends, our guide had a different idea.
"Everybody write your name on this paper" (post it note)
Of couse, we all do.
"Now we will go to Baenmago ji and leave our paper under the rocks"
Let me just say a few things: it is probably 11pm. Which means it is pitch black out. We are in the DMZ, when we alreay knew tensions were high on the border (we hadn't heard that NKorea had declared war while we were galavanting around the border). Baenmago ji is also know as the "White Horse War Memorial" where it memorializes over 18,000 soldiers that died during the war. Ok...back to the story.
So we walk (in the dark) to the site, and gather around our guide to find out where to go next. He tells us....
"Ok, now we go one at a time to the top, and leave your name under the rocks."
Um, ALONE?!?!?!
"You will get to the rocks, and then leave your name, then walk past 2 mirrors, and make a circle around the statue, then come back"
Wait, THIS IS STILL ALONE???
"If anyone talks to you, do not answer. If you hear 'what is your name?' 'where are you from?' just DONT ANSWER"
Ok...RE-WIND.
I of course raised my hand (stupid since we were in the dark) but whatever. I still asked my question and it was "WHO IS GOING TO TALK TO US IN THE DARK IN THE DMZ WHILE WE ARE ALONE?!?!?!?!" and this was OBV after we weren't exactly the quietest GETTING to the site.
It seem we didn't have a choice though...so a Canadian named Allie braved it up saying "she wanted to get it over with". While she went up the only path (we thought) our guide had 2 guys go up 2 other paths (that were hidden). When she came back she started with "I felt like I was being followed the whole time!" Ok, we get your joke now, Mr. Tour Guide! Nice Try! We all ended going up, most of us with someone else, now that the scariness was ALMOST gone. At the top they claimed there was a bear, and a few of the others from the group hid in the bushes on the way back down to scare us. Oh, Vey! We were happy once we FINALLY got back to our pension for the night!
 |
| Baenmago ji at night! |
 |
| Smoked Duck! |
A few of us had discussed sleeping in the bomb shelter, so of course, we did. In all, there were 5 of us (in the shelter for 400). We made our own leadership as well:
Samantha- she was the president since she was the one who convinced us to sleep there.
Me - I was VP because once Samantha was impeached I could be in charge.
Patrick - Head of security, he was STOKED about the bomb shelter, so he was in charge of making sure ONE door was open if the other was locked.
Kristina - she was the "historian" because she had the camera. Her response was "You're making me the historian because you just want me to take pix" she was correct, but we didn't change her title.
Tom - the Consumer. He won this title because he carried the beer, and brough the Ipod for music.
 |
| Supplies...there were rows of boxes! |
 |
| Bomb Shelter built for 400 people |
 |
| 3 of the 5 getting settled for the night |
After we got in and the area was secured by head of security, we set up our area and got to work. We veto'd the Presidents idea of a Bomb Shelter Harlem Shake, and after she passed out, I was put in charge. Well, needless to say - that means I made sure everyone had a fair share of alcohol, and that it was all finished before we fell asleep.
Once we finally DID fall asleep - we woke up around 7am FREEZING (no head) and raced back into the main building for warmth and a little nap before breakfast.
Then we started our day with a walk to Baenmago ji to look for our names we placed from the night before. We had a Korean soldier give us some info on it, and we got to see the memorial during the day - which was a LOT less scary!
 |
| 18,000 rocks to represent the soldiers that died |
 |
| Baenmago ji (White Horse War Memorial) |
Then it was time for some free time: bike riding around the area before we headed back home.
I've heard now that the DMZ is closed, with the border become more tense due to the North Korean threats. I will say I am happy I got a tour before it closed, because it was DEFINITELY a site to see and experience!
Ghamsamnidah,
Apes :)
 |
| Just a little gem of a picture: South Korean soldier saluting during the jumping picture :) |
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