The DMZ - the demilitarized zone

An awesome day today as we travelled to the demilitarized zone which is known as the DMZ - something that Ian has been wanting to do on every visit we have made to Korea over the last 15 years.  Essentially it is an area that is between North and South Korea that is uninhabited and deserted and controlled by soldiers from the various armies - North, South and the US.

We travelled to the DMZ in a bus with other adoptive families and a few other tourists and had to go through military checkpoints where the soldiers checked our passports. We visited Imjingak Park - where visitors and families have tied ribbons to the fence with messages of love; crossed the Unification Bridge and then moved on to the Third Tunnel, the Dora observatory and the Dorasan railway station. 

The third tunnel was one of the tunnels that the North had dug after the ceasefire in a bid to invade the South. We walked down into the tunnel - about 450m down an 11 degree slope to the bottom - and then of course had to climb back out again!

From the observatory we could see into North Korea but we were not allowed to take photos beyond a certain line on the ground. The soldiers were monitoring everyone and deleting photos if they were taken past the line.

The Dorasan railway station has been built using money donated by people from South Korea so that one day you can travel by train from South to North and even on to London. It is an empty station - ready to go - with no trains. It is quite sad.

So - a very moving day in the end. Sad to see the barbed wire, manned security posts and knowing that families are still split by this. We are glad to have had the chance to go and see it though.

Imjingak Park - with ribbon messages....

Getting ready for a passport check.....

There are no trees on the mountains in North Korea - as the people have cut down the trees to burn for warmth.

Empty - Dorasan station

Lunch after the tour with the other adoptive families.