DMZ

On Saturday Matt and I got tickets for a DMZ tour. DMZ is short for the Korea Demilitarized Zone. It is the are that separates North and South Korea. The bus left base early at 7am and it was about a two hour drive. The tour took us to about four different tourist sites before we actually got to drive into the DMZ.

One of the tourist sites was a train station the South Koreans built in hopes that unification will happen between the North and the South and the train will go from South Korea's capital Seoul to North Koreas capital Pyongyang. We were able to buy a fake ticket to Pyongyang. The train station cost $8 million dollars to build and has been deserted since it was finished.

My ticket to North Korea

Matt and I in front of the train station

The best part of the tour was actually getting to go see the line that separates North and South Korea. The process is really serious and you need an armed military guard to take you to the line. Before you go everyone signs a form stating if you decide to cross the line, they are not responsible for you. From where we got to stand you can see the North Korea guards on one side and the South Korea guards on the side you are standing on.

The big building in the back is in North Korea

The blue buildings are used for the North and South Koreans to discuss politics

North Korean guard

Matt and I in front of the DMZ line

The experience was once in a lifetime and I am so glad I was able to share it with Matt. It is crazy to me that things like this still go on in the world. The only thing I wish we could have done was go inside one of the blue buildings. Matt got to do it last time he went and part of the blue building is in North Korea. The North Koreans were doing construction so we weren't allowed in the buildings this time. We did get to see the changing of the North Korean guards which was really cool to see too.

Matt and I are going to a city called Busan for the memorial day weekend. Busan has two beaches that are suppose to be really pretty. I am excited to get off of the base and go explore other areas of Korea!