Have you ever got really mad at you brother, so bad that you feel like strangling him? .... As the big sister to three brothers, I am used to that feeling. But as I grow, I realized that no matter how bad our families are, they are the people who will always stand beside you ... even kicking some ass for you. Some say that family is half of your soul. Well .....So, if you have that urge of chasing them off your side, think again. Or, go visiting Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in South Korea. I did and found how lucky I am for still having my family around me, unlike some people in Korea.
*The DMZ is a strip of land 4km wide and 248km long, divides the South and North Korea and is one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world. About five millions Koreans has been separated from their family because of it.
I joined the tour to the DMZ when I visited South Korea with my kids.
We started at eight o’clock in the morning when the Tour picked us up from our guest house.
Then with the rest of the tourist, we ride a bus for one hour to Panmunjom.
Our first stop is Imjingak Park, this is where the Freedom Bridge is located. The Freedom bridge is a former railroad bridge which was used by repatriated prisoner of war or soldiers returning from the north.
In this park we will found shrine and remains from the Korean War.
But, what touched me the most is this photo.
A photo of an old man crying. I was guessing that he had his family in the other side, maybe his brother or his sister. Or maybe his parents. How sad.I can’t and I don’t want to imagine how it feels away from my love ones, unable to communicate and not knowing what happening to them.
No .....
After the park, we headed to Dora Observatory. On the way there, our tour guide asked us to follow the instructions especially regarding the cameras. There were many area where we were not allowed to take pictures.
Before we got to the destination, we passed ID Check Point. We had a soldier got on the bus checking our passport. He looked very serious, but once one of us said ‘kamsahamnida’, he smiled.
**‘Kamsahamnida’ means thank you in Korean.
After passing by the Unification Village, we arrive at the observatory.
There, we could catch a glimpse of North Korea thru binoculars prepared there. But please note that we cannot take any picture there. There were many soldiers watching us.
Unfortunately, that day was so cloudy, so we could not see anything in the north.Spending half an hour in the observatory, we continued our tour to the 3rd Tunnel complex.
***The third tunnel is a tunnel under the border between North Korea and South Korea, extending south of Panmunjom. It was the third tunnel to be discovered running under the border between the two Korea. The South believe it was dug by the North to use to get thru to the South for aggression later on, but the North denied the allegation saying it was an old underground mine.The Third Tunnel complex include DMZ theater, exhibition hall and of course the tunnel itself. Visitors are allowed to walk down the tunnel however not allowed to take pictures.
The walk in the tunnel would take about 30 minutes. There are also a monorail, but not available when we were there.
For you tall people, please be careful with your head ... even the North cannot got their objective to attack the South thru the tunnel, at least they would be happy if knowing some visitors bump their heads cause not careful.
In the building, I saw many young soldiers. Young Korean male, once they reach their 20s, they are obliged to join the military otherwise they will be thrown to jail. So don’t be surprised to see many young soldiers everywhere.
Our last destination is Dorasan Station. Weird isn’t it? Why touring to a train station? Well, this station is a special one.
****Dorasan Station is a railroad station once connected North and South Korea. However, it is not operating any more.
Not many train stations are fully guarded by soldiers ... friendly soldiers!
The South said the station is their future. They still believe in the unification of the two Korea. They see it happens to the German, so it could happen to the Korean. Well, I hope so. And I hope the old man whose picture I saw in the Imjingak Park still have a chance to see his lost family.Well, that's what I felt and saw in the DMZ. But there are more to see in Korea. Trust me when I tell you that I left the country with a smile in my heart.
Of course, because I re-invent my soul there.
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Wanna know how Korea fits for tourists in any age? Read my next posting 'Korea for Everyone' ......
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