The DMZ is a strip of land 4 km wide and 248km long which divides North and SOuth Korea. It is one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world.
This is an interesting trip in that this is the only place where you can get close to North Korea without being arrested or shot! This is an interesting tour where the vast majority of the time we are told to show our passports, don't do this, don't do that, rules, rules, rules. it's very interesting though.
Eerily is the surreal giant, ultramodern train station at the border, which is a completely functioning station, but there is no one there except tourists. It's set up, all ready to serve a united Korea the minute the boundary lines are lifted. Seems all very propaganda to me.
We visit Pan Mun Jon, which is only 55km north of Seoul. This is the village established on the ceasefire line at the end of the Korean War in 1953. This village is divided by an 'invisable' line which separates North and South Korea and is manned with American, South and North Korean soldiers.
We get to cross over into North Korea, but only within the confines of a building so you can't really see anything, but it does feel cool to be able to say I've been to North Korea. Actually my mate just pointed out that in a Michael Palin episode, he did the exact cross over to North Korea. I was standing in a spot where michael Palin had been. Now, that is cool!Whilst we were there, we were lucky enough to see a large group of North Korean soldiers come down. Supposedly they hardly ever come down. We were within the confines of a building at the time, and I'm kind of glad that we were. They really looked quite scary, and with their history of how they treat they're own people.....
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