DMZ

We got up at 6am to get ready for our tour of the DMZ - De-militarized Zone. What I didn't realize is that we were going IN the DMZ. The DMZ is 4 kilometers wide, separating North and South Korea. There are all kinds of checkpoints to control who gets through. We were briefed on how to act because the North Koreans could be taking propaganda pictures (or looking for a reason to have an incident). The first place we went was a conference building full of tables and chairs. It straddles the line between N and S Korea. There is a guard standing on this line and my father-in-law took our picture standing next to the guard. BTW, we are on the North Korea side of him. Then we went to lunch in a nearby town (in the DMZ!). The people there do not pay federal taxes and are given a certain amount of land to farm. It is full of rice fields. No one can join this town except by marriage and only if you are a woman. Then we visited Tunnel #3. The North Korean gov't tried to tunnel under the DMZ to move men and weapons into S. Korea. But so far all their tunnels have been found before they are finished. We had to walk down a 12% slope for 350m. Then, in the tunnel, you can walk to the third of three barriers erected to prevent the tunnel from being used. We had to wear hard hats which kept our heads dry. The walk back up was much slower and harder than the walk down. But we were not allowed to take pictures. Alfred told us stories from when he was stationed here in 1962. I forgot my camera so these are his pictures.
When we got home, I took a nap. Michele was back from graduation practice. Tomorrow is her big day.