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We were asked to be ready to depart by 7AM so we could beat the hordes of tourists that normally descend on the DMZ. Because the hotel breakfast restaurant would not open until then Rob promised to bring it to us, which he did. It was a delightful, freshly made egg sandwich and a bottle of orange juice, that he had purchased at a local bakery. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I was shocked to learn that the DMZ was only about 1 hour north of Seoul! With all the saber rattling done lately by North Korea dictator, Kim Jong Un, the South Koreans seem unconcerned (at least in public) and act as though he did not exist. Life for South Koreans goes on incumbered by the politics of the north.

The Korean demilitarized zone is a strip of land bordering the 38 degree parallel north which was established in 1953 following the Korean War armistice. It acts as a buffer between North and South Korea. It is commonly referred to simply as the DMZ. The DMZ is 250 kilometers (160 mi) long and about 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) wide and pretty much cuts the peninsula in half.

We were reminded that the Korean War is not formally over! All that was agreed to in 1953 was an armistice, a temporary end of fighting. To this date, a formal peace agreement has never been signed. Relations between the countries were better when Kin Jong Un’s father,Kim Jong ll, was the ruler, but that changed when he died so current relations between the countries have regressed. Technically the two countries are still at war 70 years later.

Our first stop was at the recently opened Korean Peninsula Ecological Peace Tourism Information Center where we needed to register for the tour we will take. The reason for the early start became evident right after we arrived around 8:20. Our bus stopped and Rob raced into the ticket office with our passports to get in line to buy our tickets for the escorted tour. We were free to roam the area with a request to return by 9:10. As we watched, other buses began to arrive and it became quite a spectacle as each bus (usually 50 passenger ones) stopped, their tour leader jumped off and literally ran into the ticket office to get their tickets. It was hilarious.

There were some displays in the area, a coffee shop and even a short cable car ride into an area that was not part of the DMZ ( but got you closer). As it turned out Rob was #9 in line when the ticket office opened at 9AM and he was successful in getting us tickets for the 9:20 bus tour which included a train ride into tunnel #3 (will explain later) rather than having to walk! We made it by the skin of our teeth as our last bus seat was #44 on a bus that held 45 people.

We were warned to not take any photos of military facilities or soldiers during our tour. Once on the assigned bus we drove a short distance to a military checkpoint where armed soldiers boarded the bus and using a typed attendance list, previously recorded at the ticket office, checked us off one by one by viewing our passports which had been returned to us. Once verified we were allowed to proceed to our first stop- tunnel #3.

Four underground tunnels have been discovered (there are thoughts there might be as many as 20) so far since the 1970s, leading from North Korea into South Korean territory. Tunnel#3 was discovered in 1978. It spans over 1,635m in length, 2m in width, 2m in height and 73m below ground, and is located only 44km from Seoul. It is estimated that approximately 30,000 soldiers could move through the tunnel per hour. The North Koreans said it was only a coal mine but there is no evidence that any coal could exist in the area!

By making the 9:20 bus we get to travel into the  tunnel by riding in a train rather than having to walk down (and back up) a fairly steep walkway. Hooray for Rob!  Unfortunately,  all our belongs had to be locked in lockers before we boarded the train and our heads properly protected by hard hats. It reminded me of a Disneyland ride! Once we reached the end of the ride we had to walk the equivalent of several blocks, often bent over to avoid heading our heads on the supporting structure and rock ceiling. At the end of the walk was a concrete wall (one of three) that blocked further progress. Also there was an illuminated sign that said we were now 150 meters from the North Korean border! That is the closest we will get to North Korea.

Returning by train to the surface we spent some time in the adjacent building viewing a short movie and seeing displays related to the DMZ and the Korean War.

We then  reboarded our bus and were taken to another attraction in the area- the Dora Observatory where there are dozens of telescopes aimed at North Korea, a short distance away. There was some haze today so the viewing was not the best.

Sadly that completed our DMZ visit because visits to the JSA (Joint Security Area) is still closed (Covid victim). Bummer! The Joint Security Area is the only portion of the Korean Demilitarized Zone where North and South Korean forces stand face-to-face and is the famous picture you often see when the DMZ is discussed.  So overall my visit to the DMZ turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. As we left the area we were again checked by the military; I guess to make sure we were all leaving the area.

As it was now close to lunch Rob said he had picked a restaurant in nearby Paju that featured Italian food- a treat as we have been eating nothing but Korean cuisine since arriving a week ago. As it turned out the restaurant was a delight and very American in design and menu. It was a nice change of pace.

After a pleasant lunch with some California wine we finished our trip back to Seoul to visit the War Memorial Hall of Korea, where we were given time to view the displays about the Korean War on our own. As is typical you could spend a lot more time there as it was a very interesting place to visit.

Late in the afternoon we were deposited back at the hotel as the tour was now over. We had one more night at the hotel and tomorrow people would go their separate ways. Some were taking an optional cooking course on making kimchi, some were headed home, others were headed to Japan to tour some more. I have a late afternoon flight home.

Most people were not interested in dinner plans as our lunch was so large. I, for one, was headed to try to find a Manhattan before I leave the country and perhaps find that strawberry tart dessert that caught my eye yesterday. I queried the internet for a close-by larger hotel who might have a cocktail lounge and found that there was one right down the street with a rooftop bar. Perfect!  Why was I looking for a Manhattan? The short story is my brother, Gerry and his wife, Sue, often travel with us and we have made it a habit to try Manhattans wherever we were. It has led to some really funny experiences and often less than stellar drinks.  I wanted to continue the tradition and report back to him.  Well, I went up to the rooftop bar at the “bewitching” hour and found a sign that said it was closed because of a private party. And to make things worse I had not found any other nearby bar to go to, so there will be no report on how good the Koreans are at making a Manhattan.

I walked the streets of the Myeongdong area by our hotel to see if there were any last minute souvenirs worthy of being purchased and to see if I could find that strawberry dessert I saw yesterday. Luckily I did, and my “dinner” turned out to be that delicious tart with fresh strawberries and whipped cream and a cup of coffee. A perfect way to end the tour of South Korea.

Steps for the day: 11,712 so I had earned that dessert.