The DMZ
We spent our last full day in Korea at the Demilitarized Zone. It was an amazing experience and was incredibly timely, too. The North Koreans tested their long range missles on 4 July and we got on the plane for our trip the next day. Needless to say, tensions were high - particularly along the DMZ. As tensions with the North are becoming even greater due to the nuclear tests, I am incredibly grateful I got the chance to see the DMZ when I did. The South Koreans firmly believe the two countries will be united in the future and are doing as much as they can to prepare for that day.

Our first stop on the DMZ is to an underground tunnel the South claims the North dug. The North claims the opposite, but it appears the North dug it. We rode a "ride" down a very narrow tunnel to reach the original one - many of us discovered slight claustrophobic tendencies! Once underground, we got to walk through the tunnel (25 stories down!), which was very cool. No pictures, though, so I can't share any with you.

Next, we got to peek out into the DMZ itself from an observation deck. We could take pictures, but we were very limited and none of us wanted to tick off the Korean army! An officer pointed to various structures and towns in North Korea that were visible from where we stood.

Later, we got to wander around on our own and I stumbled upon this shrine to family members "stuck" in the North. It's very moving and incredibly sad.