DMZ & North Korea

My kids have had field trips every Friday for the last 5 weeks. This past Friday both kids had plans, so Steve took off work to go with Madi to Seoul Land (like a Six Flags) while I went with Ben to the DMZ and North Korea.It's only maybe 35 miles from school to the DMZ...CRAZY!!! We drove through lots of rice fields to get there...I think it's so beautiful.




















We drove through lots of barriers. You can not get to North Korea by mistake.

We drove into Camp Bonifas. When we got up there they told us no cell phone us...and that our phones wouldn't even work. All of us adults pulled out our phones to check. Yep sure enough they were being jammed by North Korea...no signal.

PFC Futch was our security tour guide. He is too cute, funny and young...CLASS OF 2010. All of the parents on the bus cracked up that we were old enough to be his mother or father. Last May he was in high school and this May he is up here gaurding the border of North and South Korea.

Well here we are on Conference Row. Those Blue houses house meetings between..the good guys and bad guys. That white building is FULL of North Koreans. We we warned of that, that they would be watching our every move. There is no pointing, waving, running...be calm.

If you look close at the doorway next to my head and above Ben's you can see a North Korean guard. They had their binaculars and were walking back and forth.

Mostly Ben's class with a few kids from another.

Going in! This is where we stepped into North Korea.

Here inside...I am on the South Korean side...when you walk to the other side of the table you are in North Korea. So when the meeting between the 2 countries happen they sit on their respective sides.

Me, Ben and his friend Keegan.

You must at all times stay 1.5 feet away from the guards.

The Freedom House...built to host reunions of families from the North and South.

Overlooking North Korea. That town employs 43,000 Noth Koreans....some of the wealthiest North Koreans...they take home $20-$30 a month.

Overlook into North Korea. See that white tower on the right...it's a North Korean tower...they were watching our every move still.

Yes, we were at all times being watched by North Korea. The kids watched a film at school and MP's from Camp Bonifas came to the school a few weeks ago to brief everyone on what was to take place and to prepare the kids on what to do and not to do.

The Bridge Of No Return.

We got to go down into the 3rd Tunnel.

Mrs. Martinez's 5th Grade Class, Seoul American Elementary School.

It was a beautiful ride home along the river. The river is heavily gaurded until you reach the Seoul city limits. I can't believe we only live 35 miles from the DMZ and that it's so heavily guarded just a few miles from my house...I forget sometimes. I must say this was the most fun/unique field trip I have been on. We saw lots of other things but everything is CLASSIFIED. After going to the DMZ and into North Korea we can not donate blood for 2 years....just a strange piece of info. I had such a great time with the other moms too. We all love and are greatful for the chance to live here in Korea. What a special way to kick off our Memorial Day Weekend!