Easter and the DMZ
Easter is the time of year where we celebrate when Christ was crucified, died, and was buried in a tomb with a large rock rolled in front of it. Then, once a year, we roll the rock away and Jesus comes out and if he sees his shadow we get six more weeks of winter.
Went to church this morning. During the sermon, the Chaplain starts comparing the DMZ to easter. Oh sweet irony.
The irony is that I went to the DMZ yesterday. I was actually in North Korea for a few minutes. Wow, it's weird. It's been remarked as the most dangerous place on Earth. Once you get there, though, it feels really peaceful. You think about how 2 million+ died for that one piece of fence, and how it's become a tourist attraction for both sides. It's hard to describe. So here's some pictures.
I couldn't get one in front of the golf course sign. We drove past it, but we didn't stop. I'll see if I can get it next time. Someone in the group brought along, I think his name is 'flat Stan'. So if you follow his adventures, you'll see his trip there.
Down the tunnel. They've found five big tunnels from North Korea into the south; this is the one near Soeul. For a quick invasion. We got to go down and see a good bit of it.
The table in the middle divides North and South Korea. I stood on the other side of the table for a few minutes, and I was literally in North Korea. I should've gotten my passport signed.
To the right: The bridge of no return.
To the left: The largest flagpole in the world. The North Korean town known as "propaganda village". They had a huge flagpole. Then, when South Korea hosted the olympics they were given a huge flag and made a flagpole taller (about 100m) than the North's at their town near the border. So, the North makes an even bigger flagpole (about 160m); the largest in the world. The flag itself weighs somewhere between 300-800lbs. Some magazine has a bounty out and will pay one million dollars for a one foot square piece of the flag.
Closer to the bridge.
Went to church this morning. During the sermon, the Chaplain starts comparing the DMZ to easter. Oh sweet irony.
The irony is that I went to the DMZ yesterday. I was actually in North Korea for a few minutes. Wow, it's weird. It's been remarked as the most dangerous place on Earth. Once you get there, though, it feels really peaceful. You think about how 2 million+ died for that one piece of fence, and how it's become a tourist attraction for both sides. It's hard to describe. So here's some pictures.
I couldn't get one in front of the golf course sign. We drove past it, but we didn't stop. I'll see if I can get it next time. Someone in the group brought along, I think his name is 'flat Stan'. So if you follow his adventures, you'll see his trip there.
Down the tunnel. They've found five big tunnels from North Korea into the south; this is the one near Soeul. For a quick invasion. We got to go down and see a good bit of it.
The table in the middle divides North and South Korea. I stood on the other side of the table for a few minutes, and I was literally in North Korea. I should've gotten my passport signed.
To the right: The bridge of no return.
To the left: The largest flagpole in the world. The North Korean town known as "propaganda village". They had a huge flagpole. Then, when South Korea hosted the olympics they were given a huge flag and made a flagpole taller (about 100m) than the North's at their town near the border. So, the North makes an even bigger flagpole (about 160m); the largest in the world. The flag itself weighs somewhere between 300-800lbs. Some magazine has a bounty out and will pay one million dollars for a one foot square piece of the flag.
Closer to the bridge.