Sunday in Seoul

In spite of the almost constant rain, today was a wonderful, fascinating day. This was the first day that we "seoul-ly" played the part of learners and not educators {pun intended}. No meetings or workshops today -- it was all about learning Korean history! Our group gathered around 11:00 this morning for a guided bus-tour that took us to the DeMilitarized Zone (DMZ).
We rode about an hour north of Seoul City on an air-conditioned, roomy bus. In addition to the fifteen of us, there were several American families, one of whom had a 6-week-old baby with them. It seemed like some of the family members were officers stationed here in South Korea. Our guide Richard {his inspiration for choosing this American name is Richard Gere} was very energetic and knowledgeable. He had a lively sense of humor, and kept us entertained as he taught us about the history surrounding the creation of the DMZ. He also informed us (many times) of when we could and could not take pictures. I think our group's unspoken, yet adhered to, rule was, "Don't take pictures until you see someone else do it first."
Our first stop was Imjingak, an artifact/exhibition/memorial exhibition site. On one side of the parking lot was a small amusement park, complete with roller coaster. On the other side was the southern boundary of the DMZ. It was sobering to see the beauty of the surrounding mountains, green and lush fields and consider the sacrifice that went into dividing a nation. There was an explanation of how the fences were designed to hold stones in various formations to alert soldiers of tampering or trespassing. For example, trace stones, five flat stones painted white, were stacked between the wires of the fence, then painted with a red symbol. If an invader moved the stones to enter, then restacked them, officers would be able to tell from a distance if the stones had been tampered with based on the orientation of the red symbol. Other stones were strategically placed so they would make noise when they fell as an invader attempted to cross the fence.

From there we rode to the Unification Bridge, where a South Korean military officer boarded our bus and counted the number of passengers. The seriousness and reality of where we were and what we were about to enter became clear to many of us in that moment. We entered the exhibition hall and watched a short, informative video on the tunnels that have been discovered (as recently as 1990) leading from North Korea to Seoul. After the video and a walk around some informative diorama-esque exhibits detailing the 38th parallel location, we found ourselves at the beginning of the 3rd tunnel. Discovered by South Korea in 1978, it was capable of transmitting a full division of North Korea troops in an hour. Officials believe it was designed for a surprise attack on Seoul. We donned school-bus-yellow hard hats and began an extremely steep descent towards the tunnel. Once we reached the head of it, we had to bend over and walk like a primate to avoid bumping our noggins on the beams and granite above.
After we caught our breath from climbing up the tunnel ramp, we briefly visited the gift shop, then got back on the bus for our next destination - the Dora Observatory. Had it not been raining, thundering, and lightning, this would have been perhaps the most fascinating stop. The building was designed and built purposely so visitors could sit in the auditorium and see the landscape with border lines superimposed on the windows. In other words, we would have literally seen where North and South Korea stop. This is also the point closest to North Korea. We were told about villages that lie on either side of the 38th parallel; on the South Korea side, the villagers are exempt from income taxes and military duties, but can only live there if their ancestors did. Unfortunately, due to the clouds and rain, we weren't able to see past the shrubs outside the window. But the landscape was certainly imaginable, and I think we could better understand just how close to North Korea we were today. (In the picture below, imagine the mountains and valley behind us. That's North Korea...)
Our final stop was the Dorasan rail station. This is the northernmost station on South Korea's rail line. Many people from North and South Korea hope that this rail station can someday facilitate a reunification and one nation.
On the way "home", we were taken to an amethyst factory/store. I think everyone was awed by the beautiful, deeply colored purple stones. There was everything from small, elegant rings, bracelets, pendants, and earrings, to flashy, gargantuan stones. Several pieces would have been right at home in Liz Taylor's collection! This was the last stop for our tour and time for dinner! We all agreed that, on a Sunday evening, especially the Sunday before the 4th of July, Outback Steakhouse was in order. We had the upper level of the restaurant to ourselves and the servicxe was excellent. Everyone enjoyed their taste-of-home-with-a-twist; yes, the menu was basically the same. Some of the ingredients were different, but the presentation and atmosphere was much like that of Outback's in the states.
Tomorrow's plans include sessions on Curriculum & Instruction and Special Education in Korea. We are looking forward to a bus tour of Seoul City tomorrow afternoon, followed by a traditional Korean dinner in a restaurant run by Monks.
That's all for now - time to rest up for another day of adventures!