This is the Imjingak Peace Gondola, the world’s only gondola traveling in the Civilian Control Zone (CCZ).

I didn’t know we were going to ride the gondola later. We didn’t know in advance what was going to happen on this tour. But we were told to be on time or the tour wouldn’t continue. I’m pretty sure the North Koreans timed us.

This was taken from the gondola.

We were able to catch a glimpse of North Korea.

The Imjingang River. Defectors have been known to swim across this river with guards shooting at them.

An unusual sculpture at the Third Tunnel of Aggression. This tunnel was discovered in 1978 and was only 27 miles from Seoul. At first, North Korea denied building the tunnel, then said it was part of a coal mine. No coal was found anywhere near this tunnel. It was designed to accomplish a secret attack on Seoul. The incomplete tunnel is a mile long. I decided to not go in it because I’m tall and would have had to bend over double. My 6’4″ son did it though. And hit his head many times. Luckily they were given safety helmets.

You could pose with these guys if you wanted. That’s the Joint Security Area (JSA) behind them, which was closed on that day because of Travis King. He was the American who left a similar tour and walked into North Korea. Before crossing the border, King had faced disciplinary action while stationed in South Korea and had served time in a correctional facility. He was deported after weeks of effort with the help of the Swedish government.

The Joint Security Area or Truce Village is the only portion of the DMZ where North and South Korean forces stand face-to-face.

The uniforms the North Korean soldiers wear. Kind of tongue-in-cheek.

The Imjingang Observatory.

The Peace Lighthouse.

On the Military Street there were land mine signs. There are supposed to be one million of them.

Also North Korean insignia. I liked the colors and design.

And a No Missles sign. So ironic.

Finally, there was yet another gift shop. I bought a tiny magnet because I had only a carry-on that was filled to the brim. I also wasn’t sure if the money was going to North Korea or South Korea.

It was definitely strange to be in a war zone. About 60% of North Koreans are living in absolute poverty and that is sad.

I hope this hasn’t been too depressing! I promise the rest of the trip is not somber at all.

Great weekend, everyone….

{carole}