Seoul May 2013- DMZ

So, I just got back from a weekend in Seoul, S. Korea with a girlfriend. Have I mentioned before I have the greatest husband? Not only did he encourage me to go (and he works really hard to make bonuses so we can do fun things like this) but he took great care of the kids while I was gone. This was the first time I had been away from them for 3 bedtime routines, and in a different country from them. No tears were shed when I left, some were shed while I was gone by them, and everyone was thrilled to see each other when we all awoke this morning. I confess, I did not think much of the kids while I was gone. For one, I knew the husband could handle them and would do a fabulous job. Two, I needed a break...a break from dinners, baths, constant questions, constant feet under mine...a weekend to be an adult and not a full on mama. It was a much needed respite and I felt so re-energized when I came back. I was tired today, because we literally did not stop except to sleep while in Seoul, but I was not tired in the way of I will yell at my kids because I am tired. I was physically tired but mentally refreshed. So, we got to Seoul Friday evening. By the time we got into the city and checked into our hotel, we grabbed a bite to eat (Korean bar-b-q naturally, because what else do you eat in Korea except meat and veggies) and hit the sack because Saturday morning we had to meet at the USO base in Seoul to depart to the DMZ, otherwise known as the Demilitarization Zone...aka...4 km of territory that is both occupied by the North and South militaries and some folks from the US. This was a high priority for both my friend and I because there is literally no other place on earth that is like this. You cannot imagine the feeling of standing at a guard post, taking pictures of a fake city developed by the North, with North Korean soldiers behind you in the guard post in a window with a mirror. Crazy. This fake city has a large flag of North Korea with the tallest flag pole in the country, and from this city the North gives propaganda over a loud speaker out to the country. We got to walk in the rooms where meetings are held between the two countries and step into the North. While taking pictures of these rooms, across the way was a lone soldier from the North watching us with binoculars for any weird movements or gestures. Thankfully nobody waved at him. It was just surreal. The whole experience. I learned so much. The CEO of hyundai has tried to help build bridges with the North. He donated 60 cows to them because he felt guilty that as a child he stole one cow. He paid for a special bridge to be built in the DMZ to transfer the cows to the north. I got to see the bridge of no return, where after the war 50,000 people chose to walk to the south and 11,000 people chose to walk to the North, and they never returned. I saw the place where men were killed trying to cut down a tree so they could have a clearer view of the North. They were told they had permission to cut down the tree but within ten minutes were attacked and killed. I saw a village in the DMZ, inhabited by 211 people, who are protected in the DMZ by S. Korea and the US and are paid $85,000 a year tax free to remain in the village and work the land. Their ancestors survived the war and the only way you can live there is by being born into the family or if women marry into a family from the village. Men from the outside cannot marry a woman from this family and they continue to live in this village. I crawled in a tunnel that was built by the North Koreans. Supposedly they have built 20 tunnels underneath the ground all heading into S. Korea for a potential attack. However, the S. Korean army has only found 4 of the 20 tunnels. I learned that S. Koreans and Chinese people are not allowed to take the tour I took unless they get authorized permission due to the potential of them being spies. I got to visit Dorasan station, the railway station, that if one day opened up, would enable Koreans to travel through Korea, take the Trans-Siberian railway, and make their way to Europe, opening up a huge range of opportunity for travel for them via trains. The US troops and S. Korean troops who are stationed here face their enemy every day...literally, they share territory with their enemy. It was an unbelievable experience I will never forget. I hope I can see in my lifetime this country become one again.