a VIP glanze to Northkorea

The DMZ (demilitarised zone) is a buffer zone between North- and Southkorea. It is 250km long and about 4km wide and the most heavily militarized border in the world. It is only possible to visit it within a guided tour.
Thanks to Kate, who attracted some American soldiers attention in the subway, we got free tickets for the DMZ tour. 

We saw the worlds most dangerouse golf course. It deserves this title for its closeness to the mine field. We had a glanze to Northkorea and saw soldiers from Northkorea observing us with binoculars. We actually stept over the border but just inside of one of the blue conference houses. And we saw the bridge of no return, that was the exchange place of prisoners at the end of Korean war in 1953. The name originates from the claim that many prisoners of war captured by the United States did not wish to return home. The prisoners were brought to the bridge and given the choice to remain in the country of their captivity or cross over to the other country. But if they chose to cross the bridge, they would never be allowed to return.
Most of the times we were not allowed to take any pictures, just at a few points of the tour and only if explict announced we had the opportunity to do it.

As the VIPs that we were that day, we were given the opportunity to see the barracks of the American soldiers in Southkorea and their recreation rooms after the touristy but interesting tour.
We had lunch together with them in their cafeteria, just American food but I had a yummy Philly Cheesesteak. I felt slightly uncomfortable because one of the soldiers was holding a magazin in his hands, playing with a bullet. Not what I expact people doing while having lunch. Well, we were at a military camp so I guess that's how you have a break there....with a gun in your hand.

It was absolutely interesting but a little bit creepy as just two days after our visit at the border Northkorea started a gunfight and attacked a Southkorean island with artillery. Seems like the East Asian conflict goes to the next round. Sad!