DMZ-Finale

We left the Thrid Tunnel and headed for the observation tower. This is as close to the DMZ you can get withour being on a specialized tour. You have to stand behind a yellow line to take photos. They don't allow visitors to go to the edge of the observatory to take pictures. I'm not sure why that is. I'm wondering if it's so NK can't see SK visitors taking photos. However, you can walk up to the edge of the observatory and look through binoculars. On clear day, from the observatory, one can see the North Korean tower, with their flag waving. This tower was built higher than the South Korean tower, to prove they are higher and mightier. Also, one can see the Propoganda Village, which is just across the border. The Propoganda Village has up to date buildings to make it appear that everything there is normal and that people live well there. There are actually a few people who are allowed to live in this Propoganda Village, and they are the family members of NK soldiers. Also, on a clear day, one can see the treeline end. South Korea is densely forested, and North Korea should be the same. However, it's pretty much sapped all its natural resources, including its lumber. The treeline just stops on the other side of the DMZ. Only devestated forest remains. Sadly, it was way to foggy to see any of this on the day we were there. I was able to see the NK observation tower through the binoculars however.
From the observation tower, we went to our last stop, whcih was the train station at Dorasan. This is the train station that travelers between the countries will use once the border is opened. It's quiet and vacant, with only a few commuters going from there to another town in South Korea. There is one train a day that leaves from Dorasan that goes into North Korea, and one train that arrives. There are no passengers on either trains, just goods. Near the Propoganda Village there is a factory that is owned by South Koreans and several thousand North Koreans work there. Two main exports from this factory are jeans and fabric softener. We were able to buy a ticket to get on the train platform. This train station is 63 miles from Pyonggang.
There was so much devestation on this tour. However, there was a lot of hope, too. Koreans are eager and hopeful for the reunification of their country. The train station at Dorasan seemed to make that evident. Though it sits nearly totally empty, it waits expectantly for the day when it will be full of travelers going freely from one end of the peninsula to the other, without fear of death, nor forever seperated from loved ones.