Friday, November 16, 2007

Home from Korea!

Hi everyone! I am home from my great adventure to Korea.

Kristin and I were SO busy with her journalist friends that I haven't had time to update the blog. Now we both have that jet-lag stuff....so it is going to take me a few days to get all of my stories posted.

But here's a preview of what's to come:

I got to visit a place called the "DMZ...or Demilitarized Zone." That's the border between South Korea and North Korea. Soldiers on both sides of the border stare at each other EVERY day. It is very interesting and strange all at the same time.



I also got to visit a Buddhist temple. Kristin and her journalist friends got to wear "traditional" clothes. I thought Kristin looked really funny in her outfit, so I am glad they didn't have one in my size.


As part of the visit to the Buddhist temple, we spent the night at a hotel near the temple. But there wasn't a bed in the hotel room! So we had to spend the night on the floor. Can you believe it?! Here's the proof.


Best of all, we got to spend the night in North Korea. Kristin had already told me that very few people get to visit North Korea, so I know I am VERY lucky that I got to spend the night there. Kristin says I am probably the first...if not THE first....flat person to visit North Korea. How cool is that?

But, the North Korea trip was not what I expected. There were soldiers with guns posted all over the place and we had to stay inside a green fence the entire time. It was actually kind of scary (but don't tell Kristin I said that!). Here I am with the ID badge that Kristin had to wear the entire time we were in North Korea.


This is the hotel we stayed at in North Korea.


Here is a photo Sean took of a village near the hotel. It sure doesn't look anything like the hotel area.


Sean also took this photo of people working in the fields along the road to the hotel. Sean wasn't supposed to take photos while we were on the bus, but he did anyway. I'm glad no one saw him or he might have been in BIG trouble.


I need to get some sleep. I promise I will write more and share many more photos in the coming days. But before I go I want to thank Kristin and Sean for taking me with them to Korea. I also want to thank all of Kristin's journalist friends for being so nice to me!

Until then....bye!