We're still planning on the DMZ route, but I'm curious to know if you ever got the impression that any of the DMZ tour was just for military show? A solider guarding the door to the North to prevent them from interfering with the tour? That's a bit much...

Big grey building in the background is N. Korean. Blue buildings are UN Buildings that straddle the Military Demarcation Line (divider between North and South), that you get to enter during the tour.

Given the fact that live firefights have broken out between North and South during the course of tours (admittedly, the last one occurred during a N. Korean guided tour where a Soviet citizen ran across the line to defect), I wouldn't put anything past them. The North Koreans are constantly pushing the envelope in the Joint Security Area to observe the reaction of ROK and U.S. Army Soldiers. Also, given their present crazyness, I wouldn't put anything past them. When you are on the North side of the UN Building, you are technically on North Korean soil (without a Visa). Ostensibly, if the North chose to, they could use that as a pretense for all manner of nastiness. IIRC, unauthorized presence in N. Korea was the pretense for sentencing those two U.S. journos to twelve years hard labor.

Good point.

Did you see much (any?) activity on the N. Korea side of the DMZ? From your pictures, that side looks rather dead so I was surprised to see that they needed to guard the door.

I just looked at my reservation on nwa.com again, and I now have eight eticket numbers.

There are observation posts with mirrored windows either side of the big grey building. Also, shortly before our tour bus left, a cadre (just two, but the word "cadre" has a nice ring to it) of N. Koreans with Top-Gun style Aviator Sunglasses exited the main door of that big grey building, and watched us with arms crossed as we boarded the bus and went on to the U.S./S. Korean observation post (where you get a view of the propaganda village).

In case I needed any more proof that my boss is a total schmuck, he came into my office this morning telling me that I'm "f^#&ing nuts" for rerouting through CLE on Friday "just to see an old paint job on a dumb plane." I think he's just jealous because he heard what a great time I had there, and at DO IV, after I invited him to come to both events and he declined. Too bad the economy is where it is & most of our competitors are laying people off because it's definitely time to get out from under him.

when do you depart?

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Our team took 3rd place at golf outing
63

Tomorrow.

:rolleyes:

My last corporate golf outing, I was out team's A golfer. C golfer's girlfriend was driving the adult beverage cart, stayed with our foursome, and I had the box of Macanudos. We got the prize for worst score - let's just say we returned over par and all needed drivers (not the type in our bag) ...

That's great ^

My best friend is going to be in LAS for 5 of the 6 days with me (1 - 5 July). One day, we're staying center strip - an activity is going to Ellis Island to use my "unlimited drinks for two for an hour" coupon (specifically allows top shelf), then walking to the Westin to shoot craps while loaded (the only way to shoot craps) during their happy hour.

I'm taking $150 in dollar coins for drink tips.

wait till the TSA stops and questions you on why you have so much metal in your bag :D