DPRK, Day 8

Day 8. USS Pueblo, train back to Beijing.

Before our long train journey back to Beijing we made our last sight seeing stop by the river where the USS Pueblo is moored. On January 23, 1968 the USS Pueblo was attacked and captured by North Korean navy vessels while carrying out her surveillance mission. One man was killed and 82 surviving crew members were held for 11 months.

On board we were shown a couple of propaganda videos. On which we were informed of the US imperialist aggressors' plan to spy and invade North Korea.

The communication room with the high-tech spy gear. There's even a digital clock!

For more information on the incident visit the Pueblo site.

The Central Pyongyang Train Station was bustling. The platform was just as crazy as any train station in the world.

There were 2 carriages destined for Beijing, 4 for the Chinese border before heading to Moscow, a dining cart, and the rest were local carriages.

We were suddenly overwhelmed with a warm and fuzzy feeling when we saw the Chinese crest on the carriage. Who would have thought we could ever take it as a sign of relief(and perhaps complacency)? It's all relative huh.

We could have flown back but we wanted the full experience and a chance to see the country side. We saw lots of farms and country houses and sometimes small towns during our 5-hour journey to the border.

We didn't really relax until we got through the border checks. North Korean officers came on the train, checked our passports, briefly searched our luggage, and we were each given a metal detector search with the beeping thingy. The officers were generally friendly with lots of smiles. They didn't check the images on our cameras but they did ask to see our wallets to make sure that no North Korean Won was being smuggled out. (The smuggled won was all under the mattresses instead, but that's pretty much an open secret.) Meanwhile the local train carriages behind us were being detached, and a new locomotive attached to our now very short train for the border crossing.

A river naturally sets the Korean/Chinese border. The Chinese border control was very quick and easy. Again officers came on, check our passports and landing cards and that was it. The Russian-bound carriages were detached and a long series of local Chinese carriages was merged behind us. At long last (after 3 hours and a bit) we were heading to Beijing!

The bunks were actually quite comfortable and roomy. We were given blankets and pillows and there was hot water available from the charcoal fueled water heater! (The water was so hot it melted our cabinmate's water bottle!) Sleep was much needed and we pretty much slept our way through to Beijing.

Before the trip we knew we would be going back in time but we didn't realise quite how far. People often compare North Korea with 80s China. Now just actually seeing the stark difference between China and North Korea at the border is mind-blowing.

DPRK, Day 7

Day 7. Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum, Grand People's Study House, Party Foundation Museum, Schoolchildren's Palace, Mass Games.
Special guest writer: M

We set off early for Pyongyang passing endless paddy fields and the occasional orchard of small ginko trees. The southern area is certainly the poorest and the farming life is tough. At one point we saw a group of five or six men pulling a plough by hand using only ropes. On the verges and banks of streams people seemed to be cutting vegetation presumably to eat.

On the outskirts of Pyongyang we stopped at a monument for the reunification, throughout the tour we were told it is the greatest desire to reunify the country and were reminded that it was the US imperialists that stand in the way! It has to be said the North Koreans certainly do big monuments!

The rest of the day was to be a pretty heavy tour of museums one of which we had missed earlier in the trip. First was The Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum to the north of the city; we were warned that it would be cold inside and indeed it was. One of the joys of the tour was the lady tour guides who ranged from waifs with shrill wavering voices who seemed to become overawed with emotion at the mention of the name of the great leader to the slightly more cool ones who seemed to be in it for gifts of cosmetics that they received from tour groups. This one was different, younger and quite cheery but none the less scary and, as we were to find out soon, quite mad. Her introduction began with a detailed technical description of the size of the museum and the number of rooms (86 I recall) and then she went on to describe how the museum was a testament to the victory of the Korean people over the imperialist US aggressors. One of our group was starting to feel the cold and the guide remarked that we wouldn't need to be there if the US imperialist aggressors hadn't invaded the country! This left the person dumb struck and then she asked "didn't he agree?" as if it was obvious.
The museum apparently has 50 panoramic video screens and we got to see one depicting the struggle of the heroic truck drivers who resupplied the front lines. It was very seventies with little figures and trucks moving up the valley whilst being bombed; it had clearly taken thousands of hours to build. At the end of the tour we were shown a giant revolving panorama showing the retreat of the Americans in the first big push by the north early in the war. This period came up quite a lot in the tours and the books, but what is never explained is how the battle lines ended up getting pushed back north to the 38th parallel where the armistice was finally struck two years later in 1953.

From the museum we walked through the parade ground with statues depicting the war and the the victory of the Korean people.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped off to take pictures of the incomplete Ryugyong Hotel. This has to be one of the most troubling wastes of resources you will ever see. It is a massive 330 meters high and has 105 stories but is only a shell. It was designed to have over 3,000 rooms which given the current level of tourists (around 100,000 a year mostly from China) would still make it not viable even if every single on stayed there for a week. Construction started in 1987 at an estimated cost of $750 million, or 2% of the country’s GDP. It was halted in 1992 apparently due to financial problems which makes sense as it coincides with the decline of financial support following the break up of the USSR in 1991. It can be seen from all over Pyongyang but it no longer on any of the maps.

The next stop was brief visit to a tourist supermarket where the Argentinian owner sells out-of -date imported merchandise. The oldest stuff we could find was insect repellent that expired five years earlier. After lunch it was on to the Grand People's Study House, behind the Kim Il Sung Square where the military marches are held. Again it was opened in 1992 and was one of the last great follies the government could afford. It has 10 stories and we were told houses 30 million volumes and 14 study rooms. In the entrance hallway is the obligatory huge statute of the great leader.

The building has ten stories and comprises ten buildings housing, we were told, 30 million volumes. For those of you who are interested there are some rarely available publications on plumbing installation and design and one on cementing (which perhaps the constructors of the Ryugyong Hotel should have read).

There are 14 lecture theatres and over 240 professors who are there to give lectures and answer questions.

In the audio section we were allowed to listen to some of their collection of old rock including Queen. They also have a collection of vinyl that is probably worth a fortune now.

To find a book, you must first queue up to find the number at the lobby, then use the card system to check the location, it must take hours!

We were growing a little tired now and so we were not in the best of spirits when we herded off to the Party Founding Museum. It is located on Haebang Hill and was actually built by the Japanese during their rule. After the revolution in 1945 it was used as headquarters of the Central Committee of the Party for a few years. We were treated to a very lengthy description of the early years of the liberation and were shown the small dark room where the comrade lead the liberation and presided over the formation of the workers party. Apparently Kim Il Sung rejected his aides attempts to relocating him to a larger, lighter room favouring the relative hardship of his existing office.

The guide, a mature lady who was definitely on the lookout for cosmetics, explained how the leader established a university to "grow" (her word not mine) the administrative arm of the government. By this we had been on our feet for four hours and two of the group were chided by one of guides (christened Prada Bitch for her preference for high heals and handbags) for yawning and leaning against the wall. She asked why we weren't paying attention and without irony whether we were bored listening to the story of the formation of the workers party. Unfortunately I wasn't close enough to give her a truthful answer.

Next stop was the Schoolchildren's Palace. This is where they provide extra-curricular activities such as music, performing arts and sports. The kids performed some pieces for us which was very sweet. They seem to be taught by wrote repeating things until they get it.

At the end of the tour we watched a show which they put on for visitors twice a week. It was very well rehearsed. There was a violinist who must have been only 6 or 7 who was very talented, although you cant help thinking she must have been drilled from a very early age.

There was an embarrassing moment at the end when a group of over excited Chinese tourists stormed the stage and started handing out sweets. One of them picked up one of the performers so she could have her picture taken. Perhaps western tourists are just too reserved.

Outside a group was having a taekwondo lesson.

Editor's note: to me the schoolchildren's palace seemed more like a boot camp. Kids are not there to have extracurricular activities but to get themselves ready for the Mass Games perhaps. Though the performances were impressive, I couldn't help but to compare them to the weird kids in beauty pageants. Gives me the chill.

The last visit of the day was a second chance for those who wanted to see the mass games. The show is the same every time and apparently doesn't change much between years. The guides were a bit more nervy this time apparently there had been complaints about earlier visitors taking pictures outside the games which you are not supposed to do.

We arrived earlier this time and so got to see the school children's warm up before the show starts. The children form the backdrop of the show and each has a book; they turn the pages in perfect synchronisation, it is very impressive. During the show they also use the backdrop like a movie screen and project films which is very clever.

I think this scene is about the countries technological advances but I didn't really get it.

There a is cute scene where the kids dress up as animals. Some of them are chickens and there were some eggs too. One of them fell over which was funny but a bit of a shame.

They do the head twirling thing too.

Editor's note: for some reason the special guest writer ended the writing abruptly. I wanted to add that on top of the patriotic and the cute acts, there were also some crazy-ass stunts. I've got a clip and although the quality is not ideal you can still see people being tossed around and spun at 50, 60 meters.

DPRK, Day 6

Day 6. DMZ, Concrete Wall, Koryo Museum, tomb of King Kongmin, Kaesong.

The drive from Pyongyang to the DMZ took 2 and a half hours. There were a number of security checkpoints along the way, at which the assistant guides aka watcher dudes' secret identity was finally unveiled: soldiers were giving them salutes - aha!

The Demilitarised Zone is a 4km stretch on the 38th parallel. The section tourists get to go is called Panmumjom. Inside the DMZ are a number of buildings of historical importance. This is the one where the armistice was signed.

Adjacent to the building a collection of pictures are shown. The Kim-is-admired-around-the-world illustration is of course included.

We headed further south towards the Joint Security Area and the 38th parallel. The road has concrete blocks on the sides which can be dropped in case of a tank attack.

Remember the hovercraft chase scene on James Bond: Die Another Day? He flies on this muddy road full of landmines with his hovercraft and there's even a waterfall somewhere. Not that I would believe anything in the Bond movies, I was still a little surprised to see farmhouses and farms dotted around the DMZ.

The 38th parallel, with the South Korean building on the background. The small houses are conference halls and the line runs through the middle of all of them. The blue ones are North Korean and the others South.

View of the Line - the very low "wall" where the 2 guys are standing). While we would probably get shot if we were to cross the line outside, we were free to hop back and forth inside the house. The place was very very quiet and there was virtually no one in the south side. Apparently soldiers don't even stand outside unless tourists are around. We didn't understand why everyone was armed when it's a demilitarised zone?
We travelled east of Panmunjom to observe the Concrete Wall, built by the US aggressors on the south side of the line to divide the country. It is allegedly 240 km long, 5 to 8 meters high and 7 meters wide at the top.

The day was way too overcast and hazy for us to see the wall clearly from the distance. We could see some kind of structure but we couldn't work out whether it 's just a border or a wall. It looked more like a bank behind a fence but who knows (someone please google earth it). I wonder why we weren't allowed a closer look? Landmines?

The General explained in feigning sadness how the wall separates the people of the same blood from reunifying, and even animals cannot pass through. He was an interesting character, very entrepreneurial as well (email me on this one).

After the Concrete Wall we got to see the Koryo Museum, converted from an 11th century Confucian college. Exhibits include valuable Koryo artifacts and relics.

The 1000 year old ginko tree in the garden.

The tomb of the 31st King of Koryo, Kongmin, and the tomb of his queen on his side.

The guardians of the tombs: 2 officials and 2 soldiers.

After the tombs we finally got to have a short stroll in Kaesong city, the capital of Koryo (918-1392). The Nam Gate was built in 1391 as 1 of the 7 gates of the fort. It is the only one standing today.

View of Kaesong from Kwandok Pavilion(1780).

We stayed at the Kaesong Korean Traditional Hotel for the night. The rooms are in small clusters with gardens and courtyards. Very unique indeed!

The traditional bedding arrangement was quite comfortable. Except the pillow was way too hard and tall. To our surprises there was some kind of floor heating arrangement when we went to bed, even thought the electricity was out.