Days 10 to 11 - Pyongyang to Beijing

Monday September 13 to Tuesday September 14, 2010

A domestic carriage carrying local passengers. (Photo courtesy of Tim)

We departed Pyongyang station on time at 10:10am. The first class carriages we were in were fairly modern with air conditioning. However twenty minutes out of Pyongyang it was switched off, and with the sealed windows the temperature was well in the high thirties for most of the journey. Were they saving power perhaps? I'm not sure.

On the way to the dining car we walked through the domestic carriages that the locals were using, and the second class sleeper cars that were packed with Chinese tourists. We did indeed have the best carriage, but the patrons on those carriages could open their windows for relief from the heat!

A rural scene on the way to Sinuiju (Photo courtesy of Tim).

The train passed through hundreds of kilometres of the western countryside. From what we read in the outside world these are the parts of the country which suffer greatly from floods. In fact just before our trip in late August the Yalu (Amnok) River flooded heavily causing damage both in China and North Korea.

Although we were now liberated from our guides there was one final hurdle expected at the border: camera inspectors. As well as bag inspectors officials specialising in camera technology would review our photos and delete any that portray the country in a negative light. I read beforehand that images taken from the train and of train stations is frowned upon - so deliberately did not use my camera during the long ride.

Domestic train passengers waving back at us. (Photo courtesy of Tim)

Several stops were made at country towns and often a domestic train heading to Pyongyang was stopped on the opposite platforms. The foreigners took advantage of these last chances for contact by waving at everyone outside. Indeed the locals on the other trains were responsive, smiling and waving back at us. At one stage the other tour members got me to write "Hello!" in Korean on a sheet of paper so we could display it through the window.

North Korean military personnel. (Photo courtesy of Tim)

At the border city of Sinuiju customs officers boarded to check our paperwork, then the bag and camera inspectors performed their duties. If you know me in real life ask me which photos and videos they deleted.

After a stifling two hour stop (we were not allowed to alight) for inspections and separation of domestic carriages we were finally headed to China!

The Sino-Korea Friendship Bridge connects Sinuiju and Dandong over the Yalu (Amnok) River. There is a second bridge about 100m next to it which was broken by the United States during the Korean War to cut the supply line from China. The remnant reaches about halfway from the Chinese side, and acts as an eerie reminder of "American imperialist aggression".

On the Sinuiju side of the river there is a large fake ferris wheel which is a prop to make it seem like North Koreans are always having fun. On the Chinese side there are speedboat operators who take tourists out to the river to take a peek into North Korea. Tourists can also walk to the end of the broken bridge to peer into the reclusive country.

As we crossed the river into China our mobile phones were returned to us, and a chorus of ringtones was heard through the carriage as everyone checked back into the "free world". You know you have just been to a truly bizzarre place when you call China liberal. In fact a few of us joked during thr train ride that we would not know what to do in Beijing: How will we know what time to wake up, have breakfast, and be on the bus by without someone telling us? We will not know what to do with ourselves.

At Dandong station there was another one hour stoppage to allow the North Korean carriages to join the Chinese train. Some of the tour members had an overnight side-trip at Dandong arranged, so we said goodbye to them.

After a lovely dinner in the Chinese dining car I hardly slept Monday night as our carriage was still without air conditioning. While on the top bunk I noticed Hannah walking by the corridor so asked:

me: Hannah, can you please ask the attendant to turn on the air conditioning?
Hannah: I tried before, but I'll ask again for you. How do you say "cold air" in Korean?
me: "chahn bahrahm", literally it means "cold wind".
Hannah: "chahn bahrahm" - okay, I shall go and ask for some cold wind!

The train zoomed through eastern China over Monday night, and by sunrise the rapid development of the country was on full display (I'd never seen so much construction in progress). Scenes like those reminded us of the tragic situation that North Korea is in - such advancement could easily be implemented there, if only the powerful few showed some initiative.

Early Tuesday morning what remained of the tour group bid our last farewell at Beijing railway station to complete an experience that would stay with us forever.

Day 10 - a) Pyongyang railway station

Monday September 13, 2010

We packed our bags in the morning to experience something that almost all North Koreans cannot - exiting the country. We were to catch a train from Pyongyang to Beijing, a ride that takes one full day.

As we rode the coach to the railway station Miss Jong bid us farewell with a song:

Pyongyang station was busier than I expected. We said our goodbyes to the Korean guides and the tourists who were staying in the country for an extension.

Pyongyang railway station. (Photo courtesy of Tim)

"Pyongyang to Beijing" (Photo courtesy of Tim)

Our train was a mixture of local and international carriages - they separate from each other at the border city of Sinuiju. The latter continues onto the Chinese border city of Dandong where they join a Chinese train for the journey to Beijing. We were in the first class sleeper carriage, with four bunks per cabin.

Timetable for the Pyongyang to Beijing train.

The trip to Sinuiju would take something like six hours even though the distance is not that great - a result of the rundown infrastructure forcing the train to travel not much faster than 40km/hour. Once we enter China all that would change and the train would zoom to Beijing at express speed.

Day 9 - e) Diplomatic Club, final night dinner and karaoke

Sunday September 12, 2010

Just before dinner both groups visited the Taedonggang Diplomatic Club. This is an entertainment and leisure facility where foreign diplomats and the very privileged members of the Korean Workers' Party come to have fun.

Segregated bathrooms! (Photo courtesy of Tim)

Even at a place like this careful segregation of locals from potential outside influence was apparent. Some of the tour members brought swimming gear to have a dip in the indoor pool, but upon arrival they were rejected as it was a "Koreans only" day at the pool. And there were separate bathrooms for foreigners and locals, as Justin liked to point out - see picture.

As we enjoyed a drink at the bar the "official" tour DVD was shown to us. A cameraman had followed both groups for the entire tour recording us and yes, it is remarkable that the final edited product would be available for viewing on the last evening. Although the preview at the Diplomatic Club suggested the footage was squeezed onto a very rigid template - complete with corny music and stock footage of the places of interest. Purchase of the DVD was optional.

Our final dinner in North Korea was at a specialist duck BBQ restaurant. Sadly it started to sink in for all the tourists that the trip of a lifetime was drawing to an end, and Hannah thanked the Korean guides on our behalf. A combined group photo was taken at the restaurant, with the Americans missing (as they were forced to depart the country two days earlier):

Both groups on the final night at the duck restaurant. (Photo courtesy of Amanda)

Hannah, Amanda and Maria at final night karaoke. (Photo courtesy of Tim)

Upon our return to the Yanggakdo Hotel all the tourists and the western guides headed to the basement karaoke bar for end-of-trip celebrations. Our local guides had worked restlessly for ten consecutive days, and we asked them to come down and socialise with us. However by 11pm none had shown up so we conceded that they needed their rest after what is, after all, work for them.

Peter and karaoke attendants. (Photo courtesy of Tim)

Michael and Brian singing in German. (Photo courtesy of Tim)

But our mood turned around at 11:30pm when Mr Lee and Miss Jong presented themselves at the karaoke bar! They entered to applause and cheers, and we were glad that they would let down their hair with us.

The karaoke facility itself was not automatic as we know it in the outside world but rather we had to tell an attendant which song we wanted and she entered the selection into a computer. And amusingly the English song book only contained tracks beginning with A to I... so if your favourite song was in the second half of the alphabet it was tough luck!

Michael and Mr Lee smoking cigars. (Photo courtesy of Tim)

Michael shared cigars with Mr Lee, who was used to enjoying such fine things having spent time overseas and guiding foreigners in Korea for many years. I managed to have a lengthy chat with Miss Jong - she told me about her family, her aspirations, and her dreams.

Before the trip most of the tourists would have seen the the local guides as a burden placed on us by a paranoid government, and while that is functionally true they're still people, not robots. As such we warmed to them over the days as the North Koreans we had the most exposure to.

Justin, Miss Jong and me at final night karaoke. (Photo courtesy of Tim)

Day 9 - d) Arch Of Reunification, Moran Hill Park encore

Sunday September 12, 2010

Almost every tourist had a snooze on the long bus ride back into Pyongyang from Kaesong. Many tour members had spent the previous night drinking and singing until the wee hours at the heritage hotel. Even those who didn't were feeling the effects of a grueling ten days in North Korea.

As we entered Pyongyang on the Reunification Highway we stopped at the Arch Of Reunification, which serves as the wallpaper of this blog! The massive arch consists of two symmetrical female figures holding up a unified map of Korea over the highway. If you look at the right hand base of the arch you can see me as a reference point to give you an idea of how large the monument is.

By the time we arrived in central Pyongyang it was late in the afternoon, but both groups headed to Moran Hill Park. After Thursday's satisfying experience I requested that Group B return on the Sunday so that those who chose the circus could have a chance to interact with the locals. After hearing about this members of Group A demanded the same... so an intimidating combined group of 34 foreigners (plus guides) roamed Moran Hill Park.

Sunday is the only day off work for North Koreans so Moran Hill Park would have been well patronised earlier in the day, but by the time we had arrived it was well past 5pm and there was not a lot to see. However we ended up at the pavilion with the traditional music/dancing, where the hardiest souls were still partying the afternoon away. I was glad to see those absent on our first visit have fun there dancing with the locals:

Traditional music pavilion, on our second visit to Moran Hill Park. (Photo courtesy of Tim)

Day 9 - c) Kaesong and Koryo Museum

Sunday September 12, 2010

Driving back from the DMZ we had a chance to look over Kaesong. As previously mentioned the city is set in an aesthetically pleasing valley. Terrific photo opportunities were available on the hill where the obligatory Kim Il Sung statue was situated:

Main boulevard of Kaesong.

Being an ancient capital the view out to the old town was absorbing, with thousands of traditional style houses laid out over an endless network of narrow streets:

The view over old town in Kaesong.

Koryo Museum in Kaesong was our next destination. This facility exhibited ancient cultural relics with a focus on the Koryo dynasty obviously. The museum itself is physically located in an old Confucian school from that period. The local museum guide here seemed decidedly uninterested, just mechanically reciting her memorised explanations of artifacts and impatiently waiting for the translation to finish.

Our time in this historical city was rounded out at a traditional Kaesong-style lunch, featuring numerous tiny golden bowls of dishes crowding the table - yum:

Lunch at Kaesong.

Day 9 - b) Panmunjom and Joint Security Area

Sunday September 12, 2010

The irony of the term Korean Demilitarised Zone is that it is the most heavily militarised border in the world. The Joint Security Area is the only area of the DMZ where troops from each side stand face-to-face. It is the one place in the world where visitors can still truly feel the tension of the cold war first hand.

Panmunjom is a name often mistakenly used to refer to the JSA. It is actually the former village where negotiations between the United Nations and North Korea took place during the Korean War, and is about 800m north of the JSA. The village no longer exists but the North Korea Peace Museum is now on that site.

As we entered the car park of Panmunjom/JSA the guide pointed out a road sign that indicated "Seoul 70km" - a sad reminder of a divided nation. As it was only about 100m outside the gates after we hopped off the bus I asked Miss Jong permission to take a photo of it. She told me to do it quickly so I ran out of the car park, snapped a picture, then waddled back.

Seoul 70km.

It was then I realised the other tourists had seen me and wanted to do the same, but was stopped by the other guides. Military personnel then stormed in and demanded I show them the photos I took. The patrol soldier was satisfied that the only shot I took was the road sign (and not of rural scenes or people), but nevertheless he still reprimanded Miss Jong for allowing one of her guests to walk out of the complex unaccompanied. Of course I could understand what he was saying to her in Korean without him knowing.

One wonders what may have happened if the military knew I had a southern background. Mr Park explained that because the DMZ is such a sensitive area for the military the tour guides are powerless and we must adhere to the army instructions.

It was fair to say I was a bit shaken up by that incident, although I was also worried for Miss Jong for getting her into trouble. She was worried for me, and kept checking that I was okay and reassured me that all was well.

A very articulate young male soldier was our local guide for the Panmunjom and Joint Security Area. For the first time on this trip Miss Jong was taken off translation duties and the female guide from Group A, Ms Han, took the reins.

Me and the military guide in front of the North Korea Peace Museum.

 The North Korea Peace Museum on the actual site of Panmunjom displayed the armistice agreement to cease fighting in the Korean War. The original United Nations flag from sixty years ago was still there. The axe from the "Axe Murder Incident" is also exhibited in this building.

The Joint Security Area is a small "truce village" where conferences and meetings between the two sides are held. There are a series of buildings which straddle the military demarcation line - i.e. the border between South and North Korea. Being within these meeting buildings is the only way anyone can freely travel back and forth between the two Koreas. The atmosphere here is tense, with military personnel from both sides standing completely still on guard.

The military demarcation line is the concrete hump which the buildings are straddling (picture courtesy of Tim).

I had already toured the Joint Security Area from the south in 2003, so visiting it from the northern side this time was extra special. I managed to take some pictures from the opposite angle to the previous visit:

2003: On the southern side with my mother and sister, taken on the Freedom House Pagoda.

2010: On the northern side, with the Freedom House Pagoda in the background.

Day 9 - a) Tomb of King Kongmin

Sunday September 12, 2010

Just outside Kaesong is the tomb of King Kongmin and his Mongolian wife Queen Noguk, built in the mid-14th century. It is probably the royal burial site best maintained in its original state in North Korea, having avoided modern "renovations" by the Communist regime.

Unfortunately the relics inside the large mausoleum were looted by the Japanese just over a hundred years ago. However visitors can still appreciate the exterior of the tomb and the accompanying sculptures. The setting of the tomb itself is gorgeous, situated on a steep hill overlooking a mountain.

The Japanese used dynamite to raid the tombs, but Hannah pointed out to us that the door is a stone block on the footpath directly in front of the mausoleum.

Day 8 - f) dog meat and blackout

Saturday September 11, 2010

Our accommodation in Kaesong was at the Minsok Hotel, which literally means heritage hotel. Similar to the home stay, it was traditional Korean housing - sleeping on the floor with a mosquito net. The buildings were quite run down with many cracks and holes in the interior wall, although to my great relief there was air conditioning. Again hot water was only available at certain times, although in retrospect we didn't actually get any in the morning during the promised timeslot.

The dinner was also within the heritage complex. The dining room was in the old Korean style with everyone having to sit on the floor (with the exception of a couple of the older tour members who I had to request chairs for in Korean).

This Kaesong dinner was the meal for which dog meat could be pre-ordered. Tim took up this offer, although he had previously tasted a canine dish in China. It was in a spicy soup form, which is called bosingtang in the south, although the North Koreans may have called it by a different name.

In the middle of dinner we experienced an electrical outage. The tour company did warn us to bring torches on this trip, but I was surprised to see the majority had brought theirs to dinner! Very well prepared.

Tim "woofs" down his dog soup.

Day 8 - e) Concrete Wall

Saturday September 11, 2010

North Korea alleges that in the 1970s following an order from the United States the South Korean government built a concrete barrier along the length of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ). In the outside world the existence of such a wall is denied by the United States and South Korea, who insist the Northern military is merely seeing cliffs.

The North takes tourists to a lookout to view the wall, and asserts that this structure is a physical symbol of American resistance to the reunification of Korea. We were guided by a vivacious army Colonel whose showmanship indicated he frequently serves foreign tourist groups. While delivering a spiel about the history of the wall and the imperialist motivations of the United States he charmed and joked with the tourists - praising us for our courage and promising that he would shield us from any stray bullets from the south.

Many people took the chance to shake hands with the Colonel and have a photo taken with him. When I introduced myself in Korean he was absolutely delighted to meet a southerner, as these photos attest:

He knew our western guide Hannah from her many previous visits, and from memory she called him the "Karaoke Colonel" for his extroverted nature and penchant for singing:

After intently viewing through the provided binoculars trying to figure out whether the wall is real we made our way back to the bus. It was here just before boarding that Tim witnessed a distressing scene - please ask me or Tim if you know us in real life.

After the visit the Colonel got a lift back on our bus, and took the opportunity to sit next to me to have a chat in Korean. He was very interested in my bio' and how I became an Australian to visit North Korea, and he pleaded with me to tell the outside world about the Concrete Wall upon returning home. "I have no reason to lie to you", I distinctly remember him saying.