Saturday, 15 April 2017
Pyongyang, North Korea
Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock.
CHUFFING NORA. WHAT THE FLIP.
Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock.
Disturbed from a deep sleep. Again. Second night in a row now. I need a bit of peace and quiet.
Assume it’s my wake up call.
Look at watch. Er no.
It’s 2.20 in the chuffing middle of the chuffing night.
What the flip.
It’s not a threatening banging like last night’s escapades. More a polite knock.
And then, through the door, hear the girl next door say, “TT, I need to chat with you.”
FFS.
It continues.
“TT are you awake? I need to tell you something.”
For. The. Love. Of. God.
Lazily get out of bed and open door. Grumpy as a disturbed hibernating bear.
She’s standing there in her jim-jams. In our little ante-lobby.
“WHAT?!” Less than impressed am I. Quite frankly can do without this. Don’t care what crisis it is. I. Need. Some. Sodding. Sleep.
“I need to chat with you. I can’t sleep.” Well I can’t now either. She’s been watching Al-Jazeera TV news (the only foreign TV station we can watch and get a sense of what is going on in the outside world as we have no mobile or internet access).
News reports suggest that China has suspended all flights to the DPRK and that the US is planning a military strike on the DPRK (on account of the DPRK firing missiles). Whilst it’s possible, I think it unlikely that we’ll be used as human shields any time soon. Really can’t be arsed with this discussion at 0220hrs in the middle of the sodding night and tell her to go to bed.
She’s contemplating how we’ll get out of the country and daren’t take a sleeping tablet now as she won’t wake up in time. And has got herself into a bit of a flap. Assure her nothing will happen in the next few hours and to go back to bed.
FFS. Time. And Place.
Another disturbed night.
Finally, wake up for breakfast. Knackered. Obviously. Breakfast is in the hotel’s banqueting hall. With garish bright pink décor. Plenty of other western tourists. Plenty of food available though rationed to one fried egg.
Today is the 105th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il-Sung, the founding father of the DPRK. It’s a national holiday and the highlight will be the military parade in front of Kim Jong-Un, his grandson and current Supreme Leader. Missiles, tanks, military personnel all to be paraded through the streets of Pyongyang. Assume we won’t be allowed to get close given we are westerners.
How wrong we are.
As we drive to the Worker’s Party monument, plenty of people walking about in their Sunday best heading towards the parade route to cheer on their military. Having parked up one side of a massive plaza we’re allowed to walk to the monument about ten minutes walk away and allowed to mingle with the locals. Something we didn’t think we’d be allowed to do. There’s a great party atmosphere. Bright blue sky, sunny and warm. Everyone very friendly.
The Worker’s Party Monument consists of three 50m high stone pillars with a hammer, sickle and pen on top. Hammer represents the workers. Sickle represents farmers. Pen for intellectuals. A large circular stone base ties them all together in unison. Impressive structure.
Adjacent this monument is a small exhibition and souvenirs showing photos of the Kims in various places. The photos of Kim Jong-Un show his assistants taking notes. Told that they take notes so that they can implement his instructions as he tours factories etc. Hmmm.
As westerners, we’re not allowed access to the central square holding the military parade with Kim Jong-Un but can watch the parade live on TV and ushered into a room for a coffee and a sit down. Our tour guides seem very proud of the military might on display. And it is quite an impressive sight to see all the military on parade. The square is so large that the General taking the salute is driven around in an open topped Mercedes to each section.
Makes Trooping the Colour look like a picnic.
As we walk to the Flower Show, we’re all waving and saying hello to the locals who return the waves and hellos. Such a jolly and relaxed atmosphere. Some locals very happy to have their photos taken but others seem shy and not sure what to do with a westerner.
The flower show is enormous. Set inside a massive exhibition hall with the obligatory display dedicated to a painting of Kim Il-Sung. Again freely mixing with the locals and saying hello. Not at all how it was portrayed in the press back home.
Excellent lunch with grill your own lamb, beef and duck and various salads and rice. Food has been excellent thus far. Not what we had been expecting.
As part of the parade there’s a flypast of various aircraft but the best display is a group of aircraft which fly in formation to show the numbers 1, 0 and 5 to denote the 105th anniversary.
We’re about a kilometre from the parade at this point and watching the various floats drive by from a distance. So assume that’s as near as we’ll be allowed.
Well. Rather surprisingly. And exceeding expectations. We’re taken to the actual parade route. After they’ve paraded in the main square in front of Kim Jong-Un the missiles, tanks and troop carriers then do a lap of honour around Pyongyang. And we have front row seats. There are thousands lining the route. All dressed in their Sunday best. Men in suit and tie. Women in brightly coloured national dress of pink, yellow and red dresses.
At this point in time, as there’s no parade coming by, most are sitting down on the kerb and pavement. Waiting.
Loud music is playing through large loudspeakers atop a van. Soldiers line the wide boulevard. Plenty of men in black suits milling around who look like security, observing. As the floats start to be seen in the distance, the loud music stops and the men in black suits seem to start telling people to stand or giving them a gentle tap on the shoulder to stand.
The parade starts passing our position. All are waving bunches of red plastic flowers as the parade goes past. Shouting. Waving. Cheering.
Awesome atmosphere.
The first float is two very large statues of what would be Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il were they not covered up in cloth. Told it’s for protection. Very bizarre. After the carnival type floats depicting DPRK life the military hardware trundles by.
Ballistic missiles. Wrapped up in camouflage netting.
Tanks.
Armoured personnel carriers.
Surface to air missiles. Wrapped up in camouflage netting.
Troop carriers.
More tanks. Belching out exhaust fumes and thundering by in a deafening roar.
We’re allowed to stand by the roadside joining in as the missiles and tanks go by. So close to the action.
Look at the videos below.
Utterly brilliant. Never seen anything like it before. Allowed to take photos and videos to our heart’s content. Never thought we would be able to get this close. Considering rule number one in the DPRK is ‘DO NOT TAKE PHOTOS OF MILITARY’ it’s all very relaxed. The soldiers lining the boulevard don’t stop us from taking photos.
A happy and party atmospheres pervades this warm and sunny afternoon.
Awesome experience.
All agree that was a memorable moment. Tour guides are very happy that we are very happy.
Once the parade has passed head to Moran Park where all the locals are now congregating to enjoy the rest of the day. Great atmosphere. Walk up to the Victory/Liberation Monument high up on the hill with cracking views of the city. The base of the monument is being worked on with some bits of builder’s rubble and polythene sheeting and we’re asked not to photograph the base showing the dirt and rubble. Only the top part of the monument. This is the first time we’re asked not to photograph something. It won’t be the last. Can only assume it’s pride.
As we walk through the parkland, a large group of older people are dancing in the woods to music through a loudspeaker. We’re free to dance with them and I’m hoping for a nice young girl to dance with but end up with a middle aged old lady. Great fun though. Blow a kiss to my old lady and she returns it laughing. I’ve pulled. A muscle.
Pockets of people partying and partaking in picnics in the park. Small and elderly local man comes up to the women in our group wanting to kiss them on the cheek in a jokey sort of way. He hasn’t seen me and as I approach behind him tap him on his shoulder and tap my finger on my cheek jokily motioning for a kiss on the cheek. All laugh. And laugh some more when he tries to jump up to try and reach me. So funny. Locals have a sense of humour and up for a laugh.
Take a photo of a group of people and it’s only later that night when checking through photos that it appears to be the same group of people that I took at the Flower Show that morning. Assume it’s coincidence but then remind myself that when in Beijing, a few days earlier, the hotel receptionist told me that she’d heard that the DPRK use actors to follow the tourists around. Makes you wonder.
Evening entertainment at the circus and acrobat show set inside a large purpose built building with grand entrance. They know how to build big statement buildings here. Audience is a mix of a few western tourists, military people in full uniform and locals. Highlight is the comedy duo who do very funny sketches in between setting up various trapeze and trampoline rigs. A shining example of mime having no language barriers. Full on laugh out loud belly laughter.
As it’s the 105th anniversary celebrations, treated to an immense firework display over Pyongyang.
Pyongyang does fireworks.
Absolutely cracking day.
Another memorable day.
Loving the DPRK.
