NK 14. The Spice Girls

Friday, 21 April 2017

Pyongyang, North Korea

Quick waltz around the ski resort after breakfast. Patches of snow on the ski slopes still and chairs move slowly on the chair lift. Not sure why. We appear to be the only guests in the hotel. Hotel workers outside are wearing white fur hats to channel that Alpine look. Forbidden from taking photos though.

4hr drive back to Pyongyang back the way we came along the Bucking Bronco road but this time treated to stunning views as it’s a bright blue sky day rather than the rain storm we had coming.

Everyone is working the fields. See the odd tractor but mainly ox and plough which seems slow progress. Very mountainous region at first but soon opens out to a very wide valley with mountains either side. Less paddy fields and more soil based crops. Mobile loudspeakers atop a van play music to the farmers working their fields. For the cause.

Stop again at the Sinphyong Tea House about half way to Pyongyang. This time the reservoir is full so no locals scraping lake bed mud for fertiliser. The waitresses are undergoing staff training. Makes you wonder why. It’s not a busy road. It’s not a busy rest stop. There are no customers. Apart from us. Wearing high heels and bright red uniforms looks out of place in this place.

Told that state run farms account for 10% of the land whilst co-operative farms have 90% of the land. State farmers are paid as you would be in a factory and the state farms are generally mechanised (with ancient tractors). Co-operative farms are more manual work with ox and plough. Farmers work ten days then go to market to sell their wares. Income from which is put back into the co-op.

Also told that we are not allowed to ask questions about the Kims and that the DPRK has a right to defend itself and it is not for the USA to tell anyone that they can’t have nuclear missiles. The missile technology partly comes from Russia but is generally developed by DPRK scientists.

Approaching the outskirts of Pyongyang there’s a brief stop at the Monument to the Three Point Charter for National Reunification. A massive archway over the motorway topped by two female figures, their long flowing dresses forming the arches. South Korea is due to hold a general election soon and the liberal candidate wants to hold meaningful talks with the DPRK regarding reunifying the peninsula. Only time will tell.

Lunch in Pyongyang is fun and excruciating at the same time. Given a ‘concert’ by the local Spice Girls. Dressed in various costumes and doing a song and dance routine. They’re taking this seriously. Quite high pitched. I had to experience it dear reader. And so must you! See video below.

Having been to Moscow and marvelling at the underground stations I had an idea of what to expect in the Pyongyang Metro. Descending on a 150m long escalator find a cavernous station with ornate chandeliers. For some inexplicable reason, we are allowed to take photos of the trains and platforms but not the tunnels. As you will see, dear reader, I take a photo of a tunnel. Though not without some grumbling from the female platform attendant who is not liking my antics and a very nervous guide. But. I get the long exposure photo I want. But instructed to show the platform attendant the photo to make sure she’s happy that it doesn’t break the rules. Fortunately she is happy. Taurean charm you see.

All stations have an interactive map on the wall. You push a button of your destination and it illuminates the route. Board a train for the four stops to the Triumphant Arch. A crowded carriage and a few locals, including an old man and women, vacate their seats for the women in our group. Can you imagine that happening on the London Underground?! Quite.

At the designated stop we alight and it’s quite clear that as I jump off the train the natives are not expecting a 6’5” giant to appear from the carriage. Startled is one word I would use to describe their manner.

As we exit the station notice yet again a male and female milling around by the doors dressed in black. They look out of place and assume they’re State Security. Keeping an eye on us.

The Triumphant Arch has the date of 1925 inscribed in the stonework. The year when Kim Il-Sung left Korea vowing to gain independence. At 60m high there’s fortunately a lift inside to take us to a large high ceilinged hall which, in effect, straddles the sides and forms the top of the arch. Once outside on the viewing balcony at the 45m level we have amazing views across Pyongyang. Realise how colourful Pyongyang is with all the brightly painted buildings.

Down below us is the Kim Il-Sung Stadium with a capacity of 100,000 people. Its tarmac car park has tennis courts marked out. A couple of minivans with loudspeakers on the roof play music whilst people play tennis. There’s an obsession with loudspeakers playing music. For the cause.

Pass the Juche Tower, a 150m high tower with a 20m, 45 tonne, metal red flame atop, illuminated at night as a beacon across the city. Built in 1982 to celebrate the 70^th birthday of Kim Il-Sung there’s apparently a stone for each day of his life. Now, dear reader, you’re probably wondering what ‘Juche’ means. It underpins the whole philosophy of life in the DPRK. At a very high level and in a nutshell…that of self sufficiency. It being two syllables ‘Ju’ meaning ‘master’ and ‘che’ meaning ‘one’s self’. It also extends to DPRK time as they use the Juche calendar. Juche time is counted from the Gregorian year 1912, the year of birth of Kim Il-Sung. So in 2017, it’s Juche 105.

Return to the Yanggakdo Hotel (www.north-korea-travel.com/yanggakdo-hotel.html) for a third and final time. Again, all in the same room as on the previous two occasions. Rather hoping that no one else has been using my room. The soap I was using from a few days ago is still in the soap dish. Quite attached to ‘my’ room. It has its little quirks. The bedside cabinet with a built in radio alarm clock that doesn’t appear to work but which has a lot of seemingly unnecessary cables for a radio alarm clock coming out the back. There are rumours that this hotel is bugged and that there’s a central communication room monitoring people on the infamous ‘hidden’ 5^th floor. Just a rumour. But. You know. You’ll be Googling that now, won’t you dear reader.

Final night of the trip. Celebratory dinner to finish the tour off. Walk down Scientist Street to the restaurant. Scientist Street is lined with what appear to be superficially modern, brightly coloured new apartment blocks and offices in an assortment of interesting designs and architecture. So called as the ‘street’, well it’s a wide boulevard really, provides housing for the intelligent workers like scientists and teachers.

During the final night’s frivolity which included downing bottles of 25% proof rice wine (the noise level increased substantially as the wine level in the bottle went down) a few wise words from our guides. Delete any photos of military or we may get stopped at the airport in the morning. The authorities may either delete a particular photo or delete all images on the camera card. Depends how they feel.

So, dear reader, it’s a late night backing up photos on various sources in an attempt to get them all out of the country. Have read the horror stories. I’m not taking any chances.

Set 1. Laptop has all photos in an easy to find directory. The sacrificial lamb. In case it all goes Pete Tong.

Set 2. Laptop has a further directory hidden in the depths of various file paths with all photos copied there. You’d have to make a concerted effort to find them.

Set 3. SLR camera has all photos on the DCIM part of the memory card. The easy to find part of the memory card visible in the camera images preview. Sacrificial lamb number two.

Set 4. SLR camera has all photos copied on the USB data part of the memory card. The hidden part of the memory card that doesn’t show in the camera images preview.

Set 5. Compact camera has all photos on the DCIM part of the memory card. The easy to find part of the memory card visible in the camera images preview. Sacrificial lamb number three.

Set 6. Compact camera has all photos copied on the USB data part of the memory card. The hidden part of the memory card that doesn’t show in the camera images preview.

Set 7. A small USB flash drive with all photos backed up hidden in my suitcase.

Set 8. Mobile phone camera has its photos backed up.

So.

Think I’ve covered all bases.