Category: North Korea

Thursday, 13 April 2017 Pyongyang, North Korea   You can imagine my excitement at the thought of being in North Korea tonight as I wake up in Beijing. Instructions are to check in at 1030hrs for a 1400hrs flight into Pyongyang on Air Koryo (I’d never heard of them either). For an afternoon tour and… Read more

Wednesday, 12 April 2017 Beijing, China Metro again to Tiananmen Square but after the long 20 minute plus queues for security on Sunday, box clever and avoid the north east exit and head to the south west underpass exit of the Metro, the other side of the road, and straight through the security checkpoint into… Read more

Tuesday, 11 April 2017 Beijing, China Receptionist recommends the Summer Palace in the north west of the city. Fortunately able to navigate the metro system with ease as the signs and announcements are also in English. Alight at Beigongmen station for the short walk to the Summer Palace entrance. In need of a pit stop… Read more

Monday, 10 April 2017 Beijing, China I remember driving through some hutongs (a series of narrow alleyways and roads with shops and housing) in 1996 and it was all a bit basic and back street but full of character. So you can imagine my disappointment to find that the entrance to the hutongs I visit… Read more

Sunday, 9 April 2017 Beijing, China Having already experienced a VIP transfer in Bangkok arranged through the hotel a few years previously, have also booked the same for Beijing. Greeted at the aircraft door by a beautiful young Chinese girl with a placard with my name on. She whisks me through Beijing airport security and… Read more

Saturday, 8 April 2017 Munich, Germany Dear reader, as promised in the last post of my Antarctica to Alaska blog, I said I would try and upload my North Korea blog at some point. Well, as the country and most of the world is now in partial or full lockdown due to the coronavirus, and… Read more