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About
 I'm an expat Californian who is obsessed with traveling to strange and exotic destinations in the former Communist Bloc. I also like tacos, beer, surfing, trapshooting, and the geopolitics of oil. I currently live in Arlington, Virginia and work in Washington, DC. Read more about me here, check out my photo album, or send me an e-mail. |
Random photos taken while driving through Kaesong. Compared to the showcase city of Pyongyang, Kaesong has rougher roads and much poorer infrastructure. 
Here is the North Korean produced footage of our visit to the DMZ. I had to break this up into two parts due to YouTube’s ban on videos over 10 minutes. Part 1: This has some incredibly dramatic music as well as dialogue that explains how the “U.S. imperialists bent their knees” to the North Koreans. It also talks about the structure the North Koreans built for the signing ceremony against the wishes of the U.S., which merely wanted to hold the ceremony in a tent because the “U.S. Imperialists were afraid that future generations might see the place where they signed the surrender documents after suffering shameful defeat in the Korean War.” Part 2: U.S. Imperialists visiting the Joint Security Area (JSA) in Panmunjom. Incredibly dramatic music followed by something that is more appropriate for a cheesy musical. Following our visit to the DMZ, we headed to Kaesong, the former capital of the Koryo dynasty (918-1392). Kaesong is currently North Korea’s 9th most populous city and serves as the DPRK’s center of light industry. Although we were originally scheduled to stay overnight in Kaesong, this didn’t happen due to a decision by some random North Korean bureaucrat (big surprise there). So instead of spending the night in Kaesong, we just had lunch at a restaurant there and then made a quick stop at the Koryo Museum.  A traditional lunch at Tongil restaurant. I had no idea what most of these dishes were.
The Koryo Museum. Originally erected in 992, this was an was the central institute of education during the Koryo dynasty, training children of the nobility to serve as officials in the Koryo government. It now houses relics from the Koryo dynasty. The present buildings date to 1602. 
 “For your own safety,” the lieutenant colonel explained, “several of our soldiers will be accompanying you to the border.” Statements like this are to be expected when visiting the demilitarized zone that divides North and South Korea, but when that announcement is coming from an impeccably dressed officer from the North Korean People’s Army, rather than one from the South Korean or U.S. Army, you have reason to be wary. Were the soldiers there to prevent us from wandering into some minefield, I wondered, or would they protect us if the “U.S. Imperialists” and their South Korean lackeys decided to randomly open fire? I wasn’t quite sure. Nevertheless, our tour group now had our very own North Korean soldiers to watch over us as we visited a place once described by former President Bill Clinton as “the scariest place on earth.”  Our bodyguards We left Pyongyang around seven that morning for the three hour drive south to the demilitarized zone. Our bus traveled down the empty six-lane “Reunification Highway” at breakneck speed, passing by the occasional military checkpoint, tank barriers, and village. I spent most of the trip south downing Pepto Bismol (I think the meat from the previous night’s dinner was slightly undercooked) and writing postcards that would hopefully be approved by the censors and sent onwards to my friends in the US and Europe. (“Great trip so far. Beer is delicious. Highly recommend visiting. Cheers, Lindsay”)    A few scenes from the drive south. More photos in a later post.  Our American guide told us these were anti-tank barriers that were rigged with explosives. In case of invasion, the North Koreans would set off the explosives, creating obstacles for American tanks along the Reunification Highway. Once we arrived at the staging area just outside of the DMZ, we hopped off our bus and stood around a large map of the DMZ while the North Korean officer gave a short talk on the surrounding area. We were then instructed to form a single file line and walk past the gated area, where our bus had pulled forward after being searched and cleared by several soldiers. We got back on our bus and drove past electric fencing surrounded by strips of landmines. We had officially entered the Korean demilitarized zone, a 2.5 mile wide buffer zone that divides the Korean peninsula in half. Home to over two million soldiers, the DMZ is the most heavily militarized border in the world.    Farm inside the DMZ  Because everything’s bigger in the DPRK, the country is home to the world’s tallest flagpole, which sports a 600lb DPRK flag. The flagpole is situated at the entrance to the “village” of Kijŏngdong, which is really nothing more than a Potemkin village built to extol the luxurious living enjoyed by DPRK citizens Our bus stopped at the site of the former village of Panmunjeom, which is now just a set of buildings in which the North Koreans and United Nations negotiated and eventually signed the armistice agreement in 1953.    Entrance to the building where the armistice was signed. It is now home to the “North Korea Peace Museum”. The sign reads “It was here on July 27, 1953 that the American imperialists got down on their knees before the heroic Chosun people to sign the ceasefire for the war they had provoked June 25, 1950.”  The officer explained that the United States wanted to sign the agreement in a tent, but the North Koreans insisted that it occur in a building so that there would be a permanent monument to their victory over the United States. Apparently they constructed this building the night before the agreement was signed. The officer also claimed that this is the original North Korean flag that was present when the agreement was signed.
We arrived at the Joint Security Area (JSA)/Panmunjeom, where North and South Korean soldiers stare at each other from their respective sides. In the middle of the JSA are several blue buildings where diplomatic talks are held. I was disappointed to discover that there weren’t any South Korean or American soldiers visible in the South Korean side of the DMZ. In fact, the place appeared to be downright deserted. 
Before the officer began his lecture on U.S. Imperialism and whatnot, our North Korean guide said “I apologize in advance. I will say ‘American Imperialists’ several times.” I was pretty floored when she said this. A North Korean apologizing for calling us imperialists? Never in a million years would I have expected that.  Two guards posted at the door leading to South Korea to ensure you don’t attempt to run away.
Our time in the conference room was limited. After the officer’s lecture, we only had a few minutes to take photos. The two soldiers stationed at the door leading into South Korea soon began clapping loudly and shouting in Korean while moving towards us. I guess that was our signal to leave the building. 
We then entered the large building on the North Korean side so that we could have a nice view of the JSA. I have read several accounts of tourists who toured the JSA from the South Korean side and were told that the North Korean building is nothing more than a façade. I can assure you, it is indeed a real building. 
Our visit to the DMZ complete, we headed back north for a visit to Kaesong. First, though, we stopped at the staging area right outside the DMZ to hand out cigarettes. Specifically, genuine American Imperialist Marlboros straight from the good ol’ US of A. One of the things you are told before coming to North Korea is to bring along a few gifts, specifically cigarettes for the male tour guides and soldiers at the DMZ. We pooled together our packs of cigarettes, handed them to the American guide, and watched as she quickly passed them out to the North Korean soldiers. At first, some were reluctant to take them, but they eventually gave in and sheepishly accepted these small tokens of thanks for ensuring our “safety”. 
Photos taken while driving from Pyongyang to the DMZ. 
Apologies for the month long absence, but I spent June doing the following: laying in bed with a nasty bacterial throat infection, packing up all of my belongings, moving from Arlington to Alexandria, unpacking all of my belongings, looking for jobs, etc. etc. More on that later this month. Anyways, below is more footage from our tour DVD. You will be able to see our group of U.S. Imperialists attempt to dance with the locals in Pyongyang’s Moranbong Park. This is likely the only footage you will ever see of me dancing due to the fact that I am a horrible dancer. When I mentioned that a cameraman followed us around during our tour, filming our entire trip, I wasn’t exaggerating. He even filmed us dining at two restaurants in Pyongyang, which was kind of…weird. I’m guessing that when he went back to the studio at night to edit the footage he had shot, he and the other camera guys would get together and watch the footage. “Look at these idiot U.S. Imperialists! They can’t even pick up noodles with chopsticks!” This is the hot pot restaurant: And this is the Pyongyang No. 1 Duck Barbecue Restaurant: On our last night in Pyongyang we stopped at the Pyolmuri Café, which, our guide assured us, served the best apple cobbler in Pyongyang. I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure it’s the only place in Pyongyang that serves apple cobbler. Nevertheless, I was very excited at the prospect of eating dessert, as I possess an incredible sweet tooth and had exhausted my supply of Snickers bars that I brought with me. Despite having stuffed ourselves with delicious duck at the aptly named “Pyongyang No. 1 Duck Barbecue Restaurant” only hours before, we requested several menus from the waitresses. We were curious to see what other foods this café offered. Opened in 2005, Pyolmuri was the first foreign-owned café in Pyongyang. It was started by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency and financed by Swiss business interests. As we could discern from the menus, they serve a variety of cuisines, ranging from Italian to American to “what the hell is this?”. 
Not wanting to pass up the opportunity to eat a North Korean hamburger or pizza, a group of us ordered several items off the menu. First up, the drinks:  This drink was on the cocktails menu and was named “Blue in Rusha”, even though the drink was actually a lime green color. I had no idea what it had to do with “Rusha” (I’m guessing Russia), but it wasn’t very good. I ordered a chocolate milkshake:  It was the strangest milkshake I have ever had. It tasted like lukewarm milk with a scoop of chocolate flavored whey protein. Yech. Along with the glass of milk-like fluid, the waitresses gave me two small saucers, one filled with sugar, and the other filled with an unknown substance, which I proceeded to dump into the glass. Hilariously, the rim of the milkshake glass was covered in sugar, so it looked like some bizarre margarita. These are the calzone we ordered:  They were basically gigantic egg rolls dressed in ketchup and bore no resemblance to an actual Italian calzone. Ah, the burger: 
The burger was actually quite decent, for a burger in Pyongyang. The only drawback was the horrible scent; it smelled like a dirty gym sock that had been left in a locker for four years. The pizza:  Meh. Soggy and undercooked. An Italian would weep if presented with such a pizza. And the dessert: 
A member of our group had his birthday during our tour, so we celebrated by (of course) singing him happy birthday and eating cake. And finally, the pièce de résistance:  The best apple cobbler I’ve ever had? No. The best apple cobbler I’ve ever had in Pyongyang? Certainly. And here is the video that accompanies my previous post on the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum. Watch it so that you may familiarize yourself with the “immortal military exploits” performed by Kim Il-Sung.
 “If all records told the same tale — then the lie passed into history and became truth.” – George Orwell, 1984 As an American, one of the most fascinating parts of visiting North Korea was the constant reference to the Korean War. In North Korea, the war is a defining, integral part of everyday life. One might have imagined that just yesterday North Korean and American troops were battling each other in the streets of Seoul. In the United States, however, the Korean War is the “forgotten war.” In my own education, at least up until high school, we were given a mere overview of the Korean War, with perhaps twenty minutes or so allotted to covering a conflict that claimed the lives of 36,000 American servicemen. It wasn’t until I took history courses in college that I studied the Korean War in-depth and had a better understanding of its impact on past and contemporary geopolitics. Much like our trip to the USS Pueblo, our visit to the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum was an opportunity to hear the North Korean version of history. As such, a trip to this particular museum required a “willing suspension of disbelief” as it was replete with historical inaccuracy colored by Marxist dogma.  The museum itself is a cavernous, dimly lit building filled with relics from the war. Our first visit, of course, was to the main hall which housed a giant mural of Kim Il-Sung leading his victorious citizens. 
We were then led to another room where we shown a film explaining the origins of the Korean War. Apparently the United States capitalist pigs, having exhausted their customer base in Europe, needed new markets to sell weapons, and thus instigated war on the Korean peninsula in June 1950. Embarrassingly, the film was interrupted by a short blackout in which the museum lost its electricity supply. This, of course, was the fault of the U.S. Imperialists. After the film, we were taken to another room to watch a diorama scene of a military convoy. Apparently, the U.S. destroyed a bridge and the North Korean convoy was unable to deliver supplies and troops to the front until local villagers used their backs and arms to support the remains of the bridge, thus allowing the convoy to pass overhead.  We then proceeded to view the rooms and rooms of war relics, the majority of which being captured American weaponry.
At one point in the tour, our guide pointed to a torpedo boat and proudly boasted that this was the boat which sank the USS Baltimore. Another tourist and I exchanged puzzled glances. Certainly none of us were experts in naval history, but surely we would have heard about this incident. So when I returned to the United States I googled the USS Baltimore and discovered that the USS Baltimore was not, in fact, sunk by North Korea forces. The ship was never deployed during the Korean War and was eventually scrapped in the 1970s. 
Our last stop at the war museum was the impressive 3-D cyclorama depicting the battle of Taejon. (It really was done nicely. You could sit down on the bench and view the entire cyclorama as the platform under you revolved.) When we entered the room, a guide was lecturing a group of schoolchildren on how the 24th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army was defeated by the victorious Korean People’s Army, or something like that. Despite admonishments by their teachers, the kids would steal occasional glances at the group of U.S. Imperialists staring at a depiction of North Korean soldiers trampling on an American flag. 
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