A few years ago, when a group of us were planning a weekend trip from Moscow to St. Petersburg, we went down to the train station to purchase our tickets. Somehow we ended up at Yaroslavsky Vokzal, which was across the street from Leningradsky Vokzal, the station with the Moscow-Petersburg ticket office.
Nevertheless, we took a few minutes to scan the list of trains departing for eastern destinations : Beijing, Ulaanbaatar, Vladivostok, Pyongyang…wait, Pyongyang? There is a train that runs from Moscow to Pyongyang? We cracked a few jokes about ditching Petersburg for a trip to North Korea, and then headed across the street to Leningradsky Vokzal, where we should have gone in the first place.
Since then, I’ve been fascinated with the idea of traveling to North Korea, primarily because no one goes there (it’s not exactly a “hot spot” for travel, eh?) and I think it would be interesting to see what it’s like to visit the closed society that exists in the the world’s last Stalinist regime.
Lately I’ve been looking up how exactly you go about visiting North Korea and reading the websites of people who have been there. It seems like you have to go with a group, or, you could go “independently”, but will be escorted by a guide and driver at all times.
The tours leave from Beijing, which is perfect because I’d love to spend a week in China anyways. The only problem is getting a North Korean visa. I e-mailed Simon over at Koryo Tours regarding the visa issue, and he said that Americans are currently unable to get a visa. Damn! If only I had a second passport…a British passport…hmmm…must find British husband.
So, I have a travel goal: IF North Korea starts issuing visas to American citizens again, then I’m going. Of course, that is also dependent on finances and work, however, I’m going to try and get there by 2010. Everyone thinks I’m crazy for wanting to spend a week in North Korea, but if anyone wants in, let me know.
Also, I still want to visit the Chernobyl ghost town of Pripyat (especially after reading this article), but Taline and Crystal were like “Uhhh…no.” Any takers for that one?
Related posts:
- Driving through Kaesong, North Korea I’ve finally finished uploading the last of my North Korea footage to YouTube. Why has it taken me over two years? No idea. Pure laziness, I suppose. Anyway, here is the footage of our drive through Kaesong, the southernmost city in North Korea. And yes, our bus driver really, really...
- North Korea lifts restrictions on U.S. tourists Good news for any Americans looking to visit North Korea this year – the North Koreans have lifted restrictions on U.S. tourists. Like visitors from other Western countries, American tourists can now visit North Korea any time of the year, are no longer limited to visits of five days, and...
- POTD: Pansanggi in Kaesong, North Korea This is pansanggi, a traditional Korean meal that consist of several small bowls filled with kimchi, fish, and other assorted foods. Pansanggi was traditionally eaten by the Korean royalty, but we had an opportunity to try it at the Tongil restaurant in Kaesong, North Korea. I have previously posted about...
From Cincysundevil:
Sorry … I served one year in the Army in South Korea. North Korea is not a place I want to visit … ever. Any nation that praises eating only 2 meals a day because there is a famine is crazy to me. Besides, my time in the US Army will never allow to visit about half the nations in the world.
Chernobyl, eh? The only glowing rods I’d want to see are glow sticks down in Ibiza; you head there and you’ll have plenty of takers (maybe even find a nice Brit husband).
From Jeffery Dernbach:
I am a fellow russiophile (correct term?) Anyway I have long wanted to go to Chernobyl and nuclear dead zone, a friend of mine from Ukraine has some awesome pictures of when she went 2 years ago. My advice buy a gieger counter first
Anyway hope you can make it there and North Korea. I really like your web site.
Cheers
From Pavle:
My sister spent the year in beijing– she was crazy about the north korean tour. technically she could have done it too, no regulations against serbs… anyways, it ended up being about $1,500 for a week long trip. Not exactly a deal, although you’d probably be replenishing half the country’s foreign currency reserves.
I’m totally for the Pripyat trip– been thinking about it ever since I read this story @ http://www.kiddofspeed.com/chapter1.html about a year and a half ago.
From Pavle:
her other site was really interesting as well..just found it a few minutes ago:
http://www.theserpentswall.com/index.html
From Csaba:
Dude, you are totally crazy… If you like these horrible countries, you should go to Türkmenistan too, to see the mighty Szaparmurat Türkmenbashi.
http://www.turkmenbashi.org/
From Ryan:
Hmmm…
You know, I’ve always wanted to go to Cuba for the same reason… just to see the totalitarian society in motion. I also gave some thought to going to Turkmenistan. I never really considered going to North Korea, though. It’s an interesting thought. Perhaps I’d go.
I’d definitely like to go to the Chernobyl site too after reading the kid of speed thing a ways back.
This is of course all dependent upon whether I can ever get time out of Mississippi and work!
From Ryan:
Also,
Do they march with their knives so far out so that if the guy in front of them slows down, he gets stabbed for being too slow?
From Lindsay:
Actually, Crystal and I really want to go to Turkmenistan. That place is crazy…a gold statue of the Turkmenbashi and speakers everywhere to broadcast his speeches. We checked out some of the ways to get there, one of which involves a trip across the Caspian Sea on a cargo ship…lol. We were like uhhhh, does British Airways have a flight we can take?
And Ryan, come on, man, they are called BAYONETS! lol. I’m sure it will take a few years before NK allows US citizens in, so you will be out of Mississippi by then, and we can go.
Hey, Pavle…since you will be in mother Russia for the next school year, perhaps we can meet in Pripyat (if I am still in Europe by then?)
From Jarrod:
A mate and I are planning a tour to North Korea ill let you know how it goes, cant wait for it