Traveling to the Hermit Kingdom

I was in North Korea for a few days last week, and all I could think about was money.

To be precise, I kept seeing things that were so utterly unusual that I would think to myself, “I bet Western tourists would pay good money to see this.”

Let me start with the airline ride in. You can get a sense from the photo of how utterly retro the plane is. It is Air Koryo, the national North Korean carrier, and the flight was aboard one of those Soviet-era Tupelov planes but in seemingly good condition. On entering the plane, you have to stoop, even if you’re short, or you’ll bonk your head.

The plane had numerous compartments, each with curtains. The stewardesses wore these lilac uniforms, sometimes donning white gloves.

The drink cart had none of the usual soft drinks. But it had big old-style brown bottles of pop-top beer. I felt like I had time traveled.

There was no magazine in the seat back, just a barf bag. It said on the front: “For your refuses.” I tried to take some video aboard the plane but the stewardess told me sternly to sit down and turn the camera off.

On landing in Pyongyang, I was amazed at the vehicle that brought the stairs to the plane. You can see it in the photo. Obviously, it was some contraption made in the Soviet era as well, and passed on to the fraternal North Koreans. It looks like a stretch El Camino mixed with some sort of old Cadillac. Anyway, it was those touches that made me think I had entered into some other-worldly theme park that ought to have a huge admission price.

On the flight out, there was no air conditioning on the plane. So each seat pocket had a portable paper fan.

When we landed, I bolted up to get my bag from the overhead compartment. When in China, even when I act at lightning speed, I still have people clambering over my back to get off the plane. Well, I quickly realized that I was the only one standing. Most of the others around me were North Korean (obvious from their Kim Il Sung lapel pins), and they must have known that disembarking from a North Korean flight is a little different.

It goes by section of the plane, and passengers seem to be monitored carefully. There’s no rushing. And it took forever. My theme park ride was over.

I’ll have more on North Korea (and several articles) in the coming days. One of the subjects will be on the environment. North Korea is amazingly pristine. There are no Hummers on the road, hardly any cars at all. Made me think that nature-lovers would pay a pretty penny to go there some day. Maybe it will become the Bhutan of East Asia.

Comments

[China Law Blog]

People always laugh at me when I say North Korea will someday be Asia's next tiger, but it will. It's just a question of when. Can't wait to see your updates.

[Chris Stevens]

I had the same experience a few years back travelling to Sinuiju and then onto PyongYang. The thing I noticed, like you is just how clean and tidy everything is, even toilets in the countryside were clean, which as you know is very different to China.

Personally, I thought it a much nicer place than China, the people have a wonderful sense of humour and one day it will most likely free itself from the current government and develop into a modern country.

[simsalabim]

3800 us dol be/person include pax and tax

[Jimmy K]

You might find this blog entry interesting, it mirrors your own. I have been following them for some time and by far the most interesting place has been N. Korea.
http://lastknownlocation.blogspot.com/search/label/Korea%20%28North%29

[China and I]

I agree with China Law Blog. North Korea will be an Asian Tiger. Timidly, they are asserting new ways to open to the world. The feud with the US over nuclear weapons has been a wake-up call for North Korean leader Kim Jong Il that China will not tolerate more absurd attitude. I think Kim Jong Il is now listening to the reformists while keeping his power grip.
Keep informing us about your trip to North Korea. When I have time I will go there; from Beijing it is not too far!

[J Browning]

I'm not sure what's going on here