PHOTO JOURNAL: May North Korea Trip FINAL

In May of this year, I went on a three day trip to North Korea. Mt. Geumgangsan is just north of the DMZ on the East Sea (Sea of Japan) and is quite breathtaking in its own right. Although I did not see much of North Korea itself due to severe restrictions on our movements, I can say I have seen on of the natural masterpieces of the world - God in one of his melodramatic moments, if you will.

We left Seoul at 11:00 pm from Hongdae, picking up other groups of people on the way. There were approximately 80 people on the tour, all of us with Western country passports except the driver and the tour guides. I knew a few people on the tour, though not very well. Adventure Korea does not require you to come with a "buddy," and solo travellers are quite common. I shared a hotel room with a very nice African-American girl from New York state (whose name escapes me).

The bus ride was long and tedious, as most bus trips are, so I passed the time speaking with Phil, a Welshman I had met by chance at a mutual friend's birthday party some time ago. We had hit it off during the party... until he made an indecent (and drunken) proposal later in the evening. I had completely forgotten about him until we ran into each other on the tour. He turned out to be a very nice person, if a bit confused about the direction his life was going. Actually, this is true of most foreigners (myself included) one meets in Korea! But I digress...

We arrived at 4 a.m. at the "Asian Rest Area" (where do the rest of us...er...rest?) by Donhae Freeway Gate; this is the purported main supply route between North and South Korea, though it is not currently in use. We then stood in line to get our tickets for the tour, our visas, and our bus assignments. We were each given a specific number and were told to memorize the information on our name tags, whether it was spelled correctly or not! This was a vital step, because the information could be asked at anytime by the North Korean Military Personnel. If we got the information wrong, we could be fined and/or deported. We were then told to go to our new buses, taking our belongings with us. The buses were equipped with special flags designating "tourists coming!"
We drove for about 15 minutes, then arrived at the DMZ. The large, modern, and spacious building screamed "TOURISM!" at the top of its iron lungs; most of us were too tired to explore further than the restrooms, however. There seemed to be quite a bit of wasted space, and I am guessing this building is just for "show." After quite a long wait, the South Korean Military personnel began processing us. Our passports were stamped with an official "departure" seal, which read "Mt. Geumgangsan Tourist" at the bottom. We then reembarked on our buses, and headed through the DMZ.

The DMZ, as has been noted on many tourist sites, is by its very nature a natural preserve. The no-man's land is composed of flat grasslands, wetlands, and sandstone. Moon bears have been sighted in this area, as well as a host of other species of rare animals. We were not allowed to take photos anywhere in the DMZ for security purposes. I did note that wide railroad tracks had been newly built, but they were presently empty of trains. North Korean guards stood at attention on the tracks, their beady eyes taking in the line of tourbuses, most of them full of South Korean tourists.

As we crossed into the North Korean side, the landscape dramatically changed. High and jagged peaks with black striations threatened the landscape. The hills appeared to be barren, although there were what appeared to be salt marshes along the roads. Not a single tree stood, and the landscape showed scarring from the war not yet over. The tour guide flatly stated that the bombing and fierce fighting had wiped out all the trees, and that the North Koreans left the landscape as it was rather than try to revitalize the torn up and cratered earth. Large bunkers had been built inside the hills, and in the bunkers were tanks with their guns aimed directly at the road. No, not a friendly place.

We arrived at the North Korean processing site. We were again instructed to know the information on our cards, and told not to volunteer any information or engage in conversation with any of the guards. Our cameras would be checked; our cell phones had been left behind in the original tour bus. Sometimes, apparently, they try to trick people into giving false information, and they also like to confiscate random cameras (as two members of our group found out). This was to rack up fines on the tourists, though serious offenders were subject to deportation. The North Korean processing site, unlike the South Korean site, was definately military. A series of ragged army tents served as the center, contrasting strongly with the "Pangapsumnida!" theme song playing over the loudspeakers (which would drive us all loopy within three days incidentally). We were informed to stand in line by the numerical order on our cards. Each person would pass through a checkpoint, where our visa would be stamped. The vias was NOT in our passport, but on a separate card. To have a North Korean visa in an American passport would not be looked upon with favor; the cards were taken away when we returned to the South Korean side. I was very calm as I went through; the officer merely looked at my documents, then at me, and sent me through without comment. I accidentally made eye contact with the guard at the exit to the tent, and I swear he almost smiled. I did not mean to do it, but the officers are very short, and at five foot two, looking forward to me was looking into his eyes. I did note that their uniforms, though fancy and well-made, were quite old and dusty. They had been mended many times, but clearly with pride.

On the way out of the tent stood a dilapidated bear mascot. The "bear" was very short, and appeared to be weary with his duties. He halfheartedly waved at the tourists, and appeared oddly out of place inside the military tents...

We boarded the bus, and crossed the border into North Korea. We passed several propoganda villages along the way. The village scenes had a curiously staged feel to them; people passed on bicycles, but never seemed to arrive anywhere. Strollers along the pathways kept pace with each other, and once again, had no seeming direction or destination. Workers in the field wore brightly covered clothing and industriously avoided staring at the line of 30 tourbuses passing by. A picturesque group of serfs on their lunch break precariously balanced themselves and their neatly packed meals on a rock in the center of a field. Soldiers in full uniform stood guard in each field, a red flag in their hands to alert each other of any violation (tourist or serf). For us, a red flag meant a fine. For the people...who knows?

We drove for about ten minutes, and then arrived at the Onjeonggak Tourist Area. The facilities included a mini-mart, bathrooms, and several hotels. There was also a large auditorium, where the North Korean Acrobatic Show was featured. This was the area we were confined to when not hiking or with a group. Shuttle buses shunted people off to the Hot Springs or Kumgang Pension Area. We did not unload our gear at this time, but did take a rest break.
The first tour of the day included a rather strenuous hike on the Guryong Falls Course. It is supposed to take up to four hours; we only got two hours due to a slight schedule delay. I did make it to the top, but I was quite literally the last one to arrive...I guess I was a bit out of shape! It was my first hiknig trip of the season, after all. It's hard to make out, but the bottom picture has a poem to the "Great Leader" chiseled into the rock. There were many of these poems scrawled on the rocks, both in Chinese and in Korean - sort of like a personality cult "Mt. Rushmore."

After the grueling hike, we returned to the tourism zone. I chose to take the time for a nap, and we were allowed to go to our hotel rooms. After a refreshing snooze, my roommate and I headed over to view the Korean Acrobatic Show. The first acrobat was a young girl in a green costume, and I remember the look of sheer terror on her face as she was put through her paces and stunts. I am guessing that she was new, as some of her stunts were carefully supported by her male counterpart. She made a sincere effort to smile, but, her fear often showed through. The live orchestra underscored the show with what I can only describe as Russian Communist Pop from the 1970s...quite amusing. The rest of the show was well put together, if a bit surreal. Oh that music!

A sudden downpour came upon us as we left the show, so we returned to the hotel. After dinner, my roommate and I decided to visit the Hot Springs. My roommate chickened out because the Hot Springs turned out to be "naked only," but I am used to this in Korea, so it didn't bother me. I spent a leisurely amount of time soaping up, hosing off, and hunkering down in the hot and slightly sulfuric water. A group of chatty ajummas almost ruined the event for me, but the novelty of being nude, in a hot spring, under the starry skies of North soon distracted me from my annoyance!

The next morning, we took a tour of Haekumgang Seashore. The East Sea is very rocky, and the way out onto the larger rocks is treacherous. I was content to just take photos rather than climb the rocks...

Later, I took a tour of Samilpo Lake. I got some good photos of both the lake and the trail to the lake, especially the rice fields. The lake itself is unspectacular, and only of note for yet more propoganda rocks.

The people who live near the "Special Tourist Zone" are well-cared for and looked after. They are usually the high-ranking officials and families that are in good with the government. These people, at least, have enough food and gainful employment, albeit only to "look good" for foreign visitors. As wel travelled, we could see people working in the field, heavily guarded. Gasoline is hard to acquire, so we were treated to the sight of a wood-fueled tractor as it belched smoke across a grain field. The tractor, we were told, was a gift from some dignitary or other, but the fuel did not come with the machine. So the resourceful villagers adapted it.

Disturbingly, one group of workers was apparently ordered to get down low to the ground as we passed. Another group half-heartedly waved at the tourbuses, the armed guards standing behind them. Life did go on in these show villages, however. Each village had a guarded gate; no one could enter or leave without permission. Next to one of these gates was an irrigation ditch. In full view of the soldiers, a group of young boys swam around and splashed each other. The soldiers ignored them, dodging the flying water as necessary.

For exceptionally good Party members, the Kumgang Pension Town had been built. On the days we were there, it was eerily empty. A restaurant full of servers stood idle. The hotel was empty, and there were no people in the town.

We returned to the tourist area at around 3:30. I took a stroll to one of the other hotels, where I was told a huge mosaic of "the Kims" had been rendered. I was not disappointed. The bellboys were the only ones allowed to take photos, so we had to hand our cameras over to them. I did pose under the large portrait, but I will not post it here. I have posted a photo, however, of the portrait itself (not terribly straight due to the odd angle the bellboy used).

As many people did, I left North Korea with more questions than answers. Everything was like a magic show; illusion and reality were hopelessly muddled. I could only get glimpses of "real life"
by proxy. As a hiking excursion however, I would definately recommend the tour.