Well I'd never thought I'd write that title but here I am. said my goodbye to Su and headed off to the Koryo Tours office. Met up with Dan, a very nice world traveler (67 countries and counting), and Zeb, an American student studying abroad in Austria. Currently writing this on the bus from the offices to the airport. The check in was very smooth, well actually it just seems standard. Then again, it was a group tour check in so I don't know if it was fast or not. Being at the gate and seeing the plane we'll be going on, it doesn't look ancient at all. It looks like an Air Canada plane that services Vancouver and Calgary. Boarding the Air Koryo flight in itself was a surreal experience, I couldn't believe I was boarding a plane for Pyongyang. We were greeted by two flight attendants in red and sporting their Kim Il Sung badges on their lapel. I don't know why some people say the Koryo planes seem old, the one we took seemed just as modern as any other small jet type plane.
After that, a spiffy intro video opened that praised Kim Jong Il and his policies for all his contributions to Air Koryo. The flight was ok, but it would've been better if I didn't have a cold and my ears would've popped properly. Because of that stupid cold, my right ear was deaf and somewhat throbbing...Checking into Pyongyang airport was the fastest I've ever experienced. From outside the tarmac to the entrance of the airport, took less than 20 mins. The airport was nice and simple, just a big terminal type building, with pictures of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il over the top of the entrance. The entire building was no bigger than Beijing Station and certainly not bigger than Shinjuku Station in Tokyo. Hell, even Calgary International was bigger, and that's saying a lot.
After, we made our way to the bus and was introduced to our guides (not using full names for their protection): Ms. K, and Mr. C and our driver Mr. P. Ms. K was very nice and gave us a speech. Her speech alone already smashed the western perception I had that North Koreans would try to brainwash/indoctrinate us. She didn't mention anything that would be considered propaganda at all. She just listed facts that everyone learns about Korea: the language, people, geography, and early history. And another perception that taking pictures in North Korea would be very restricted, was also smashed by her. Unless otherwise stated, she said we would be allowed to take photos of anything except military and specific civilian pictures, but you just needed to ask first if they want their picture taken. The one big restriction was any picture of the Kims, we're not allowed to thrwo away, crumple, or fold the part with their face.
Our first stop was the Arch of Triumph and the area surrounding it. It was a very grand monument and one that dwarfs the one in Paris. In the first couple of hours in Pyongyang, many perceptions I've had about North Korea from western media depictions had been completely smashed. For our hotel, we stayed at the Yangakdo International hotel. I was paired with Dan for our room, and I have to say, our room isn't bad at all. It's considered luxury in NK, but equivalent to a 3 star hotel elsewhere. I was surprised to see the TV in the room had foreign channels. I only expected the local DPRK news network, well that is on here too. Of course, this hotel is for foreigners and the ruling elite, so it should be made to look good. The dinner wasn't bad either, the hotel served great kimchi and chicken noodle soup. Afterwards, I went to the small bookshop in the hotel and bought a few souvenirs, a few flags, pins, and the DPRK's socialist constitution.
Well that sums up day 1 in the DPRK. As expected, there is nothing looking out from my hotel window, Pyongyang is dark. My perception of the North Korean people has completely changed. Of course I know there are gross human rights violations that are hidden, but from what I've seen out our tour bus window of Pyongyang citizens, they just go about their own lives. To us, seeing their life may look harsh and we may think that they hate it, especially compared to the South, but I'm really starting to think they don't care or mind. It's their way of life, not ours. They're not being forced to live their daily lives the way they are. It's not like all of them to put on an act before we came, because that's impossible. What I saw was real, not faked. But this is in Pyongyang, THE city where all North Koreans want to live.
On another note, I found out it didn't matter what denomination of RMB you had. In fact, it seems good to have the large denominations of RMB since the biggest, 100, is only equal to 10 Euros...If I'd known that yesterday, I wouldn't have converted so much of my money into small denominations...
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