[Reis Noord-Korea] Waar alleen eksters zijn, zien en weten.

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Op donderdag 25 november 2010 21:49 schreef ia het volgende:

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Leuk verhaal.
Zijn laptops toegestaan? Dan kun je foto's maken, verwijderen, en vervolgens met datarecoverysoftware terughalen..

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Ik zit ook te overwegen om een bezoekje te brengen, ben op reis in Azie.. Hoe lang ben je gegaan? Werd je tijdens de toeristische trip ook verplicht respect te tonen etc door bloemen te leggen?

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Op donderdag 25 november 2010 22:21 schreef k_man het volgende:
Wij moesten dat wel (de bloemen). Een bosje neerleggen bij dat enorme beeld op het centrale plein in Pyongyang.

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Op vrijdag 26 november 2010 11:50 schreef ia het volgende:
Voor onder de 1000 euro kun je een tour doen...
http://youngpioneertours.com/tours.php

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Op vrijdag 26 november 2010 13:06 schreef k_man het volgende:

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Wij haddden geen reisbegeleider bij ons, alleen de staatsgidsen.

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Op vrijdag 26 november 2010 13:04 schreef k_man het volgende:
Waarom zoveel zakgeld? Ik heb daar vrijwel niks uitgegeven. Alleen wat souvenirs.

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North Korea is a surreal place. There are almost no cell phones, two TV channels (both play the same thing), no ATM’s, computers, internet, or e-mail. There is very little commerce. Apartments are “given” to the people and they do not have to pay a cent for them. People receive almost no salary. Everything earned is in the hands of the state. With this power, the state builds wide roads for almost no cars. It builds monuments and marble palaces to show its power and to make the people feel awe just to look at these colossal structures. In Pyongyang, a big palace is provided to the children for cultural development. Twice a week, these children are asked to perform for the foreigners and they do so with amazing talent. There are classes in calligraphy, oil painting, water painting, drawing, cello, violin, piano, dancing of all kinds, singing, and drums. We think we saw an empty room with computers but almost no one has access to them. The state controls all the media. There are almost no bicycles so you can see thousands of people walking in their blue suits and ties up and down the streets. They walk quickly. A subway is provided, complete with crystal chandeliers and mosaics - depicting the workers' paradise, the Great Leader and the Dear Leader. These paintings, mosaics, statues, are ubiquitous. Coupons are given for food and clothing. What has happened is that the people are so isolated and deprived of information from the outside world that they are innocent and childlike. Peasants from the farms just stare at us dumbfounded. Those from Pyongyang have seen some foreigners but they are not able to talk in English, so they just stare. We stared back. If you wave, everyone will wave back at you in a friendly way. They have an uncountable number of museums. Foreigners are paraded through them. Lights were turned on in each room as we approached and turned off behind us when we left. The paintings in the National Gallery were fascinating from hundreds of years ago up to the present Socialist Realism. The old paintings, however, were just copies of the originals that were mostly found on walls in old grave mounts. This was the most interesting of tours, because it was accompanied by a tour guide who actually told us the history of Korea. In most hotels, water was scarce, hot water was available for a half hour, and lights were just barely on. Gifts given to the “Great Leader” were displayed in a 10 acre museum. The American gifts were appropriately small and unimpressive. Those from Cuba, Zimbabwe and Myanmar were very unusual and obviously designed to ingratiate. The people were so devastated when the Great Leader died that his son promised that there would never be another president. He would remain the Eternal President. We were talking about the young son of Kim Jong Il (Dear Leader), Kim Jong Un to our guide which surprised her. When she heard that he was educated in Switzerland, she said, “We do not have that information”. She looked a little afraid. Now she had info that others had not been given. We traveled with a group of wonderful people who, themselves, were well traveled and highly educated and just as curious as we. It was quite an adventure. They do not seem ready to give us any students yet but we made some good contacts.”

We really do not know why N. Korea would bomb a S. Korean island. Maybe some of you know. Do you really think that Kim Jong Un is getting trained?