Category North Korea
North Korea Revisited: Day 8 – Rason, 3 Border Viewing Point, Wonjong, Yanji
Originally posted on Abandoned Kansai:
My last day in North Korea started with another unpleasant experience. Since I was early at the bus in front of the Pipha Hotel, I used the waiting time to walk 30 meters down the driveway and take a picture of the carved in stone hotel sign. I kept in…
North Korea Revisited: Day 6 – Rason
Originally posted on Abandoned Kansai:
The first full day in Rason was packed with tons of program. After breakfast in a separate building (once an exclusive retreat for party members, on some maps marked as “DPRK Leadership Complex”) we headed down the bouncy mountain road to downtown Rajin and paid respect to the Kims. Despite…
North Korea Revisited: Day 7 – Rason
Originally posted on Abandoned Kansai:
Rason being surrounded by mountains and me being an avid hiker, I asked Mr. Kim (not comrade Kim, we were not in North Hamgyong anymore!) on Saturday if hiking was a popular hobby in the DPRK – he said no, and his answer wasn’t a surprise. When you have to…
North Korea Revisited: Day 5 – Kyongsong, Chongjin, Rason
Originally posted on Abandoned Kansai:
Why staying at Kyongsong? Because if the town was good enough for Kim Il-sung, his wife and his son, it is damn good enough for any western tourist! And of course there were more things to see, like the house the most famous Kims stayed at while giving guidance on…
North Korea Revisited: Day 4 – Pochon, Mt. Chilbo, Kyongsong
Originally posted on Abandoned Kansai:
Alone at that beach on a rough coast, the sun rising, an ice-cold wind blowing – Day 4 of the Northeastern Adventure was off to a perfect start! At first it didn’t look like it though. I am not an early riser, yet my third night in North Korea ended…
North Korea Revisited: Day 1 – Yanji, Tumen, Onsong, Hoeryong
Originally posted on Abandoned Kansai:
The Northeastern Adventure started on a rainy Monday morning in front of the Ryugyong Hotel. No, not the famous triangle shaped hotel in Pyongyang that was the world’s most famous construction ruin for many, many years – the one in Yanji, China, also known as Liujing Hotel. At first sight…
North Korea Revisited: Day 2 – Hoeryong, Chongjin
Originally posted on Abandoned Kansai:
After breakfast at the Hoeryong Hotel we started a highlight tour of the city. First destination was a statue of Kim Jong-suk, Kim Il-sung’s wife and Kim Jong-il’s mother, who died in 1949 when lil’ Kim was just seven years old. Barely mentioned during tours to Pyongyang, Kim Jong-suk, pardon:…
North Korea Revisited: Day 3 – Chongjin, Pochon (Homestay Village)
Originally posted on Abandoned Kansai:
The most surprising and shocking revelation of the third day was the electric fence along the coast of North Korea! After breakfast at the Chongjin Hotel we drove south through the city, past the Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Complex (guess who originally built it!), which is dominating the look…
Derek Versus Lonely Planet 