And all the dried fish and one Budweiser you want!

I was watching this National Geographic special on a hypothetical hostile alien invasion the other night and one thing they mentioned is the aliens would determine where most of our electricity and infrastructure was concentrated by looking at the night side of earth when prioritizing targets to destroy. I bet North Korea would come out unscathed if the aliens invaded.

I have no interest in visiting BK....of either the Burger King or Best Koriea variety.

\both suck balls

I wouldn't give them a farking dime of my tourist money.

*Korea

Well, they (or, that is, the Egyptians) finally finished the Ryugyong Hotel... they were going to have to put somebody in it.

Ric Flair's story about going there with WCW is pretty priceless. He's basically scared for his life, intimidated by all the heavily armed people who don't make in 10 years what his watch costs, and apparently don't know wrestling is worked.

So of course, at the big gala dinner event, when some dignitary is talking about Best Korea, Muhammed Ali (who was also there as some kind of goodwill ambassador) pipes up with "No wonder we hate these mutherfarkers."

I guess the moral of the story is that Ali is not intimidated by ANYTHING.

cryinoutloud: I wouldn't give them a farking dime of my tourist money.

Me neither. I worked hard to mug those tourists!


So I DRTFA, but I'm guessing NK has a "free admission, but bring a can of food" type policy at the border?

bill4935: cryinoutloud: I wouldn't give them a farking dime of my tourist money.

Me neither. I worked hard to mug those tourists!


So I DRTFA, but I'm guessing NK has a "free admission, but bring a can of food" type policy at the border?

Hand over the pillowcase, NOW!

bill4935: So I DRTFA, but I'm guessing NK has a "free admission, but bring a can of food" type policy at the border?

Excellent. Sounds like a perfect time to break out the old "Green Beans label pasted onto an Alpo Can" gag.

Hey, it fooled those old ladies at the church food drive.

Best thing about Best Korea: the traffic girls:

Mount Kumgang? And they say the North Koreans have no sense of humor.

All meals had to be taken at the hotel buffet, and shopping was restricted to one designated tourist shop, even after some of the Chinese tourists loudly protested that they simply wanted to visit a local restaurant for a bowl of noodles and shop in the local department store.

Uh, are there any local restaurants with food or local department stores in NK?

You be here tree day now! You go now! Too long! Too long!
We no want you and you cell frone here. All fraaaancy fraaaancy. Oooooo rook at me! Using my erectricity!
You go!

/too much? But they really talk like that, amirite?

I'm in North Korea right now at the Reconciliation Conference hosted by Kim-Jong. He truly is an amazing an inspirational speaker. During his address today, he listed, one by one, his major initiatives, both domestic and foreign, and asked the crowd of ten thousand or so people to only applaud if they agreed with his approach. Each statement brought unanimous cheers and riotous applause. It was truly moving, so much so that Kim-Jong wept on the stand. Young women received permission to collect his tears and they immediately took them to the National Museum for display. Incredible day thus far and I'm looking forward to the wine and cheese party tonight where supposedly Kim Jong is going to perform his latest and greatest ballroom dance with the lovely Sinha Bolljeur. And the no camera, no phone thing is way overblown. Kim Jong is a very self-conscious person, at his heart though he'd never let on, and his attendants just like to suggest which of our photographs reflect his best side. Never threatening, never more than a recommendation. A great man leads a great country, and I do believe I sense the typical Western jealousy. Having trouble keeping up with Jongs, eh neighbor?

weave: This is nothing new. They've been allowing tourists in for years, even Americans.

Koryo Tours (new window)

This guy from Illinois has been there every year for past 4 years

Link to flickr (new window)

Why the hell would anyone want to go there every year? Is he a masochist? That place seems like it would be a good way to "disappear" if someone stepped out of bounds.

"Vice Guide to Travel: North Korea". Goood stuff!

spentmiles: I'm in North Korea right now at the Reconciliation Conference hosted by Kim-Jong.

Birds of a feather, etc. : )

So now the Washington Post is heading toward paywall fail - you get a "sign up here" screen on the third page.

Oh well... the Vice guys covered "tourism" in North Korea quite well. Then there's the rule-breaking train trip using a route that isn't normally open to tourists. How those guys avoided jail is a mystery to me.

I wouldn't mind going back to South Korea to visit for a week of two. Whores, whores everywhere.

People willingly go to the prnk? I can understand n. koreans who immigrated elsewhere returning to see family; but I think I'll just stay here in the states. Its safer here; and I'm less likely to get thrown into jail for calling the president a big meanie poopy pants.

\ I have no idea whether or not the president of the united states is a big meanie poopy pants; I was just using it as a example of what I can do here and what you probably shouldn't do in the prnk; so stow ur butthurt.

So, more competition for Euro Disney then?

ThisNameSux: I wouldn't mind going back to South Korea to visit for a week of two. Whores, whores everywhere.



agrees

Also, don't make eye contact, and always remember that North Koreans can sense fear.

iheartscotch: People willingly go to the prnk?

You've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, prnk?

Another gorgeous day in Best Korea!

Snarfangel: Also, don't make eye contact, and always remember that North Koreans can sense fear.

It is their number one commodity.

It's probably setup like the Hotel California. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

I've been and it was definitely an educational experience. You don't go for a vacation and definitely don't go to act like some superior asshole American. Just go as a neutral observer and watch.

Talking politics is pointless. After two famines in 30 years and seeing how the RoK has progressed (things like iPods full of videos get smuggled across the border, also lots of TVs with VCRs for viewing taped programs) most North Koreans know their country sucks. They also know not to say shiat because the secret police will take them and their family away if they do.

Mr. Coffee Nerves: FTFA: Pyongyang, the capital, boasts 70 parks, water so clean you can drink from the tap

Sounds like this reporter is on a first-name basis with his Water Sommelier at the finest Georgetown restaurants so while dining he only gets the "not for the general public" bottles of the finest Greenlandian Glacier...filled from the hose in the alley once they're done rinsing the dumpster.

Have you ever been outside the West? In much of the world, clean tap water is a luxury. China is way, way richer than North Korea, and Beijing and Shanghai are world cities in their own right--and even the locals there usually don't drink the water without boiling it. For Pyongyang to have potable tap water is, frankly, surprising.

emkajii: Have you ever been outside the West? In much of the world, clean tap water is a luxury. China is way, way richer than North Korea, and Beijing and Shanghai are world cities in their own right--and even the locals there usually don't drink the water without boiling it. For Pyongyang to have potable tap water is, frankly, surprising.

Helps when you have minimal industrial and agri activity that would pollute the water in the first place.

The new hotness in China is installing your own mini purification system in your apartment. Last time I visited one of our Chinese plants my Chinese counterpart was showing off photos of his, he was damn proud. No more boiling the water for a quick drink.

I keep saying if North Korea were liberated tomorrow, I'd drop everything, sell off everything, and go help out.
/I still mean it

"Best Korea is to allow tourists into the country"

Yeah, except being a "tourist" in North Korea is suspiciously similar to being an "inmate" in the USA - you see, sleep, eat, and drink what and when the authorities say you can.

Your Favorite Token Black Chick: I keep saying if North Korea were liberated tomorrow, I'd drop everything, sell off everything, and go help out.
/I still mean it

No trolling, but have you spent time in East Asia? In an environment where the people are not being nice to you for the purpose of separating you from your tourist dollars?

Because at the end of the day, Hillbillystan Alabama looks tolerant compared to East Asian stereotypes on blacks. Odds are they shred your visa request and you're on the next east bound flight over the Pacific.

Random CSB:
In South Korea we had to interact with some RoK types. The officers addressed my enlisted ass as if I was an equal and treated me with respect. My black Lt. was ignored. When they started doing it I kind of turned to him and gave him a "Hey, what are we doing about this? We making a scene here?" kind of look. He just gave me a "roll with it" signal. After the meeting I asked him why he put up with it and his response was "We'd never get anything done if I did that. Hell I brought you along because they'd treat a white guy better".

ha-ha-guy: Your Favorite Token Black Chick: I keep saying if North Korea were liberated tomorrow, I'd drop everything, sell off everything, and go help out.
/I still mean it

No trolling, but have you spent time in East Asia? In an environment where the people are not being nice to you for the purpose of separating you from your tourist dollars?

Because at the end of the day, Hillbillystan Alabama looks tolerant compared to East Asian stereotypes on blacks. Odds are they shred your visa request and you're on the next east bound flight over the Pacific.

Random CSB:
In South Korea we had to interact with some RoK types. The officers addressed my enlisted ass as if I was an equal and treated me with respect. My black Lt. was ignored. When they started doing it I kind of turned to him and gave him a "Hey, what are we doing about this? We making a scene here?" kind of look. He just gave me a "roll with it" signal. After the meeting I asked him why he put up with it and his response was "We'd never get anything done if I did that. Hell I brought you along because they'd treat a white guy better".

I'm totally aware of the endemic xenophobia Asia has against blacks. I'd still do it. I'd even (horror of horrors) go with a christian missionary trip because of the strong tradition Christianity has on the peninsula.

GAT_00: Or just look for neutrino emissions.

how are Spanish neutrons going to help?

/anyone seen Porthos? ...he could be eating the pecan pie...

Yes, I am the fool from Illinois that goes every year. I also am on FARK.
It takes a certain kind of fool to go. This year it was 17 days and it was tougher to go longer. We went to every location that is open to tourism. The new city this year was Chongjin, the third largest city of the DPRK. Not many photos were taken there as we were forbidden. I can see why. It looks like Gary Indiana.

Hey I did lose 20 lbs (the DPRK weight loss plan). No - you cannot drink the water in Pyongyang. What kind of fool would do that?

It is interesting to see who goes on these tours. What crazy would do this? Photographers, academics, true believers, adventurers and the people who want to go to every nation on earth. The true believers are fun. They sober up after while. One women went because her teenage son wanted to go and she found it fascinating. It is not so bad after you are there a week and know the rules. I took 8000 photos on this trip. Some of them are posted on Flickr.

Here is the Ryugyong Hotel taken from nearby:


For more photos
2011 photo sets are here.

Mixolydian Master: Huh? North Korea has been open to the general public for quite awhile now. I'm not sure how this is making news. Just off the top of my head, you typically fly in from Beijing to Pyongyang. No cell phones, passport confiscated, no outside media including ANY type of book, no matter how benign. No telephoto lenses. No straying from the tour guides. At the end of the day, you should get your tour guide drunk and ask him how he really feels (lotta interesting stories I've heard, with this one) And if you stay in the Yanggakdo Hotel, you should check out the fifth floor that supposedly isn't there. The elevator can take up to 20 minutes to get to the upper floors, and Pyongyang has frequent blackouts, so maybe stick to the stairwells.

Letting go of your passport is the biggest travel no-no I can think of.

/will avoid Best Korea

Or, if you can't make it all the way to Best Korea, which is just lovely this time of year, you can pick up some official DPRK merchandise from the government site's shop.

I'd almost be tempted to get a T-shirt, but I don't want a credit card trail leading back to the North Korean government's website. Call me crazy.

volodya: The true believers are fun. They sober up after while.

Where do they come from? It blows my mind that anybody could think DPRK was a good place.

I heart this thread. Kudos to those who've been! If you don't want to go, you are a puss. I tried to get in when I lived in China, but was denied. I'm planning to move to S Korea next school year - maybe I'll give it another shot.

/adventurous
//had my passport confiscated in Haiti
///rolled with it
////wish I'd told 'em to fark off

YixilTesiphon: volodya: The true believers are fun. They sober up after while.

Where do they come from? It blows my mind that anybody could think DPRK was a good place.


It does have its good points. Like the low amount of light pollution in most of the country. At night you can probably really see the stars.

I also expect that there is very little electrosmog there. In fact I would encourage anyone who thinks that cellphone towers give them cancer to move there.