Throughout the duration of our tour we are flanked by our ever-present, yet personable, guides. This strikes me as a bit unusual. After all, it’s the first time that I’ve been on an officially organised visit to a country. We visit historical monuments commemorating ‘the communist party and North Korea’s glorious leaders’. Ordinary citizens flock to the sites in their best clothes to pay their respects by bowing and laying flowers at the bottom of the statues. I’m struck by the orderliness and discipline shown by everyone in the city. Perhaps it’s because I’m French, but I can’t help but find it all very unusual.
Following a fantastic first meal in North Korea, we hit the road out of town. It leads us past mountains and valleys punctuated by little hills. I want to take it all in but the motion of the bus and my jet lag sends me into a deep slumber. I’m awoken with a violent jolt as the bus hits a pothole. Wide-awake, I look out the window and the see the most remarkable sights; a coal-powered truck, farmers working the fields and ever-present soldiers.
We make a stop and hike up to a point where a river broadens out. Time for my first paddle-session in North Korea. I have been told by our guides that terrible things have happened in this countries past, but in this exact spot I feel nothing but a sense of calm. That night, we stay in a luxury hotel which was completed in just 6 months. It’s a ski resort, complete with pistes and gondolas – amazing! I probably would have preferred to have stayed in a private house with some locals, but I doubt that option is on the cards for this trip. Tomorrow we are heading to the coast!
