A travel diary
Wed Sept 29th, 2010 - Thurs Oct 7th, 2010
Written by Robin unruly
for www.rebellogblog.com / dev
(朝鲜民主主义人民共和国)
North Korea - Day 3 - Part 2
The afternoon begins for us with a visit to the "USS.Pueblo.
"The USS Pueblo (AGER-2) is a spy ship in the U.S. Navy, in the year 1968 by the capture by the North Korean Marine has gained particular notoriety. It is still owned by North Korea and is the world's only ship in the U.S. Navy, which is in captivity. "
says Wikipedia and shorter I can not say. When we arrived we expected, oh wonder, the officer from the War Museum yesterday. It leads us through the entire ship, a little rusty, pretty uncomfortable, "Kahn". Sharp-edged plates and hard corners, as usual, on warships. Proudly shows us our guide every corner, even as the team was staying. We see a cabin with bunk beds without mattresses. So, the Marines will not have slept, I do think that the U.S. Navy, even on a tight budget, its people begrudge a mattress. Maybe they have rotted away in the long term. The spy room is crammed with electronics, of course angejahrt and dusty, but still. What would a spy ship without technology? Then we come into the team room and another former officer is a flat-TV in operation. Now we see a North Korean document that explains how the circumstances of the application of the "USS.Pueblo" were handled. But had not my offspring already in Seoul, as we travel program by email received, the individual points from the Internet search and information currently on the Pueblo comprehensive? At 14, one obviously has a special interest in espionage operations. For us, the "Story", though not quite as detailed, yet known.
thought that the depictions of Koreans differ materially from our knowledge. These contradictions were also our son immediately. But we are polite, and besides, it is a tremendously instructive process different representations do so directly at himself. However, the DPRK exaggerated the incident Sun strongly as a victory over the American imperialists and the U.S. military and is proud of the capitulation and apology made signatures, that we refrain in this travelogue, an analysis of self-consciousness of the current management situation make and explain to the Western view. Overall, however, we have capitulation and apology signatures in several places seen, they are, this is obvious to the stabilization of the national self-image needed. But we have such self-affirmation rituals not in Germany? Think about times our current approach to history after. The further we move away from the event all the more intense we are fixated on it.
ride in glorious weather, we now proceed to the city wall, or the remains thereof. Actually it is a park, the Moranbong Park, laid out very nicely, the remains of walls and gates contains. We walk with our guides through the gently rising park, rarely we meet people. At a gate sits an art student and enjoy the panorama painted on the door. The picture is almost complete, but she dabbed still green leaves on the branches. We can photograph them exceptionally. On a few meters away Bench seat, a young man, reading. The two decorate the landscape in a pleasant manner that is otherwise so audience-free. But later, at another gate, young people sitting on the floor and have a picnic. Some are even empty bottles next to it, the mood is already raised. This has not so much decorative role, is more of a casual situation, woe is us, they also encountered in many parks. Even the couple with toddler seat very well happen on the lawn, and people are standing in line at a booth on the fat baked now not decorative. One can see that they work hard everyday.
In a pavilion, picturesque Located in a valley, it has proved many people. Pensioners, who dance to the music of a cassette recorder. Seniors dance also. When we appear, they show, my impression, especially what they can, and especially two old men dancing together at their best. They dance very excited. Need for recognition is very international.
This walk is nice and relaxed, you can let your soul. Sure, for a 3.3 million city surprisingly few people are here. And the lack of people, we naturally see everywhere in Pyongyang, where tourists show up, or could arise. Nevertheless, We'll end the trip do not feel have enough people have seen.
Especially not at the next attraction, the amusement park. Our leaders have the thought of our children. You do not know that our children have of Bush Gardens, Disney World over, Pidgeon Forge daily organizer or the German-French-festival in many parks and have been happy there. Or so viewed: You have comparisons. Since the park from cuts not bad. So into the fun. The park is large and has also been visible from a distance attractions. The main attraction is a Bangeejumpingturm in the middle. On a chair ring around the tower shaft maybe 20 people take place in a chair and dragged about 30 meters up. Then swapped in and zoom all the chairs in the depths. Bungee mass. Screams and cheers when like us. Then these horrible things in turning many people strapped into a large round stand and then turns and sets up vertically. Kotz, not for me. An air rocking ship, bumper cars, an arcade with lots of computer equipment, car simulation, target shooting, etc. And then the main attraction: a roller coaster. I like to ride roller coaster, as long as nothing goes over the top. This is very modern and is also a spiral overhead. It is not sitting, lying. I've seen several of these tracks, this is not only brand-new, it is also in design has never seen such by us. I'm looking through the eyes of the sign of the manufacturer, can not find it, but either it is from one of the great German fairground equipment or even from America. We do not drive.
We have of course, a park guide who makes a rather bored face, if only because they always have to stand by while we watch, but if we want to do something, we, in spite of countless Waiting , the first to the immediate and above all else, have their turn. This makes us now feel very bad and the children go only once to talk together in bumper cars and then take a tour of our guides for a trip in the airship. But this is, at least for him and me an error, it does not do well, he says this is torture, I agree with him and my stomach starts to rebel. I do not even wave to my wife, but concentrate on keeping control of my bowels. Phew.
The third thing that we participate, is at an arm wrestling machine. The idea is mine and the other tour guide and I are measured. He wins.
The park is very full. What is striking: All children and adults stand or sit politely and patiently to all corresponding inputs absolutely disciplined. It is amazing to see that as a kind of block of children 8 to 10 side by side and in 20 rows behind the other sits and waits. They stare at us, but they wait. The peace and discipline studied at a German amusement park to none. Nothing doing. So here is the education in school, in the pioneer camp, or youth organization for daily life. I try to assign the children given parents. But that does not work, there are probably mainly groups with educators. But this time for us nothing is free. We have no idea what the locals pay, but we pay for every attraction we have made 5 €. This is the unit price in North Korea for Westerners, quite obviously, whether flowers or roller coaster. Of course, we do not pay themselves, the leader gets the money from us and governs with the leader. Very clear: This visit was not prepared. Otherwise the price would probably have been also included. In the hotel I
bring my rebellious stomach to rest, watch TV, look out the window once more fireworks than the first May-stadium and ...
... I look forward to day number 4!
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