North Korea — The Best Place I’ve Been

Let me tell you why.

Let me preface this by saying I’ve loved everywhere I’ve been except Israel, so it’s impossible to choose just one. I’ve chosen North Korea because I loved it, but am not likely to return there any time soon.

Possibly, the fact that I spent 10 days with my youngest son on his tour might have been one of the reasons I loved North Korea so much — but not the only one. I hadn’t seen Rowan since he left Australia in 2011, 4 years previously so it was very special.

Stepping back in time

When we arrived at our hotel, it was like stepping back in time. Everything was so old-fashioned and I loved it —beautiful timber furniture like my grandmother’s and the rooms were spacious — completely the opposite to New York City (the smallest hotel rooms in the world!)

I had no internet service and no phone which I loved. I was incommunicado with the rest of the world. I had an enforced break from Facebook and Scrabble but was having so much fun, I didn’t experience any withdrawal symptoms.

I loved the people

I had just visited China for 10 days with my girlfriend and the North Koreans were so much friendlier than the Chinese people we met. The people went out of their way to be helpful. The children were so polite. We visited several schools and saw classes working. As an ex-teacher, it was a joy to see such disciplined kids. I realise that we were being shown la creme de la crème, but these kids were unbelievably talented.

Kindergarten kids were violin virtuosos — and the singing and dancing performances were extraordinary. Their music programs were phenomenal.

I loved the countryside

I wasn’t particularly fussed with Pyongyang — it’s just another city — but I did love the wide empty streets and the old fashioned metro system with the beautiful metro stations. The countryside was another matter entirely — beautiful scenery wherever we went — they can’t manufacture that.

I loved the traditional costumes

I couldn’t help but take dozens of photos of the beautiful hanbok — the traditional dress worn by the women. Nancy Blackman mentions it in this informative article.

I loved that there was full employment

Everyone had a job — even if it was a seemingly useless task like standing on corners watching traffic. The streets were spotless — no littering here — street sweepers took pride in their work.

I loved there was no crime or drugs or vandalism

I’m not so naive to believe that there was none at all but you break the law, you’re either shot or carted off to a labour camp never to be seen again. I like this philosophy. Western nations could learn something here.

Our tour group was under strict instructions not to leave the hotel, but boys being boys, a group of them headed out on the first night to party by the river. They were swiftly hauled into line by my son — he’s 6 foot 7 and quite scary — and they didn’t break the rule again.

I loved the culture

I loved that adult children had to live with their parents until they married when they were given a studio apartment by the state. With the birth of each child, their home would be upgraded to a larger apartment or house. If you managed to have six children, not only were you given a large house but also a medal. I was chuffed that I’d earned a medal. I think I would have deserved it if I still had 5 of my children living with me. Only one of mine is married!

I loved their devotion to their leaders

Even though Kim Jong Un is a bit of a weirdo, he’s no worse than Trump. His grandfather Kim Il-Sung is still worshipped as a national hero and when we visited his mausoleum, I cried with the dozens of women who were overcome with grief even though he died in 1994. It was a moving experience.

I didn’t love the food

It was either too spicy for me or too bland. Kimchi is not my favourite. I did like the hot pot! And I loved the clams that were doused with petrol and set alight — that was a fun night out in the country. You honestly couldn’t taste the petrol at all.

I didn’t love the toilets

The “hole-in-the-ground” oriental toilets are a bugbear of mine. I first encountered them in Japan but at least they have “normal” disabled toilets there too. No such thing in North Korea. Fortunately, the hotels that Rowan had booked all had western-style toilets.

I hope I have given you some idea what a wonderful country DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) is despite its politics. You can’t blame a country for its leader. Oh, and by the way, I didn’t see a single man with a haircut like Kim Jong Un’s!