I was on my way to DPRK.
It was February 14th, valentine day, the annual day in which people celebrate love and affection. Walking across the bustling concourse towards the ticket office the intense blue sky concealed its frostiness. Vaper was present on each breathe and as I flashed my passport at the entrance of the Beijing railway station, entry was granted and warmth started to once again envelop me. The first Western person I saw was Bob. He’s English. Like myself. I knew immediately he was attached to the same tour group as me. I still hesitated to approach him. What if he wasn’t travelling to the same place as me but instead in China on business or holidaying alone or perhaps purchasing tickets for another destination, or a permanent resident in China’s capital city? No, I wouldn’t approach him I would observe him cunningly and establish his purpose before committing to an approach.
Subtle glances at Bob ceased as I spied another Western gentleman looking at the curious Chinese snacks in a small railway shop. Pete was to become my roommate for the next five nights in the world’s most secretive country, North Korea, or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) which is preferred by North Korean people.
During the next thirty minutes the group increased to nearly twenty at our designated meeting area inside Beijing Railway Station. The murmur and hum of excitement permeated among the gathering. Apprehension and uneasiness also! I remember that Conversation was focused and somewhat limited to our impending expedition into the clandestine enclave of the DPRK. Also, after nearly six weeks in China it had occurred to me that we were attracting no attention from locals. Often a collective of Westerners is a signal for a photo opportunity for many Chinese people. Obviously these Beijing residents were accustomed to foreign tourists inexplicably assembling in a small corner next to a snack shop in a lukewarm Beijing train station. I assumed many were regular commuters who were familiar with the meeting point of our tour operator.
In Anticipation of the DPRK …
All present we strolled to an upstairs waiting area to await the arrival of the 17:30 train to the Chinese city of Dandong; the final frontier before entering the DPRK. It is China’s largest border city facing the small town of Sinuiju, North Korea which is separated by the natural border of the Yalu River.
The waiting area was still a ripple of eagerness and anticipation. Much like an airport departure lounge we sat impatiently before being ushered towards the ticket gates for passport and ticket inspection. Beyond was the overnight sleeper train. Our large group was divided; most participants had opted for the soft-sleeper cabins which feature small private rooms with four bunks and a western styled toilet at the end of the corridor. Just five of us had downgraded to a hard bunker arrangement in a different carriage of the train. As a budget backpacker I was one of them.
The hard bunker carriages each consist of eleven open-plan compartments with six beds in a compartment. The compartments are divided by a thin wall for privacy although there is no door onto the corridor. The carriages are boisterous and hectic during the day and are a popular way in which Chinese families travel. In the corridor opposite the bunk-beds is a small metal platform located under the window which is used as a table. To either side is another slightly larger folding platform which functions as a seat. I was lucky to be sharing a compartment with two South African gentlemen and next door a German couple. The five of us were the only Western passengers in the carriage.
As the train rolled away from Beijing I had no notion that the 24-hour journey into DPRK was to be such entertainment!
A Chance Meeting
The good rapport was a blessing. I guess we were united in our expectation of the DPRK. For a while we chatted and familiarised ourselves with each other with topics about life, work and travel. As we collectively considered the type of person who would willingly journey into a country depicted as a dystopia, a pretty Chinese girl (name unknown) interjected and politely asked Mazel’s girlfriend (okay I’ve repressed her name also!) if her Grandmother could switch beds. The Grandmother appearing to be in her late sixties, maybe a little older had been allocated the top bunk in her compartment, a climbing task that was fruitless even for many younger people. Mazel’s girlfriend aptly obliged and abandoned her lower bed for the top one.
The Grandmother was delighted by such hospitality as were the Granddaughter and Grandfather. I decided to extend our new friendship further and offer each of them a can of beer – Tsing Tao to be exact! The Grandfather (name unknown … what a surprise!) accordingly accepted whereas the Grandmother and Granddaughter politely declined.
A jolly and convivial evening henceforth unfolded in carriage number 11. Anticipating the long journey I had aptly armed myself with bountiful cans of Chinese Tsing Tao lager. As a bitter drinker of English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish (I guess it would have been quicker to write British!) ale I still enjoyed this famous Chinese beverage. Quickly did we drain the cans of their liquid content meaning I embarked on a mission to the food carriage for more supplies. Curiously as I approached the counter to request my order the restaurant waitress retired to a small room and reappeared with … can you guess? … Tsing Tao beer! How did she know? Again armed with plentiful lager I returned to carriage number 11.
Yummy Chinese Snacks
Meanwhile as a thank-you for switching beds the Granddaughter (whose name I still cannot recall) had issued some bars of (I assumed some type of confectionary such as chocolate for instance) for Mazel, Mazel’s girlfriend (what was her blooming name?) and then myself. Similar to a bar of chocolate in the UK the wrapper was a shiny foil with the same texture as a Kit-Kat or Galaxy etc. Its colour was different; a blue or maybe purple, perhaps even yellow, I really cannot recall. Not entirely square in size I would say it was slightly elongated. The ends at the longest sides were neatly shaped in small triangles to assist in making the opening process easier. This is where the similarities to UK chocolate wrappers end. This was no chocolate bar!
The clues were there, an image of a cartoon duck on the packaging and the feeling of something bony and thin within. Spicy cold duck feet! Yep a delicacy in China and other Asian countries but not necessarily the staple diet of fussy German and English foreigners. Confident that this snack would be delicious and not wanting to cause offence to a lovely family, the three of us tore open the foil packages. My nostrils tingled with the spicy aroma that was released. Luckily I adore spicy food. Ducks feet not so much!
In order to dilute the flavour, the Tsing Tao beer was poured copiously down our necks. The Grandfather then issued a small bottle of clear alcohol, its appearance was like vodka although its fragrance was different, an aroma I couldn’t quite fathom. A quick glance at the bottle declared its alcohol content was strong, around 55%. As the Grandfather then proceeded to circulate some slices of cold thin liver the unknown spirit was used to once again mitigate the flavour. The burning sensation that lingered in our mouths, throats and oesophagus certainly managed to conceal the tang of spicy cold duck feet and slices of chilled liver.
A Little Inebriated!
Eventually, as I consumed approximately 7 pints of Tsing Tao lager and mouthfuls of strong – not unpleasant, unknown alcoholic spirit, not only was I a little inebriated but I was also sated with Chinese delicacies. I decided to gracefully withdraw from our conversation which essentially consisted of raising our cans and announcing the word “cheers” over and over before swigging another gulp of beer or liquor. It was good fun nonetheless.
I swivelled around on my seat to find a lone man perched the other side of me. Courteously I offered him some Tsing Tao which he graciously accepted and he aptly provided some of the same liquor that our small gathering had been consuming with the Grandfather. Moreover, this gentleman also supplied some identical cold slices of liver! Around 30 minutes of chewing this Chinese indulgence and swigging more booze I captured the eye of a striking young girl around 17 – 19 years old sitting opposite the end compartment in the carriage. With a stomach full of alcoholic liquid and a mind hazy with said tipple, I attempted my most beguiling and seductive smile, which I think you’ll agree is exactly what a young girl wants from a sloshed, slightly fat, middle-aged man on a train!
A final “cheers” with my new friend I disembarked from my seat (while attempting to appear sober) and then gingerly steadied myself as I straightened and paused, preparing for the short walk to the end of the carriage to chat-up this striking girl. For a sober man the walk is simple. Any obstacle such as person, bag or food trolley can be successfully negotiated and conquered until one has triumphed and reached his destination. Not so when you’re drunk! The aforementioned obstacles can be challenging; children knocked to the floor, bags carelessly kicked out of the way, innocuous and inoffensive items representing trip hazards, the movement of the train throwing ones body from side-to-side crashing unceremoniously into passengers, walls and windows co-operating to keep one upright and a food trolley that appeared to despise my shin-bones. Nonetheless success was eventually accomplished and the destination was attained.
A Pleasant Encounter with Girls from the DPRK!
Sitting in the compartment was several girls, approximately 16 – 19 years old. They appeared rather sweet and giggly. They were rather conservative in their dress code. They appeared quite shy. Immediately I noticed two older women, approximately 55 – 60 years old who instantly reminded me of the German Gestapo. Adorned entirely in black, stern faces languid and humourless they sat on the lower beds rigid with a fixed gaze that insinuated I should not have invaded their compartment.
None of the girls spoke English which is not uncommon in China where many people only speak their mother tongue. Attention was drawn to a small badge that each girl was wearing on the left side of her garment. I then understood that this group were not Chinese, they were North Korean.
Luckily a Chinese girl who was listening to our attempt at conversation decided to interject and translate. She could fluently speak Chinese, English and Korean. Although drunk I was sensitive in how I communicated; no mention of politics, the United States, the DPRK leaders past or present, or any topic that would insult or affront their nation. I was however still tipsy and thus couldn’t resist flirting with such magnificently elegant girls.
Fortunately no slices of liver or spicy cold duck feet were presented as a gift. As we sat talking via our translator about life, travelling the globe and ambition, the girls bestowed some fruit instead. More food … as if I’m not fat enough! I remember opening my mouth and leaning forward so the girls would be tempted in placing a segment (of which fruit I don’t recall) directly into my mouth. Some were equally flirtatious and embraced my toying. A couple kept making glances at the ladies in black, conscience they were under scrutiny. They aptly declined my flirtations.
Outrageous Flirting!
I later considered my interaction with these girls. It was palpable that they had never experienced such teasing before. It was clear they did not have much experience of flirting and they appeared to have little experience of interacting with foreigners. Their trip into China was for educational purposes and they were chaperoned everywhere while outside of the DPRK. They could not socialise and they could not speak to anybody outside of the education facility.
Eventually the need to empty my bladder of the vast quantities of booze enveloped me and I temporarily left my hosts for the toilet. Shunted and pushed from side-to-side on a moving train while drunk is not the ideal condition to stand and urinate, particularly when the toilet is a mere hole in the ground. After splashing my shoes with processed Tsing Tao and liquor I returned to the compartment to resume my conversation with the Korean girls. Sadly they had retired to their bunk beds for the evening. I’m convinced that in my absence the two chaperones – the ladies in black – had instructed the girls to retire for a night’s sleep. My new friend the Chinese girl who kindly translated for us verified my assumption. Had I overstepped the mark? Had the girls overstepped the mark? I shall never know.
Likewise I decided to retire to my bunk for the night. So I clambered up to the middle bunk and swiftly descended into slumber. The following morning as we approached the border at Dandong, Karl, one of the South African lads remarked that I had been snoring for most of the night.
New DPRK Friends …
I was humbled by my experience with my new Korean friends. Quite ignorantly I was uncertain how well the Koreans would accept a foreigner. If my first experience was an indication I should not be anxious. I disembarked from the train as did every passenger and headed to immigration control. As we assembled and waited to be processed out of China and into the DPRK I experienced my first glimpse of this secretive country. Although still in China, on clearing immigration we would once again return to the train for the remainder of our journey into the DPRK. Among the masses waiting with their passports were the North Korean girls and their chaperones. No flirtations this time! No interaction at all in fact. No glances or eye-contact, no positive body language signals; utterly impassive, totally indifferent. Did I exist? Had I imagined the previous evening? So close to their home country and Pyongyang where the girls live, they had resumed their regular protocol. As I was to discover in the following days interaction with the North Korean public would be challenging.
For part 2 of this article please click HERE
I hope you enjoyed this article. If you would like to watch a video on my experiences in the DPRK please click HERE