I really want to go to Cuba, but it has crossed my mind how my money will mostly go to support the Castro regime. I’m not sure much of that money really goes to locals as I recall you get a separate currency as tourists to use in Cuba and can only stay at approved places.
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I am not. 
Would have been a kid but old-looking enough to be able to bullshit that one.
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I wore this shirt in Seville in Spain (strong socialist stronghold for PSOE) and got some nasty looks. Would love to wear it in Havana.
When I was living in Seoul my friend went to Pyongyang. He said it wasn’t really worth it. Too strictly controlled and no freedom to do your own thing. Plus, he felt like everywhere was bugged, even his hotel bathroom.
I would’ve taken the bus ride day-trip into the border city of Kaesong, but it was shut down before I found out about it. The scariest thing for me was not the actual country, but flying in to the country on one of those ancient Soviet-era jets that service Air Koryo. So I just couldn’t do the Pyongyang trip. Plus, you’re giving like $1,500 USD to the regime in the process.
Now that that American kid (Otto something?) was basically killed for a minor offense, I wouldn’t go period. But it was relatively safe for tourists a decade ago.
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If he even did anything at all. I think US citizens should stay away. That US passport won’t help you, only makes things 1000x worse in NK.
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Lots of countries have beautiful mountains. Is there anything extra special about NK’s?
Mt. Paektu/白頭山/長白山 can apparently be visited from both sides, so if you really want to see it you just need to decide if you’d rather spend your money in NK or China.
I suppose how untouched it is by humans and not developed like many areas is a plus.
Aren’t most mountains on the planet relatively untouched by humans? The trick is getting to them.
Yeah. That’s true. But I suppose Unless you want to make that journey. Otherwise most places you can easily get to and enjoy a resort style place to stay probably have a lot of human activity in the area.
Just find a resort that’s remote enough not to have much human activity around it. Cruise ships are basically floating resorts, and some of them go to Antarctica. Plenty of mountains there to choose from…
I visited Cuba approx 15 years ago was beautiful like the Carribean BUT holiday’s are set up as ‘all inclusive’ try to keep you into the Hotel compound part,all very nice good foodnice pools etc.
However when you decide to explore gets quite deppressing, every one is very poor, all beautiful Art Deco buildings are covered in mould trees growing through them. Locals are treated like scum by the very heavy handed police. But watching teenage youngsters dance to music in the street is wonderful, they are soooo good.
I’ve been to a North Korean restuarant here, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China. I don’t somehow think the food was authentic no grass and tree bark flour used. Waitresses where all North Korean who served and then took it turns to sing and play a instrument forming a small band at front of Restuarant, music was dreadfull and they can’t stop clapping all the time.
I did take some video clips I must find.
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Went to a NK restaurant like that once; place was dead empty except for one middle aged drunk, depressed-looking Korean guy by himself singing really bad karaoke of songs like House of the Rising Sun from his table. Food just seemed like regular Korean food.
Waitresses were nice though.
I kind of imagine sth like that would be a highlight on a NK trip. Though I hear you can get a bag of weed for $1 at the markets there.
I went to a North Korean restaurant in Shanghai almost a decade ago. Cheesy propaganda songs playing in the background, camera shy (but beautiful) waitresses in hanbok, and the dishes were like South Korea, but less spicy and the ingredients tasted more natural. I remember they also had dog stew on the menu, which I did not have. They tried to sell me a lot of shit there too. A waitress came by the table and opened up a catalogue and started flicking through it in front of me asking if I wanted anything. I ended up buying a carton of North Korean cigarettes (back when I smoked). I’ll see if I can find the pics on my hard-drive later. It was a fun and interesting experience.
I suspect you misheard. A bag of weeds to put in the soup pot, possibly.
A guy in my Chinese class went to NK (this would have been about 13 years ago, when Kim Jong Il was still gracing our planet with his presence). He reckoned it was worth it for the amusement value of seeing how completely deluded humans can be. Apparently all the tourists had to line up and bow to a statue of the Dear Leader, which I wouldn’t have been able to cope with.
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NK Weed is just Hemp they grow loads of for material and rope, so behind still making hemp rope.
Even grows in the wild.
doesn’t stop me wanting to visit, train from Beijing to Pyonyang return train back to Beijing then Beijing to Moscow go the full on Communist holiday. Not 100% sure but may be able to go to Pyonyang via russia?
If you’re looking to go hiking, go to S Korea. Please don’t give any money to NK.
Funnily enough hemp rope is superior to synthetic types in many applications. Synthetics really only come into their own when light weight is a priority (eg., mountain-climbing).
Same here, except I went to one in Hangzhou. It was weirdly depressing. I had a short chat with one of the ladies there, but as soon as I told her I’m from S Korean parents, she GTFOed right away.
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Yeah I heard it’s a giant bag of chopped up cheap weed for $1, makes sense that it’s just hemp. The weed I had in Cambodia was similar, had to smoke 5 joints in a row to get high.
don’t think I will be looking out for NK concert.