Day 5 of the tour. While yesterday was another event-packed day, today’s start was a brutal 8:30am nonetheless. Slightly sleepy and very hung-over, everyone gathered for the bus. The bus was headed for the northeast, to the bay-side town of Wonsan facing the Japan Sea (or, on NK maps, the Glorious Korean People’s Victory over Imperials Aggressor Japanese Sea). It’s about 200km from Pyongyang, but took more than 4 by bus. Would like to say that at least the trip was smooth, but thanks to the huge openings between the concrete blocks that comprised the highway even our indefatigable guide could not deny the constant up and down jarring. Here, too, though a major thoroughfare, we saw not other cars. That’s not to say there weren’t people, there were many, and all of them absolutely taken by our new, moving bus.
北朝鮮ツアー５日目。前日もハードスケジュールだったが、この日も朝８:３０出発。みんな二日酔いの疲れた顔で集合してきた。バスで向かったのは、北朝鮮の北東に位置し、日本海に面する港町、元山（ウォンサン）。平壌からは２００キロも離れているので、バスで４時間くらいかかった。しかも、元山までの幹線道路は、隙間だらけのコンクリート道路。バスが半端なく縦に揺れる。もちろん、こちらの道路にも、他の車はあまり見当たらない。すれ違う人民達は、私達が乗っている新しいバスが珍しいのか、バスをものめずらしそうに眺めていた。
Where every lane is the express lane/ガタガタ道
The Holy Trinity in Wonsan/元山
The “Man Gyong Bong” ferry which connects Niigata (Japan) and Wonsan
新潟と元山を結ぶ「万景峰（マンギョンボン）号」も停泊してました
Along the way we stopped at a rest stop for a snack and spinal readjustment. Funnily enough, there were loads of Russian teens here on some sort of international summer exchange, and hidden among them we also found the Vietnamese teens we had run into on the train on the way to Pyongyang. We stupidly asked them if they we having fun, to which they naturally replied an enthusiastic “well, ummm, you know”. Yeah, we knew: can remember when I was a teen always wondering why my parents never took me to NK.
途中、ドライブインのような施設で一休み。ここには、夏休みに国際交流でやってきているロシア人学生がいっぱいいた。そして、平壌行きの列車で出会ったベトナム人の子供達とここで再会。列車で会ってから数日経っていたので「北朝鮮の滞在はどう？楽しい？」と聞くと、「ん～」と微妙な表情。そうだろうなあ。楽しいわけないよなあ。
Vietnamese students/ドライブインで再会したベトナム人学生たち
Russian teens at the snack stand/ドライブインのお土産屋さん。客はロシア人。
We set out again, but shortly thereafter stopped for a picnic lunch by the large “Ulim” waterfall. The waterfall is surrounded by forest, and negative ions abound, giving the visitor a pleasant feeling, according to our assiduous guide. But it was while eating our lunch and drinking our beers that we realized the real importance of the falls—Kim Jong Il visited here, and there is even a stone marking the place where he stood.
ドライブインを出てしばらく走り、大きな「ウリムの滝」の前でピクニックランチ。滝周辺は森林に囲まれているし、ウリムの滝からはマイナスイオンを浴びるので、なかなか気持ちがいい場所ですよ、とガイドさん。ここでお弁当を広げ、朝鮮ビールを啜る。ちなみに、ここを訪れた金正日が立ったポイントには、それを記念する石が置いてあった。
The Ulim waterfall; somehow we were expecting more/ウリムの滝
Here stood Kim Jong Il/将軍様の立ち位置↑
Lunch box/お弁当
After lunch, however, it wasn’t long before the bus got a flat thanks to the concrete “road”. Whilst the driver and German guide set about fixing the flat, a volleyball game was struck up with some NK soldiers who happened to be hanging about. It started out all fun and games, but escalated into a NK vs. the World contest. Our English guide (good at sports and not interested in the flat) joined on the NK side, giving it all and then some. The result was a humiliating loss for us. Come to think of it, who were those guys and did we really just chance upon them, and was there really even a flat?
出発の時間になったが、悪路でタイヤが一つパンクするという事件発生。運転手とガイドが修理作業を行っている間に、そのへんにたむろしていた北朝鮮軍人達とバレーボール大会が始まった。最初はみんな遊び感覚でやっていたのが、徐々に真剣になり、最後はまるで「北朝鮮vs世界」といわんばかりの激戦に。スポーツが得意な英語ガイドも、北朝鮮側に入り、全力でプレイしてるし。結果は、北朝鮮の勝利。なんだかちょっと悔しかった・・・。
An unfortunate incident occurred when Esshie went to take a picture of the match from the NK side. She was approached by a soldier and told “let’s dance”; Esshie refused, but no sooner had she done so than he suddenly started pulling her to dance. Stunned by the pull and the pain from her hair being stuck between his hand and her arm, she couldn’t call out. Fortunately, a member of the tour saw this and helped her out. It was just an instant of an incident, but the pain and gall of it struck her. Despite being a socialist paradise, Esshie had heard that NK was still quite a male-dominated society, and this episode left no doubts. An altogether disagreeable incident on an otherwise good trip.
試合中、北朝鮮側のコートから試合の写真を撮っていると、軍人らしき男の人が寄ってきて、「一緒に踊ろうよ」と誘ってきたので断ったが、突然ものすごい力で私の腕を引っ張ってきた。腕と一緒に髪の毛も引っ張られたので、あまりの痛さと力の大きさにショックで声も出せず、ただ引きずられていきそうになったところを、近くにいたツアー仲間に助けてもらった。一瞬の出来事だったけれど、彼の有無を言わせない力に、恐怖と悔しさが込み上げてきた。北朝鮮は男尊女卑がかなり強い国だと聞いていたけれど、女子の意思を尊重しない彼の態度がそれを実証していると思う。本当に不愉快な体験だった。
The flat/パンク・・・
DPRK vs the world/北朝鮮ｖｓ世界
Some people we were told not to photograph–national security
北朝鮮では、現地人にむやみに近づくものではありません
The flat (if it really was a flat) fixed, we were off to the excitement of the communal farm. The farm covers quite a large area, and there seems to be a good number of household living on and working the farm. While it was unclear whether this was a show farm or not, there did appear at least to be a number of crops actually being cultivated here. We were also taken and shown an on-farm primary and nursery school, and a “regular” household. The house and the lives being led therein did appear rather modest, nevertheless, this was doubtless a showcase; witness the obviously never been used computer made conspicuous to the visitors. Sigh.
パンクの修理が終わり、次は協同農場へ。かなりの敷地面積にたくさんの世帯が住み、一緒に農業を行っているらしい。展示用の農場なのかは分からないけれど、農作物は豊かに育っているように見えた。子供達が通う学校と保育園、そして一般家庭のお宅も見学。家も生活もかなり質素だったけれど、こちらはおそらく展示用。だって、絶対に使われてなさそうなパソコンが部屋の片隅に、でもしっかり見学者に見えるところに置かれていたから。
The co-operate farm, with computers and everything/コンピュータでも何でもある協同農場
As part of the guide helpful, running commentary, we were informed that it was here in Wonsan that a young “triumphant revolutionary” Kim Il Sung, made landfall from aboard a Russian ship at the end of WWII “to start guerilla activates against the Imperialist Japanese” (who were already defeated) and make for Pyongyang. So of course we got to see the preserved inn where Kim Il Sung stayed and even the train he took to Pyongyang, which is part of a restored sort of museum train station. The inn is all tatami mats and paper doors—very Japanese. In the train station, too, everything from the timetable to the ticket window signs are in Japanese; even the train is Japanese. The era of Japanese rule is here vividly recalled. Genuinely interesting.
元山は、若かりし日の「輝かしい改革者」金日成が、終戦直後にソ連の船に乗って北朝鮮へ帰国し、（すでに敗戦した日本に対して）抗日ゲリラ活動を開始すべく平壌に向かった、重要な土地と言われている。元山には、金日成がその当時滞在した旅館と、平壌に向かう列車に乗り込んだ、当時の元山駅の駅舎や列車が、博物館として残っている。旅館は、畳やふすまがある日本風建築。同じく日本統治時代に建てられた元山駅は、時刻表や窓口の看板が全て日本語でかかれており、展示されている列車も日本製だった。日本統治時代の様子がしのばれる、興味深い博物館だった。
Wonsan’s famous old train station and the inn where Kim Il Sung stayed before his “victory” over the defeated Japanese
金日成が敗戦した日本に「勝利」する前に宿泊した元山の宿と、平壌に向かうために使った旧元山駅舎
Next stop: where else but the Songdowon International Children’s Union Camp. But it’s not tents in fields here; it’s a complex of buildings including dormitories and various “education” facilities. Apparently, every year children from various countries (though really all communist or former communist states) still come here for international exchanges and “study of the sea and other things”. The Russians and the perpetually glum-looking Vietnam teens we saw earlier were all, willingly or otherwise, participating in the camp. We took a peek in one of the rooms and found them reasonably well appointed; decorated as any teen would like, too, with pictures of both Kims. One wonders what the kids do here, though, what with no TV, video games, Internet, or even movies. And you thought your camp sucked.
次は、松涛園（ソンドウォン）国際少年キャンプ場。キャンプ場といっても、野原にテントを張るようなキャンプ場ではなく、立派な宿泊＆学習施設の入った建物である。毎年、色々な国の子供達がやってきて（とはいっても共産主義国や旧共産圏からだけ）、国際交流活動や海についての勉強をするんだとか。ドライブインでみたロシア人や、相変わらず浮かない顔のベトナム人の学生達もここに来ていた。聞けば、やっぱりここに何日か泊まるらしい。部屋を見せてもらうと、金親子の写真が掲げられている。子供達、こんなところにきて楽しいんだろうか。楽しいわけないよなあ･･･。
The every cheerful Songdowon International Children’s Union Cam
松涛園国際少年キャンプ場
From here our two beach-loving Portuguese brothers somehow convinced our guide to take us to the beach near the camp. There were lots of people here, but none of them was swimming or sun bathing; rather, all were either sifting the sand with some kind of net or picking up rubbish. Then, our guide abruptly told us not to take any pictures of this clean-up work. Of course, being told you can’t do something only makes you want to do it. Anyway, we didn’t let the work on the beach prevent us from doing some serious drinking with beer bought from the store nearby—surely an everyday sight for the beach cleaners. It was great. Even better when we learned that all the clean work was being merrily carried out by volunteers. How nice. Anyway, after that it was back to the hotel for chow. Don’t know if it was the sea air or what, but that night we all went into the wee hours partying. Who needs LA or Miami when you’ve got Wonsan, North Korea.
ビーチが大好きなポルトガル人兄弟が、ガイド2人に頼み込み、このキャンプ場近くのビーチへ向かうことになった。広いビーチにはすごい数の人がいる。でも、ビーチで海水浴をしているわけではなく、なぜか網でビーチの砂をふるい、ごみを取り除くという清掃作業を行っていた。そして、なぜかこの清掃作業の写真は撮るなとガイドから指示が。撮るなといわれると撮りたくなるんだよなあ・・・。売店でビールを買い、皆でビーチで乾杯！網で砂をふるう北朝鮮人の注目を浴びながら、ビーチではしゃぐ外国人。かなり異様で面白い光景だった。ちなみに、砂ふるい作業は、みんな自主的にやっているんだという。何百人もの人が、自主的に砂ふるいする国、北朝鮮。素晴らしい。そしてこの後、やっとホテル＆夕食。この日宿泊した元山のホテルでは、夜更けまで皆で酒盛り。北朝鮮・元山のビーチがあれば、ロスもマイアミも要らないね。
Beer at the beach/北朝鮮のビーチで北朝鮮のビールを飲む。なかなか乙でしょ
The all-volunteer beach cleaners. Sure beats labour camp/ビーチ清掃人民
Day six and another flat this morning. No worries, though, because we made for a nearby beach. This one was all together different from the sand-cleaning activity beach of yesterday; here there were beach goers. On top of that, the weather was fine and the beach very good indeed, allowing us to leave propaganda to the side for a bit and just take it easy, save the odd machine-gun toting soldier. The beach is full of clams, enough that just stirring the sand about with your foot will surely bring up a few. Sucking the contents of the clam raw and following that with a good shot of Sojyu (Korean hard liquor) is apparently some kind of NK custom, and so not wanting to offend, we took part. The mixing of the sea water and the Sojyu actually produces a nice flavour. Our camera man and our driver, after fixing the flat, went about seriously busying themselves for what seemed like hours with the clams and Sojyu thing. They really seemed to be having a good time, like for the first time.
6日目。朝からまたバスのタイヤがパンク。とりあえず午前中は元山近くの海水浴場へ。砂掃除作業をしていた昨日のビーチとはうって変わって、こちらは地元の海水浴客が多い。天気にも恵まれ、きれいなビーチでのんびり過ごし、北朝鮮のプロパガンダからしばらく離れられて平和な気分に。でも、この美しいビーチに、不釣合いな軍服に銃を抱えた軍人が目を光らせているところなんかは、北朝鮮。ちなみにこのビーチでは、ハマグリが沢山いて、海水の中で足をグリグリと砂の中に突っ込むと、ハマグリがどんどん出てくる。生のハマグリの身をそのまま口に入れて、朝鮮製ソジュ（焼酎）と一緒に飲み込むのが北朝鮮風。海水の塩味とソジュの味が混ざって、なかなか美味でした。ずっとパンク修理していたビデオ撮影係のおっちゃんと、運転手のおっちゃんは、パンク修理が終わったあと、ずーっと2人でハマグリとりに夢中。子供みたいに楽しそうでちょっとかわいかった。
Yes, this really is NK/北朝鮮流ビーチライフ
After lunch it was back to the bus and on to Pyongyang. It was already late by the time we got back, but we had just enough time to sample Pyongyang’s famous cold noodles—excellent.
お昼ごはんのあとは、バスにのって平壌へ。到着するころにはもう夕暮れ時。この日の晩御飯は、北朝鮮名物の冷麺。これは本当に美味だった。
Pyongyang’s famous cold noodles/冷麺。さすが本場！うまい！
After this crazy schedule of sightseeing, we wondered if there was anything left to see.
それにしても、連日こんなハードスケジュールな観光しておいて、他にもまだ見るところがあるんだろうか？