An Evening in North Korea's Pyongyang

At the gates of Pyongyang. 'Then the Black Gate opened and the dark armies of Sauron marched forth to cover the..." oops, wrong story.

I’d been trying to visit North Korea’s Pyongyang Restaurant ever since news of Kim Jong-Il’s death broke (see: ) but unfortunately it remained closed for 10 ceremonial days to mourn the Dear Leader. Tonight was the first night of re-opening since the funeral this week.

The restaurant, located in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is allegedly one of many overseas ventures that are not-so-secretly run by the quasi-Marxist (but ‘officially’ no longer communist) dynastic regime.  The rumor is that they pump some much-needed foreign currency (US Dollars) into the North Korean ‘economy,’ if you can even call ‘that’ a functioning economy. None of this is officially admitted.

The restaurant is situated on the south side of town in a closed compound. Its not possible to look inside the restaurant, or any other part of the compound, from the outside—which gives it an air of pseudo-James Bondiness.

Entering the gates, I was led down a covered driveway and into a large dining room. The first thing that hit me were the stunningly beautiful North-Korean waitresses. They told me that all 13 of them were on 3-year internships as part of their enrollment at the Pyongyang University of Commerce. All were between 21 and 24 years old, had white skin with perfect complexions, long black hair, and dressed in plain but feminine black-a-white uniforms.

Lovely North Korean waitresses greeting guests at the door.

I was seated at the back of the room. The first thing I did was haul my camera out, and immediately there was a chorus of ‘Sir, no, no, no!’ They also obsessively watched my constant fidgeting with my iPhone to make sure I didn’t get any photos with that either… whoops.

The dining room was unremarkable, other than a few enormous oil paintings of waves crashing on rocks at sunset and streams wandering through mountain foothills and pink cherry blossoms. Presumably they were idealized pictures of home. What surprised me most about the room was that there were no pictures of Kim Jong-Il or even The Drear Leader Jr. No ‘We are gonna miss you, Dear Leader and Forbes 31st Most Powerful Person” memorial photos, and no ‘Congratulations to the Little Generalissimo, Kim Jung-Un’ wreaths.

I was told by the staff that in Phnom Penh there are 3 North Korean restaurants, but they are all ‘separate.’ I couldn’t get further clarification on what ‘separate’ meant, since I’m under the impression that all such establishments are government-run. Perhaps they meant something like one funds Kim’s golf trips, another funds nuclear missiles, and the third funds play dates with Iran?

Obligatory Korean food shot one.

The menu was big (literally—it took 4 hands to sift through it), and had a decent selection, though items were pricy. A lovely Dog Meat Casserole Platter was $25. A huge plate of kimchi (which would easily do a whole dinner party) was $3. Most Entrées were between $6 and $30.  I settled on a plate of mondu (fried meat-filled dumplings), kimchi, a platter of fried eggplant and a large serving of bulgogi (BBQ beef) for a total of $25. Additionally, I asked if the staff received any of the tip money but they told me no, so I didn’t bother. There were a few typical Korean condiments—mostly pickled, steamed and boiled things—but not as many as there really should be for the price. The food wasn’t spectacular but I had no real complaints—and I left completely stuffed. 

Obligatory Korean food shot two.

Sadly there was no traditional North Korean music or costumed dancing, which is normally a highlight of the experience. When I inquired, the waitresses didn’t seem to want to address it directly.

“You know why, right?” asked the waitress. “You already know.”

“Because the Leader died?” I answered.

“Yes. We will have music again in the New Year,” they all chimed. Apparently that meant January 1st, the day after tomorrow.

“How did you feel when you heard Kim Jong-Il died?” I asked.

“He is our father, for the whole nation. He is great.” The waitresses all answered without emotion.

“And how do you feel about his son, Kim Jong-Un.” I asked?

“He is the brother for our whole nation. We feel the same about him. He is great,” they said, one after another.

“Do you know anything about the new leader?’ I probed. ‘Do you know anything about Kim Jong-Un’s life?”

A waitress looked at me blankly. “No.” She shook her head.

“So what did you all do during the 10 days that the restaurant was closed for Kim Jon-Il’s death?” I asked.

“We watched North Korean TV,” the waitresses told me. “Here and at the North Korean Embassy.”

“For 10 days? You didn’t do anything else?” They nodded with vacant expressions. “How did people here at the restaurant feel about it?” I asked. More blank stares. “Was everybody sad? Did you cry?”

“Yes, everybody cried,” they mumbled, looking away.

Restaurant shot with melodramatic oil paintings of North Korean landscapes in the background.

I asked about their life in North Korea and what they do in their free time. All readily told me basic things like how many people were in their family, and the jobs that they all had (which were all very respectable). Their free time activities in North Korean were oddly the same as their free time activities in Cambodia: sleeping, swimming (apparently at a local hotel), exercise regiments at the restaurant, practicing English in their room, and practicing their traditional song and dance numbers in the dining room.

I asked what kind of music that each liked and if they ever listed to music from South Korea, America, China or even Cambodia. Again I got nothing but blank stares. None had ever even bought a cd in the market—and would have me believe that they were never even curious about listening to any.

“I have my music from North Korea. I can listen to traditional Korean dance music CDs for our performance practice,” a waitress replied incredulously. “Why do I need music from other countries? I don’t like it.”

I got similar answers when I asked about foreign cable TV and American movies, all readily available in Cambodia, and cheaper than in America, thanks to piracy. Apparently the waitresses were not allowed to watch or listen to Non-north Korean tv, movies or music, even while they were in Cambodia. None of them knew there was also an American-style cinema in walking distance from the restaurant. They all seem to change the subject when I asked about DVDs in the markets. Likewise, though they said there was a computer at the restaurant, there was no internet for them to use.

It appeared that most of the girls rarely left the restaurant compound. They did say that sometimes they ordered delivery from KFC or a pizza place (both of which they liked a lot), and that occasionally they were taken as a group to go swimming. However when I asked them what they thought about the Royal Palace, the National Museum, the Killing Fields Memorial or the riverfront with the many bars and restaurants, none of them knew what I was talking about.

“There is a museum here?” several asked who’d lived in Phnom Penh a few years already.

A toilet shot. Its the only photo I didn't have to really sneak. They had really nice sit-downs behind me. Certainly its got to be better than the toilets they have at home. Even in 2003, when I arrived in Vietnam, most places only had squatty-potties with ladles to spoon your own water (and no toilet paper), so this must be a luxury to the girls working at the restaurant.

One girl seemed to be somewhat familiar with a few of the city sights, but even so it wasn’t clear from talking to her whether she had merely seen them from inside a passing car. A few did know about buying cloths and makeup at the Sorya Mall. It would seem though that most of these poor girls have spent up to 3 years in Cambodia and yet have never seen the sights around the city, let alone been able to visit Angkor Wat.  Their only outings from the restaurant—where they slept on the second floor—were closely guarded to expose them to as little as possible of the city around them. I felt really bad for the girls.

In these young North Korean waitresses I saw the same psychic disconnect that I’ve often observed in Vietnamese young people. These girls have met foreigners, seen the outside world, and now their new feelings no longer match up with the propaganda that they have been taught all their lives. They can spout dogma without a thought, but their hearts were no longer in harmony. However, they don’t yet seem to recognize the irreconcilable dichotomy in their minds. Perhaps one day they will.

As for a dining experience, it was nice, and the service was excellent. The waitresses spoke English well enough for me and were very attentive. The high prices aren’t quite merited though, at least without the music and dancing to accompany. If I can manage to get in again and sneak some photos of that, we may have another post here soon…

Otherwise, check it out for yourself:

Pyongyang Restaurant
No 400, Monivong Boulevard, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Tel: 012 27 74 52
Tel: 012 36 46 40

Open for lunch, 11:30am-ish to 2:30pm-ish and dinner, 5pm-ish to 11pm-ish.

Photos from New Zealand's Abel Tasman

New Zealand's famous fern trees. 
They sort of fill the niche of palm trees in New Zealand's rainforests.  

Presented here are photos from my adventures on one of New Zealand's 'Great Walks,' the Abel Tasman. Abel Tasman National Park is located on the north end of the South Island. The best jumping-off point is the town of Nelson. Peter Jackson just finished filming scenes for 'The Hobbit' around Nelson and Abel Tasman. Filming sites included Takaka and Takaka Hill, Golden Bay and Golden Downs, and Pelorus Bridge. It's no wonder Jackson was drawn to film here, given how beautiful and easily-accessible the scenery in this area is--both form filming and visitors. I'll post more about filming location for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings later.

An iconic trail scene. After I shot this I found a few postcards for sale 
around New Zealand with precisely the same subject matter.

New Zealand sheep. In my travels I actually ran into as many deer farms as sheep.

Abel Tasman coastal scenery at low tide. 

The underside of a fern, exposing the spores (for reproduction). 

The silver fern is a national symbol of New Zealand.

Succulent flowers at the beach.

Coastal views along the Abel Tasman. 

Forest scenes in Abel Tasman National Park.

For more information about Abel Tasman and how to arrange a visit, see my previous Abel Tasman post here. For more information on travel in New Zealand, please visit Tourism New Zealand.

As always, the photos above are copyrighted and may not be reprinted without permission.

Baby Monkeys Agenst Vietnam Guvermint Sensirship

A few years ago I noticed that komunust Vietnam's sensirship of blogs, at least those hosted by Google Blogger, was mostly automated. This is in contrast to the Fase-Bhook blahck, which targets the domane name and/or eye-pee. The automated sensir seems to be triggered by the appearance of any of several band keywords, in combination, within the first post on the blog. Thus the deliberate misspellings of a number of key words in this post. 

For example, if the word 'marksust' and 'leyer' and 'koruhpt' and 'Vietnam' and 'evul' all appeared in the same post (spelled correctly of course), there's a good chance that it would be blahcked. It doesn't matter if the words or phrases are actually tied together to make a coherent, 'objectionable' statement. The words just have to appear randomly together in a single post.

Now that being said, just as with the guvermint Fase-Bhook blahck, it doesn't work 100%. Sometimes people can still see the blog in certain areas, or access it intermittently.  

So, in most cases, to un-blahck a blog in Vietnam, all one has to do is figure out a way to log in (not easy when your blog is blahcked) and post a new story without any 'objectionable' keywords. Once that has been done, the guvermint sensirship software has to cycle through a full 24-hours (which may turn out to be 2 working days) before the blog is un-blahcked and visible to all in Vietnam again. 

Thats assuming someone hasn't been singled out for direct & deliberate, individual sensirship. But so far I don't think I ever have here.

Therefore, lets hope that:

1. Something as lovable and benign as a post about adorable baby monkeys (actually they are baby long-tailed macaques), which I photographed during my last trip to Thailand, will get my blog unsemsired in Vietnam after that last 2012 predickshun post below.

and 2. I get truckloads of site visitors because I know how much my audience loves baby monkeys!

As always, these photos are copyrighted and may not be 'borrowed' or republished elsewhere without permission and payment. Thanks!

Vietnam: Predictions for 2012; Economy, Politics, Tourism, Environment

To make this more fun, I’ll try to refrain from maybes and probabilities and stick to straight predictions.

Economy

• 2012 will bring mild recession to Vietnam due to both internal and external economic factors.
• The official government numbers will be substantially low, but will not quite reflect a recession.
• The real estate, finance and export sectors will all take substantial hits. Property markets will reach a crisis point in key developing areas such as Saigon, Nha Trang and Hanoi.
• In a move to avert impending failure of several government banks, Vietnam will consolidate them and tighten banking regulations.
• Vietnam will continue to consolidate numerous failing state companies.
• In an effort to prevent a rush on the gold market, the government will increasingly restrict trade in gold.
• New foreign investment will continue but at a much lower rate than 2010 and 2011. New foreign brands will move into Vietnam, particularly in fast food, but performance will be anaemic. 
• Vietnam will increase restrictions (and enforcement) for expats living and working in Vietnam.
• Political and Economic challenges will result in a new series of policies, popularly referred to as ‘Doi Moi 2.0,’ in reference to ground-breaking government reforms more than 20 years ago. These reforms will merely kick the can a few years further down the line.

Speech and the Internet

• Vietnam’s on-again, off-again censorship of Facebook will continue in its current state.
• Twitter will be intermittently censored.
• Vietnam will continue to arrest and imprison Vietnamese bloggers and social media users.
• Vietnam will detain several foreign journalists and expat bloggers. Some journalists will be deported.

South China Sea and Regional Politics

• World events, including continued unrest in the middle east, nation-threatening instability in Egypt, Syria and Iraq, as well as uncertainty and tension in North Korea, will present a distraction which serves as an opportunity for China to strengthen its position in territorial disputes. This will include but not be limited to the South China Sea. China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines and the USA will all increase military presence in the region. The US and Vietnam will continue to strengthen ties in an effort to contain China. Several US Senators and Hillary Clinton will make new visits to Vietnam. If tension with China deepens, President Obama will also visit Hanoi in person.

Tourism

• The tourism industry will continue to grow but at only a slight rate. Tourism in the Central Highlands, northern Vietnam (outside Hanoi) and the Mekong will actually decline slightly. Tourism in Hanoi and HCMC will remain at current levels. Tourism in coastal areas will increase moderately.
• Due to financial considerations, I predict Vietnam will be forced to decline the Natural 7 Wonders title for Ha Long Bay. However, if Vietnam does decide to pay the expenses allegedly associated with accepting the award, it will eliminate the VNAT’s 2012 budget for most activities, including advertising and tourism festivals. Either outcome will have relatively no effect on tourism levels. Ha Long Bay will continue to be a major attraction but fraught with safety issues.
• Bobby Chinn’s restaurant will become a key tourist attraction for HCMC, thanks to his new TV show that features it. The restaurant will attract other celebrity visitors to the city.
• Branjelina will be back, with kids in tow. However, their travel plans will be more secretive.
• Development of the Long Wall of Quang Ngai as a tourist attraction will slowly continue.
• Vietnam will feature in a number of Cable TV programs about travel and nature. Most will reflect well on Vietnam, but a few will not be as positive.

Mui Ne

• 2012 will be a year of transition in Mui Ne. The beach will begin to take on more of an impersonal party-town feel, characteristic of a Thailand tourist destination.
• As old property leases and work contracts expire, many of the early expats in Mui Ne will leave.
• The tourism industry will grow in 2012 but at more moderate levels than 2011. Russians will continue to dominate.
• There will continue to be new foreign-owned and Saigon-based businesses opening.
• Crime, drugs, prostitution, fatal traffic accidents and drownings will increase. Pollution will become a more serious problem.
• Sailing will continue to develop but kiteboarding will decrease somewhat.
• Mui Ne will see its first foreign fast food or coffee chain open. Phan Thiet will see its third new foreign chain open.

Environment

• Vietnam will push forward with dams at the Cat Tien UNESCO Biosphere, despite controversy. UNESCO will fail to address the issue despite serious degradation of the park.
• Disagreements will continue between Vietnam officials and foreign NGOs over whether Javan Rhinos are really extinct in Vietnam. Vietnamese officials will put forth alleged evidence and sightings of Rhinos in remote areas. Vietnam’s war on African Rhinos will continue unabated.
• Wild Asian elephants will be pushed near extinction in Vietnam in 2012 due to poaching of ivory.
• Debate will arise over whether tigers are now officially extinct in Vietnam due to poaching.
• Vietnamese authorities will continue to make impressive seizures of trafficked wildlife but it will not deter the overall rate of wildlife trafficking.
• Vietnam’s new nuclear program with Russia and Japan will press forward but will become a popular topic when a series of minor earthquakes rattle southern Vietnam between August and November. The media will be slow to highlight more serious issues surrounding the program.
• A new bird flu epidemic will emerge in Vietnam & surrounding countries, with multiple fatalities within Vietnam. It will contain DNA from several other viruses. It will not be admitted and announced until well into the epidemic.

North Korea's 66 Centimeters of Sadness

Today I visited the North Korean government's other bastion of repressive good will, the Pyongyang Koryo. This Kimchi House With Nuclear Hospitality is yet another facility used by the Kim dynasty to finance overseas activities. By the looks of it, the North Koreans run a number of other 'hospitality' businesses in the area, besides restaurants...

If I'm not mistaken this is a 'the restaurant is closed till further notice' sign. The original Restaurant Pyongyang was also closed again today, with a similar sign.

Back at the North Korean Embassy, the flag continued to wave about 4/5 staff. Not really half mast--more like 2/3 of a meter (or 66cm) from the tip. Nowhere were wreaths hung, memorial photos or any kind of tokens to express grief or condolences. There was no movement inside the compound or embassy building--at least that could be seen from the street through the wide-open doors. It appeared that while the minions in North Korea wailed and pounded tables for the cameras, the overseas diplomats and emissaries of good will all took a holiday. I hear 'Puss in Boots' is playing at City Mall. Perhaps they all took in a matinée.

Kim Jong-Il, Vladimir Lenin & Ho Chi Minh, along with other leaders like Mao Tse Tung & Kim Il Sung, all get 'special treatment' after they pass on.

Like all the great socialist dictatorships, North Korea now faces an important choice in moving forward after Kim's death: brine, bread & butter, or kosher dill?

Trivia: According to The Korea Times, the embalming of Kim Sr. originally cost US$1 million, with an anual US$ 800,000 maintenance fee. Like Ho Chi Minh & Lenin, Kim is taken off display periodically for touch-ups. Its believed the other leaders are equally high-maintenance and similarly expensive. It is rumored that the corpses are all shrinking at varying rates.

Kim Jong-Il: Phnom Penh's Inconsolable Bereavement

Phnom Penh mourned today at news of the death of North Korea's Supreme Leader, Kim Jong-Il. Though there were no real outward signs detectable to the naked eye, there was presumably an unmistakable grief, deep in the cockles of every Khmer person's heart. Cambodia and the DPRK have had a history of good relations, the details of which we will not get into for fear of a late-night knock on the door... but needless to say, things are officially very friendly between the two countries.

The North Korean Embassy. The Flag isn't quite at half staff. It's kind of in that grey area where you aren't sure if they've really heard the terrible news, or perhaps they couldn't bare to face the reality and only got it down a few inches before bursting in tears.

There were no announcements of the death of the Dear Leader at the embassy gates. Just a few old sun-bleached photos of Kim looking at this or that, and a tattered old statement of The General's great deeds. "In the Late 1990s when the country experienced grueling hardships due to the vicious schemes of the imperialists, Kim Jong Il paid close attention to the problems related to the improvement of the people's standard of living. He personally provided on-site guidance to solve knotty problems." The last part really choked me up.

Restaurant Pyongyang is a not-so-secret North Korean government facility, designed to help finance the country's activities in Cambodia. Its a sort of dinner theatre serving Kim Jong-Il's culinary favorites with authentic song and dance numbers, rumored to be choreographed by our Dear Leader himself. Only US Dollars accepted.

Sadly the restaurant was closed today, apparently in mourning for The Supreme Leader. Only this small sign hung on the large locked, red gates. I haven't worked out what it says yet. Hopefully they will open again soon.

The Adventures of Adam Bray & The Tribes of Ratanakiri

Ratanakiri Province, in the northeastern. mountainous corner of cambodia, is known for its ethnic diversity. Peppered across the jungles and mountains are the tribes of Jarai, Kreung, Tampuan, Cham, Poy, Kachon, Kachok, Lao and others. Below are photos from some of the villages which I explored in the forests north of the capital, Ban Lung.

A totem in a tribal cemetery.

Stilt homes in a Poy village. The design protects the home from flooding and provides shelter for farm animals underneath.

An iconic bachelor hut in a Poy village.

The communal meeting house. Note the decorative crossbars on the roof and intricate woven patterns on the walls. Such meeting houses are central to virtually all tribes in the region, though their architectural styles and decorations vary greatly. The Bahnar rong houses  of neighboring Vietnam are perhaps the most extreme examples.

A tribal home with decorative crossbeams.

Buffalo bits roasted on a fire.

A ceremonial 'tree,' central to a 'buffalo-stabbing festival.' More of a private party, the ceremony is a classic part of most ethnic minority cultures found in Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. Bamboo poles are decorated with wooden and woven grass ornaments. Animals (usually a buffalo, but not always) are tied to the posts and ceremonially slaughtered as an offering to gods. Part of the buffalo hide is seen here hanging on the left post. The ceremony is a sort of thanksgiving, often for a successful harvest. The ceremony is accompanied with music (typically gongs and gourd or string instruments), and drinking copious amounts of rice wine in jars.

Related stories:

Other posts with photos of buffalo-stabbing trees.

Other posts with photos of ethnic minorities in Vietnam and Cambodia.

My story about rice wine (ruou can) culture in Vietnam.

The Adventures of Adam Bray & The Sacred Waters of Ratanakiri

Ratanakiri Province is located in northeastern Cambodia, bordering Laos and Vietnam. It has some of the loveliest natural scenery in the country. Below are photos from my explorations this month.

Yeak Laom is a volcanic crater lake. The waters were considered sacred by Kreung and Tampuan villagers. Much of the geology in Ratanakiri is influenced by volcanos. This has resulted in large deposits of gem stones, including zircon, peridot, amethyst, gem-quality quartz and other things like gold and petrified wood. Extinct and dormant volcanos are located throughout the region. There are also volcanic crater lakes on the other side of the border, near Pleiku, Vietnam.

An orgy of daddy-long-legs (arachnids)

Bamboo forests at Yeak Laom

Gourds decorated by ethnic Tampuan villagers. After they are dried they are used to hold rice wine or water. Souvenir rice wine is often sold in ceramic jugs shaped like these gourds. The curves are also said to resemble a woman.

Cha Ong Waterfall

Kachang Waterfall

Jungle flowers

Jungle fungus

I arrived at the Ton Le San River, which flows from Kon Tum, Vietnam, all the way to the Mekong River. It is one of only a few rivers that flow west from the mountains to the Mekong. Tall mountains loomed in the distance at Virachey National Park, and small sampan boats lurked under water.

If he can do it, so can I... right? This is one of the longest wooden suspension bridges that I have encountered in my local travels. I did indeed cross it... twice. I was 'thrilled' to find several broken planks as I drove across.

The Adventures of Adam Bray & The Lost City of Ratanakiri

Last year my guide and I discovered a lost temple city in the jungles of Ratanakiri, Cambodia. The city, constructed with an earthen wall and a tall, central temple mound, was built using baked red bricks on a foundation of laterite slabs. As is customary for Cham cities and temples, it was situated on a rise overlooking a river; the Ton Le San, which extends from Kontum, Vietnam, to the Mekong River.

I returned this month to Ratanakiri, in northeastern Cambodia, to relocate the temple on my own. Using only a single GPS point, I traveled alone several hours north of the town of Ban Lung, driving through old logging and poaching trails, then hiked through the jungle, and at last came upon the city once again.

Overtaken by the jungle, this ancient ruined city is covered by trees and vines, Most of the structures have eroded leaving only the earthen walls, temple mound, moat and piles of bricks and stone slabs. Undoubtedly there are valuable artifacts buried underneath the city as well.

A moat around the city connects to a jungle stream which leads to the Ton Le San. The Cham were renowned for their sailing abilities, as well as their ability to conduct warfare on the water.

From the bottom of the earthen rampart looking up. The wall is about 5-6 meters tall here and 4 meters wide.

A tiny jungle gecko. This variety hides under debris on the forest floor, lacking the large toe-pads of common house geckos.

Tree bark freshly scratched by an animal. Perhaps a bear?

Giant spiders are everywhere. It's impossible not to stumble into a web or two or three. This small specimen is a male. Females are many times larger. More terrifying are the ants however. Black armies are everywhere. Step on the ground about a colony and thousands boil out of the ground. They shake in unison, apparently as a warning, which causes the ground to vibrate and the loose soil on top to rattle.

Three red bricks, worn by centuries of worms eating through them.

This slab has a post hole on either side. There are several of these slabs with postholes in identical positions, sitting together. Apparently there was a building here held up by wooden posts.

A reservoir inside the city walls.

Click here to see my post on the city from last year. Included are more photos of the ruins themselves, including a section of brick wall. Or, view all of my archaeological adventures here. Then check out my story for CNN on how to find Cham temple ruins yourself.