WONSAN AGAIN

9th Sept 2013

The causeway at Wonsan

Today ( 9th Sept ) is the 65th Anniversary of the foundation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ( DPRK ), i.e. North Korea, and a public holiday. Parades and celebrations everywhere no doubt. By far the biggest is in Pyongyang where one of their spectacular parades is to be held in Kim Il Sung Square. Attendance here is by invitation only and for some inexplicable reason we were not invited ( must have been an oversight ). Instead we are on the road again back up the coast to Wonsan which we visited briefly en-route south a few days ago. The three hour bus journey was broken again for a leg-stretch and coffee at the beach-side cafe at Sijun beach. 

After booking in and lunch at the Tongmyong Hotel; not a bad place at all by the looks of it, we walked to the main square ( left ) where the assembled company was preparing for an open-air concert. 

I estimated the band and choir on parade numbered 1300 ( I spent a long time counting ), mostly made up of students, and different 'acts' came on to sing or dance in front. Lots of very 'patriotic' songs and also some rather jolly ones.

The performance lasted for an hour and a half with no breaks. Two conductors took shifts to wave their batons and got very sweaty in the process. The ranks of choir, mainly girls at the front, showed remarkable stamina. They waved things and swayed from side to side, but I never saw even one move their feet for the entire performance.

The most impressive act was a group of drummers ( right ), who really did do rather spectacular things with their drums and sticks.

....and we were subjected at one point to a long, loud rabble-rousing speech, no doubt highlighting the importance of the occasion and their eternal gratitude to the Great Leader.

Right: A photo of one of the pictures in the gallery visited a few days previously. I thought at the time it was the only place I hadn't seen a picture of a Leader, but I found this and was obviously mistaken. It features the Dear Leader, Kim Jong Il, being entertained to nosh in the field ( range stew? ) by his devoted soldiers. Big chips on offer by the look of them. Might account for the Dear Leader's strapping figure.



Left: A bad photo of the passenger ship which has apparently not set sail for decades.

Later that afternoon we took a stroll along the causeway ( right ) which led out to a small lighthouse. Being a public holiday there were lots of families sitting on the rocks cooking on barbecues. Many, children mainly, were fishing and catching small crabs using ingenious methods. Some were amusing themselves with 'crab races' ( which I last witnessed in the Green Tortoise hostel in San Francisco ). Several groups of lads and lasses were dancing fuelled, I suspect, by a few bottles of beer. They were enjoying their short holiday.

Sitting out under the trees around the lighthouse one got covered in small hairy caterpillars which seemed to drop relentlessly from above. Some of us climbed up inside the lighthouse for a good view, and to avoid the caterpillars.

On the way back down the causeway Song Sim and Mr Lee had organised an impromtu barbecue for us. It involved sitting around a small charcoal stove precariously balanced on tiny stools toasting fresh clams and some recently caught little fish with a delicious spicy sauce. It involved lots of eating things that had dropped on the ground and several burnt fingers. This scoff was accompanied by lashings of that vodka/rice wine which we had grown to enjoy. I suspect it helps disinfect the food and aids the digestion . Very good it all was too.

In the far distance on the peninsular, is a vast hotel built to entertain wealthy visitors. As with many other such grandiose projects it is still awaiting completion after several years.

Wonsan is trying to develop itself as a tourist area. It is the only city we visited that did not have a statue of the Leader(s). In fact we saw them in the initial process of building one, on the harbour next to the static ship. We were not allowed to take photos of them at work. As previously mentioned, we were never allowed to take photos of people working, for whatever reason.

Another curious feature of the seaside here; I never saw a single seabird.

This evening a mass 'dance' was held in the square. Hundreds of locals, mostly in traditional costume, were formed up in circles of about 50 people each doing various kinds of elaborate eightsome reel type folk-dances to rather loud music. Other tourists were present and we were encouraged to join in. Some did, to their great embarrassment and to the amusement of the locals. I most certainly did not, I'm ashamed to say.

Back to the hotel for scran and drinks afterwards in an intriguing bar on the top floor which had great views over the sea and causeway and was furnished as a pine forest. As usual, we were the only people in. There were more trees than customers.

Off on another long drive tomorrow back to Pyongyang.