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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Apr 30, 2006 02:00 PM May Day in Phongyang!
I selected specially the date of my visit to be there on the May Day. On the 1st of May there were always big celebrations in the former socialist countries... I expected a lot... Sorry... Since years there is no May Day workers parade in Phyongyang! I asked to allow me to attend any other celebrations... We attended the May Day Feast... There were a lot to see and to listen but sorry, I did not see the Son of The Great Leader. Dissappointing! In the afternoon we took a walk around The 170-m high Juche Tower in the center of the town to see how the people enjoy their holiday. They were eating, drinking, singing and dancing - it was great opportunity to take some nice and authentic pictures...
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Apr 29, 2006 02:00 PM Riding the subway in Phongyang
There are things that foreigner must see during his stay in the North Korea. Number one is 25-m high monument of the Great Leader. You must buy the flowers first. Keep ready few euro in cash - there is special stand to do that. You get the instruction: before taking any photo you must put there the flowers and greet the Great Leader. Pictures showing only parts of the statue are not allowed: full size only! Then you are allowed to approach the monument: flowers, greetings, proper pictures...
They took us also to the Nampho Barrage. The barrage must be the pride of N.Korea - it is protecting the land from high tides - impressive! Later we visited the birthplace of the Great Leader - it was the first place where we met local people face to face - staying in the long line. They were courious but nice, returning smiles and happy to be photographed... The guides had nothing to say - it was the birthplace of the Great Leader!
Finally we took the subway to ride only one segment of the route: station to the next station. This stations are nicely decorated but dark. The guide was in panic when I asked if we can go little bit farther... Why?
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Apr 28, 2006 02:00 PM Excursion to North Korean Mountains
Can I change some money to the local currency? No! Why?
There is no need, the foreigners are allowed to visit only special shops where they pay in euro, dollars or yuans... They are not allowed to take even small amount of local currency even as a souvenir.. Why?
We are going by car to Myohyang Mts - some 160 km from the capital. There is a wide highway, but the traffic is limited to just few cars per hour. We are passing control posts. Soldiers are nice... Our car has a special plate... But we need a permit anyway... Mountains are nice, there is elegant hotel. But first of all they took us to the International Friendship Exhibition - it is huge building housing the gifts presented to the Great Leader by different nations and politicians... There is much more to see then in the Stalin museum in Gori... We visited also second building with the gifts presented to the Son of Great Leader - present head of the state...
After we saw Pohyon temple - nice old monastery with one monk only residing there. Sorry, no time to go to the waterfall nearby. The waterfall is not in the program...
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Apr 27, 2006 02:00 PM First time in North Korea...
(posted from Beijing)
Our train arrived to the Chineese border station Dangdong at 8.30 am. Immigration control was very simple, no customs at all... Then we crossed the river: two carriages from Beijing and two from Moscow. Almost empty - few tourists only. North Korea... Different landscape... Different people... We spent more then two hours at the border station. All our baggage were searched, cameras and money registered in the customs declarations... Metal detectors used... What are they looking for? Then rice fields... Poor villages... Train goes slowly... A lot of soldiers on the station platforms... Every station witha picture of the Great Leader. It took us more then 5 hours to reach Phongyang. Huge station building. Guides waiting for every arriving foreigner. They will take care of us day and night. Passports collected on arrival - you will see them on departure... Why? Transfer to the luxury hotel on the river island - well separated from the rest of the capital... Welcome to North Korea!
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Apr 26, 2006 02:00 PM Gateway to the North Korea
Beijing seems to the main gateway for this desperate people who want to visit North Korea...
Today I got the North Korean visa (thank you Jorge for your advice!) and I got my travel documents for this country.
At 5.30 pm I am departing by train from Beijing to Phongyang. It will be 24-h journey. I am afraid about the border control - I do not know how they will react for the view of my cameras... We will see... I want to bring the pictures and video recordings ... May Day in The capital of N Korea will be the special ocassion! But I am not sure if they will agree to take them ... Good luck, Wojtek!
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Apr 25, 2006 02:00 PM Spring in Beijing - PEKIN
I landed in the morning in Beijing airport. Still weak, but happy that the adventure begun. There are shuttle busses just in front of the arrival hall to the center. Change your money (they pay 7,93 youan for USD, no commission) and buy 16-yuan ticket at the desk outside. Bus no.3 will take you to the main train station. Just opposite to the station I found the youth hostel - huge place where they charge 120 y per huge double room -
it is very convenient location. It is spring already in Beijing...
In the afternoon I went once again (after 19 years to see Tiananmen square) - still well guarded by army. Then Forbidden City still huge and immpressive - entry fee is 60 y already but be prepared: many monuments are covered for restauration before Olympics - also the Temple of Heaven!
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Apr 24, 2006 02:00 PM from Moscow with love...
After two strong doses of antybiotics the temperature felt down and I departed to Warsaw. The flight from Warsaw to Moscow was delayed due to the technical problems more then an hour. Fortunately I had enough of extra time in Moscow to catch my onward flight but there were people booked to Shanghai who missed their connection. Allow enough time for the possible delays in your itineraries, if possible!... In Moscow Sheremetyevo airport we passed again throgh security control. You do not need a visa for transit - no passport control in this case. But after security there is no toilet, just keep in mind to use it before. Boarded for Russian 767 I have been invited by friendly flight attendent to use 2 or 3 seats... Nice people! But if you want to drink the beer you must pay now 90 roubles a can - even on intercontinental flights! Movies are poor but we slept until breakfast - so I do not complain...
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Apr 23, 2006 02:00 PM 38.9 to Bejing...
Since months or even years you collect information. You prepare detailed itinerary. Then you negociate the prices, you make reservations, you organize the visas, you buy your cheap, non-refundable tickets. You pack your backpack - it is easy, you did it so many times... And... the evening before departure you have 38.9 deg of temperature. You are not sneezing or caughing, your doctor say: in must be something internal. But you have no time for detailed examination - you planed to depart tomorrow. I feel so weak, why this backpack is so heavy!? I want to depart anyway!. Keep your fingers crossed, please!
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Apr 06, 2006 02:00 PM End of Atlantic Odyssey...
Home, sweet home... I am back in cold Gdansk... I was flying back via Lisbon and Prague... Still sleepy but happy... The Atlantic Odyssey - long and adventurous voyage from Anctarctic waters to the equator is over... Thank you my fellows from the ship - I spent with you wonderful days! I hope you will also keep those moments among your best memories...
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Apr 02, 2006 02:00 PM Sal Island - Cabo Verde
I have been before to Cabo Verde (See my report on GS and extra pictures on my website: http://www.kontynenty.tpi.pl/Cabo1.htm ) so I am visiting this insular country for the second time.
In the morning we landed by zodiacs in micro port - Palmeira on the Sal Island. Minibus took us to the main attraction of the island - old salt production plant located in the volcanic caldera. Some of took a bath in the shallow salt basins. Then we went to the beautiful beach of Santa Maria - at the southern end of the island. This is the main tourist resort of Cape Verde. The beach is really fantastic - with white sand, turquoise water and strong sun - I was swimming about half an hour before return to the ship...
It was last day of 38 days spent on the ship - in the late afternoon wind and swell were strong... It was time to say thank you and good bye to the friendly Russians from the crew. They put my backpack to the zodiac, I also jumped in... It was bumpy and wet sail to the coast - the ocean showed once again its power...
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