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This is a link post Panorama of Pyongyang, Sept 2012 I made this!
*unlurks*

Hello again fellow b3tards. Because I don't want to be a boring old fart, I decided to go to North Korea for my annual holidays this year.

Have a looksee at this panorama wot I took at Kim Il-Sung square. The dots on the ground show people where to stand / march at big events. This is where you'll have seen those massive parades of mock nuclear weapons and soldiers and other military stuff like that.

The tower in the middle is the Juche Tower

You can also see the Yanggakdo International Hotel on the far right.

I clicked 'I made this' because I made the photo, not because I built Pyongyang with my own hands. That would be silly.

edit: although I wouldn't be surprised if we'd been told that Kim Il-Sung had personally consulted on the building of the city on no less than 800 occasions and ensured that everything was finished a year early.
 (I helped save b3ta! admiral crunch holds the newsreader's nose squarely, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 17:16, , Reply)
This is a normal post I've been intrigued by holidays in NK.
Explore used to offer a package tour: maybe still do.

What's it like? If I ever have any money ever again, and can justify the journey to myself, it'd be on the list of places I'd like to see...
 (I helped save b3ta! Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 17:22, , Reply)
This is a normal post North Korea very good
People very happy, fun time and prosperity
 (Herb Alperts Taxi Driver Great Leader, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 17:24, , Reply)
This is a normal post clapclapclap

(I helped save b3ta! SpunkyBackpack, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 17:47, , Reply)
This is a normal post I fucking love you, Kim Jong-un

(I helped save b3ta! admiral crunch holds the newsreader's nose squarely, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 17:54, , Reply)
This is a normal post Fuck off pigboy!
You not my son, you squeal like sticked piggy.
 (Kim Jong-il Dear Leader, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 20:26, , Reply)
This is a normal post What's it like, you ask?
I really don't know how to answer that. It's completely mucking fental. And absolutely brilliant, all at the same time.

Lots of fucked-upness there. I highly recommend the wikitravel page.
 (I helped save b3ta! admiral crunch holds the newsreader's nose squarely, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 17:41, , Reply)
This is a normal post How were you treated there?
Like a western devil or a man from outer space?
 (I helped save b3ta! Draconacticus Reject shampoo. Demand real poo!, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 17:43, , Reply)
This is a normal post ha
The guides were completely lovely.

The local people ranged from a bit wary to really friendly (when we got a chance to speak to them, like on the metro or at the funfair).

Actually, the only people who weren't nice were the Russians who live in Pyongyang. They were all a bit horrid (and smelled of Pound Shop Aftershave)
 (I helped save b3ta! admiral crunch holds the newsreader's nose squarely, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 17:47, , Reply)
This is a normal post Cool :)
Would love to see it one day.

Must be pretty surreal.
 (I helped save b3ta! Draconacticus Reject shampoo. Demand real poo!, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 18:01, , Reply)
This is a normal post Surreal is definitely the word
Lots of facades - it was hard to know what was real and what might have been staged for us tourists.
 (I helped save b3ta! admiral crunch holds the newsreader's nose squarely, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 18:07, , Reply)
This is a normal post That's interesting
How did you manage to get in to the country? Did you have someone keeping you on a leash all the time and not letting you talk to normal people?
 (OnionTerror is a bag full of sick, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 17:26, , Reply)
This is a normal post Quite easy
You need to be in a tour group (although there are individuals who go, but that costs a ton).
You also need to not be a journalist. If they find out you are one, they deny your visa application.

I went with Young Pioneer Tours, whom I shall plug on this page because they're excellent.

Your tour company usually sends one person with your group. You then get 2 local guides, and we also had a man "from the government tourism bureau" who was there to "check that everything was OK".

He appeared to be more interested in booze, fags, and playing pool though.

I miss him.
 (I helped save b3ta! admiral crunch holds the newsreader's nose squarely, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 17:45, , Reply)
This is a normal post What was his name?
We give glorious medal to people's hero
 (Herb Alperts Taxi Driver Great Leader, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 17:49, , Reply)
This is a normal post Kim.

(I helped save b3ta! admiral crunch holds the newsreader's nose squarely, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 17:53, , Reply)
This is a normal post Amazing image.
I have been interested in visiting for a while now too. Did you see this article today?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19741830
 (augsav forgot about B3ta, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 17:30, , Reply)
This is a normal post I was just about to post that, very deceptive but i think everybody really knew what was going on.
That's the end of Koryo Tours taking people to NK though.
 (I helped save b3ta! Dawn Of The Bread $$$$ E-THUG 4 LIFE - THAT'S HOW I SCROLL $$$$, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 17:32, , Reply)
This is a normal post Yeah
They might get in a bit of trouble for that.

Tour companies like Koryo need good behaviour so that visitors get a good experience. They may suddenly find that the visa process for their visitors is made that much more difficult - and that they end up being assigned the less experienced local guides who are really restrict your photo taking, all that sort of thing.

My tour company had spent a long time getting good relationships with the country, which is how we managed to see a whole ton of stuff and had tour guides who were really reasonable with us.
 (I helped save b3ta! admiral crunch holds the newsreader's nose squarely, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 17:53, , Reply)
This is a normal post Wow!
No, I hadn't seen that article. Our guides definitely ensured we got nowhere near that building.

This is the closest we got to it.
 (I helped save b3ta! admiral crunch holds the newsreader's nose squarely, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 17:38, , Reply)
This is a normal post Hotel is finished
Bathrooms very nice
 (Herb Alperts Taxi Driver Great Leader, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 17:48, , Reply)
This is a normal post nah, it's no good
I can't find Wally anywhere!
 (Studentken is looking for motivation on, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 18:41, , Reply)
This is a normal post In North Korea
Wally is short with dark hair.
 (I helped save b3ta! admiral crunch holds the newsreader's nose squarely, Fri 28 Sep 2012, 6:18, , Reply)
This is a normal post What are all the people doing
on that beige tower by the crane?

Escape, mass suicide, flash mob....
 (M0nkeyb0Y ... you said "Simples"... like in the advert!, Fri 28 Sep 2012, 14:23, , Reply)
This is a normal post Here you go
I put it in Microsoft's Deep Zoom thingy: zoom.it/X5Kj
 (I helped save b3ta! DisgruntledGoat, Sat 29 Sep 2012, 15:28, , Reply)
This is a normal post Bless your cotton socks, internet stranger

(I helped save b3ta! admiral crunch holds the newsreader's nose squarely, Mon 1 Oct 2012, 15:24, , Reply)