ST PETERSBURGH AUGUST 2014 - Frank Bagshaw

Some of the St Petersburg culture: St Isaac's Cathedral, oh bother, one of those pesky T*****buses appeared!

TO PYONGYANG DPRK - PLANES FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED (6)

We travelled to Pyongyang from Beijing on an Air Koryo flight PEKFNJ 0152L, which was operated by plane no P633, a Tupolev TU204-100, one of two which are owned by the airline.

Number of our plane

Watching our luggage being loaded

Arriving Pyongyang.  The airstrip is about 2 miles from the air terminal so we were transported by bus and along the way saw evidence of new runways being built and a new terminal building. I presume DPRK are expecting more and more tourists.  So get your Euros and go.

The other Tupolev parked with bags over engines. Also various other planes and helicopters in the distance with bags over vital parts, perhaps awaiting attention?

PYONGYANG RAILWAY STATION AND ENGINES AUGUST 2014 (5)

Our journey out of North Korea was by train via Dandong to Shenyang in China.  We arrived in good time for our train, went through security and were then ushered into the First Class Lounge to await boarding time for our train.

First Class waiting room with antimacassars!

Lovely cupboard in the waiting room.  Sorry about the reflection!

On the platform walking to our Coach 1.

Our engine, we did not find out why it wasn't an electric engine.  We asked permission to take the photos, then the driver shouted at us for taking them, ce la vie. (The obligatory white van was delivery the food to the restaurant car.)

Another engine through the train window

Being weaved off

Pair of engines

Pyongyang sign at the station

Leaving Pyongyang after a really good and interesting trip - trolleybuses apart!

PYONGYANG DPRK - METRO AUGUST 2014 (5)

Local newspaper and the obligatory mural

Riding the metro with the locals

Train approaches with Kim Il Sung watching over

The up escalator with the speaker playing martial music to everyone

While we were in Pyongyang, part of our visit was to the Metro on which we were allowed to travel 7 stations instead of the usual 2, alighting at each station to take photos.  The first thing noticeable about the Metro was the depth at which it is built (100 meters) with a very long and steep escalator down to the platform and 'bomb' doors in view.

A view of the deep metro escalator

First view of the metro

Busy station

Must be modelled on Moscow, with picture of Kim Il Sung at end of platform

PYONGYANG DPRK - TRAMS AUGUST 2014 (4)

Lots of Tatras mainly from Czech Republic originally.

T3 of 1980

Overhead view - note the lack of traffic

On Railway Station turning circle

Doors receiving attention!

Railway Station

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Songsan Tram Depot

Songsan Tram Depot - we didn't get to look inside, but it was an achievement to get this far

Running into the depot off service

Running into the depot off service

And again

Our charter tram

Tram and trolleynus stop at the Railway Station

PYONGYANG DPRK - TROLLEYBUSES AUGUST 2014 (3)O

More trolleybus pics.

Our Chollima 70 of 1970 charter trolleybus

Works vehicles

Trolleybus overhead platform

Fairly simple lift

Works vehicle

Our Chollima 70 at the end of the journey.  A reporter from the Pyongyang Times arrived to interview a couple of our group and they can be seen on the trolleybus.

Transit vehicles and cycles open to tourists

	British tourists try an old trolley bus. BY COURTESY OF THE KOREA INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL COMPANY

    Kind people, clean environment and special tours in particular and drawing an increasing number of foreign tourists.

To meet their diverse tastes, the Korea International Travel Company has launched tours by public transit vehicles and bicycle.

During their stay in five days and four nights the tourists can see the course of development of the local transit system.

The most available public transport vehicles are trolley buses and trams, which encompass different types of trolley buses ranging from the earliest Chollima-70, which was made 50 years ago, to the latest ones and trams T3, T6 and B5.

“Trolley buses show the development of the Korean nation in the 1960s. We are pleased that you respect your heritage. And you have kept them in good order. I think many countries neglect their heritage. But you have taken care of your heritage. You haven’t put them in museum but kept them in good working order, which is very encouraging and commendable,” British tourist Hasel Dine Peter said after travelling between August 19 and 23.

“We cycled on streets, farms and mountains. All of the cycling was great. When we came down Mt. Paektu through the beautiful fields of wild flowers and forests, it rained at times, but it actually made the riding even more fun,” said American Adam Sullivan, who enjoyed cycling tour from August 14 to 21.

Cycling tour through Pyongyang and local areas gives a good chance for tourists to get closer to the local life and scenery.

You cannot imagine what it is like to cycle along the hilly roads on Korea’s celebrated Mt. Paektu, Mt. Chilbo and others.

Tourists will have a good time in Pyongyang and local areas during a week-long cycling tour.

By Kim Rye Yong PT

This is the article from the Pyongyang Times issue 35 of 8/2014 (Juche year 103).  Some fairly quaint English and Peter Haseldine now has a Korean version of his name! By the way we didn't do the cycling bit.

British tourists try an old trolley bus.

BY COURTESY OF THE KOREA INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL COMPANY