Peering into North Korea

  Dandong, China
Friday, July 27, 2007

China/North Korea Friendship Bridge

Dandong.  Oh Dandong.  Dandong was wonderful.  It was the smallest city in China that we went to, and it definitely showed.  The people were much more kind, I think 5 of the 8 people on our list of 'people who smiled in China' might have come from Dandong.  AND Dandong was where we went to the Great Wall- which was by far our most favorite experience in China. 

But that doesn't mean Dandong didn't have it's triumphs and challenges.  Let's see, our hotel charged us double the cost, and there was nothing we could do about it.  We searched for food for 2 hours one night, and ended up eating at the revolving restaurant on the top of our hotel- that cost us more than a night's stay in the place. 

Great Wall

We booked a flight out of Dandong's airport, and had e-tickets that claimed the flight left at 7.00.  We got to the airport at 6, and the entire place was dead.  Lights off, no one to be found.  I finally tracked down a security guard hiding back in some room playing PS- he told me the flight was going to be at 9.  9 came and went. 

Sneaking into North Korea

People started showing up around 9:30.  In the end we found out the flight was suppose to be at 10:30.  We weren't sure if we had tickets or not.  No one could help us.  They were running away from us, just to avoid talking to us.  I can't remember this part of the night very clearly, because I got pretty sick.  Business men started coming into the airport and were lighting up cigarette after cigarette, China style- without the filters.  It was so smoky, that I couldn't see.  I couldn't breathe.  We went outside.  There were more people outside.  I was dizzy, and needed something to drink- but of course, why would the airport think to offer that?  I dug out the huge bag of peanuts that I had bought at the Chinese COSCO... I started eating them Chinese-style.  In the airport, throwing the shells everywhere.  It was good for me.  If my hands were busy shelling peanuts, then I couldn't scratch my eyes or itch the red bumps on my arms from my smoke allergy.  People were staring, but by this point I was quite used to getting stared at.  I just stared right back and kept eating, adding to my pile of peanut shells on the floor.

Do we look like we are enjoying China?

I can just imagine my mother reading this and wondering what on earth has gotten into her daughter, the good obedient, Midwestern daughter, who goes to church, and tries to do what's right.  See mom!  This is what CHINA does to people! 

We were so irate, so frustrated, so sick of being at that lame excuse of an airport, for over 4 hours- that we just went crazy!  Crazy for peanuts!