Mt Kumgang
Previously a resort area operated by Hyundai for visiting South Korean tourists, now only open to tourists coming from the northern side. We would be the first group of Western tourists to make this journey from the North. One of the reasons I returned to North Korea again was because of newly-opened areas like this. Hyundai had paid hundreds of millions of dollars to the North Korean government to develop this area of pristine mountains and waterfalls, and I couldn't resist seeing what all of the fuss was about.
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Kind of a dreary morning as we head south from Wonsan to Mt Kumgang, near the North/South Korea border.
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For many miles before the actual border, all of the beaches in North Korea are fenced off to help keep out South Korean spies. It seems ridiculous, but one finds exactly the same thing in South Korea too.
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One of the delights on this trip was all the new territory covered. This meant that our guides were traveling in virgin territory for them as well, and it was fun to watch them deal with the unheard of concept of being lost.
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The topography got more and more varied, with higher and higher mountains, as we moved south. I was starting to realize why this area was so popular with the Koreans.
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The military checkpoints this close to the border were the cause of major formalities. Very few vehicles seemed to be allowed passage, including ours. We were held up for quite a while at one checkpoint, leading us to wonder if we were going to be forced to turn around. After we finally got through it was no surprise to see tons of people walking given that there seemed to be some very strict regulations on getting a car or truck this far south.
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The Kumgangsan National Park area consists of several different trails and hiking courses. We had no say in which one we would get; all that was decided ahead of time by higher ups. When we arrived at Mt Kumgang, we found out that we would be hiking up to Kuryong Waterfall, arguably one of the prettiest waterfalls in all of Korea.
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Japanese silk moth.
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One constant image in Asian paintings -- whether from China, Japan, or Korea -- is the beauty of mist-covered steep mountains and pine trees. In this respect, Mt Kumgang did not disappoint!
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In the inspirational words of the Great Leader, "Aim High."
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Along the trail.
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Not Kuryong yet, but this little waterfall was a nice treat halfway there.
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Finally after much sweat and tears (our clothes were damp with something!), we arrive at the pagoda at the summit and finally get to gaze on the waterfall.
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Funny how strenuous physical activity can make you lose your appetite.
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Some of the scenery near Lake Samilpo.
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You know you're near the border when you start seeing these again. These concrete columns can be detonated quickly to form emergency makeshift road blocks in the event of an impending invasion from the enemy. The same type of fortifications can be seen in South Korea near the border as well.
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The kind of propaganda cenotaph that you would expect to find near the border. The writing on the upper left is "Grandmother". The girl is holding a parcel that says "present", something she would no doubt love to hand to her grandmother in person if it weren't for the DMZ separating families. Behind her is a sign (in English!) that says, "Military Demarcation Line." The bottom slogan pleads, "As soon as possible, let's end the tragedy of national division!"
