Taking a train from Dandong, China, with excitement and full of expectations, we took the train for more than six hours and finally arrived in Pyongyang, North Korea. When we arrived in Pyongyang, we were already in the hotel. The tour guide was waiting at the train station early. After seeing us arriving, he greeted us enthusiastically in Chinese. Traveling in North Korea is currently only possible with group tours, and the tour guides are basically They are all young women!
It is said that North Korea is rich in natural beauties, and it is true. Although North Korean girls do not wear heavy makeup, even light makeup can bring out their delicate faces. After some introduction, our tour guide Xiao Zhang neatly led us to the local hotel.
There are two foreign-related hotels in North Korea, the Yanggakdo Hotel and the Koryo Hotel. They are both located in the most central area of ??North Korea. The two tall buildings are extremely conspicuous and face each other in the air. The Yanggakdo Hotel mainly receives Chinese tourists, while the Koryo Hotel mainly receives European tourists. Naturally, we were led to the Yanggakdo Hotel.
When we walked into the hotel, we could feel the warm and gentle welcome from the local waiters, which made us feel warm in a foreign country. The tour guide said that working in these two hotels is a matter of great pride. They all have bachelor's degrees and speak multiple languages. Among them, Chinese is a must. The benefits and wages of waiters are very high!
It happened to be a hotel. After we arranged the check-in procedures, we went straight to the hotel. What can you eat in North Korean restaurants? Or it’s different than you think!
That night, perhaps because of the first meal, the dinner was very sumptuous. There was a big table full of chicken, duck and fish, and the food tasted more Chinese. The waiter said this was to take care of our taste. Naturally, you can’t miss the authentic North Korean food. Interestingly, North Korean cold noodles are not served as a staple food at the end, but as a dish, served together with the dishes. There are also some kimchi that can be eaten with cold noodles to make the soup taste delicious. After finishing the meal, a fruit plate will be given as an after-dinner fruit!
Looking around, most of the people in the hotel are us Chinese tourists, and there are basically no locals. It is said that most Yanggakdo hotels do not allow locals to enjoy the hotel.
In North Korea, one thing you need to pay attention to when eating is "Operation CD-ROM". Resources in North Korea are not as abundant as in China, which has developed a good habit of not wasting food among the locals. While eating, the tour guide often reminded us to eat more and not waste food. It is also true that during these few days of traveling in North Korea, our meals were basically eaten without any leftovers.
When dining in foreign-related hotels in North Korea, in fact, most of them cannot get the most authentic North Korean food, because the hotel chefs will modify it according to our Chinese tastes.
Is this different from what you imagined?