An ‘Aggressive American Wolf’ in Dandong
Smiles and laughter … with North Korea next door
DANDONG, Liaoning — The children were North Korean. But their smiles were universal. They really appeared to be enjoying themselves, splashing around in the Yalu River, sitting out in the sun. What kid in the world wouldn’t? It was a beautiful day.
I sat in a boat a couple dozen meters away — North Korea doesn’t like it when foreigners get much closer — and took photos. Now I could show my friends and family back in the States: See, North Koreans smile, too.
They also wave. Waving and smiling, the kids motioned for me to come join them. For what, I had no idea. Was this some kind of a joke?
My boat cruised slowly beside the banks of North Korea and left the waving children in its wake. I and the other tourists on the boat — all Chinese — continued to peer into perhaps the most secretive and isolated country in the world. And, you know what? It looked a lot like rural China. Shouldn’t come as a surprise — China was just 300 meters and one invisible boundary line away.
10.13.2004, 10:25 AM · Liaoning, Stories, The Trip · Comments (13)
