Eating Gasoline Clams And Almost Getting Shot By The North Korean Military

This will probably be my best (and stupidest) drinking story for a very long time.  It all started when we arrived in Nampo, North Korea.  We were told that as soon as we dropped our things off at our rooms that we should meet up for the famous Nampo gasoline clams.  If you are unfamiliar with what the Nampo gasoline clams are, it is pretty self explanatory.  First the clams are placed on this raised circular piece of metal pointing up.

Second gasoline is added on top of the clams and lit on firand nearlyrlyhey keep spraying gasoline directly on the fire from a gasoline filled water bottle until the clams are cooked (pictured below).  This last part almost resulted in tragedy at one point as the fire started traveling up one guy's stream of gas.

Eventually as the clams get cooked they leave behind this grey liquid mixture of unburned gas and clam juice.

When they finally are cooked we are told that there are two essential rules of eating gasoline clams.  First: do not eat any clam that has been opened because they will be filled with gasoline and the previously mentioned grey liquid.  Second: if you are going to eat the clams you absolutely must drink 40% ABV soju (think vodka made with rice instead of potatoes) because eating the clams without it can make you sick.  With those rules in mind and a couple of preparatory shots of soju I try my first clam.  Surprisingly it is delicious, there is no taste of gasoline or indication that it was prepared in any usual way.  They are actually really really good clams.  I then start devouring the clams and soju in equal measure (for purely health reasons I assure you) and by the time the clams are done I have consumed a small bottle of soju.  Afterwards we finish our dinner inside and then migrate to someone's lobby (they had split us among five buildings for that night) to continue the conversation and enjoy some drinks.  

Around 1:00am things start winding down and we all decide it is best to go to bed.  I walk back to my building but unfortunately it is locked and there is no sign of life anywhere.  I then walk back to the lobby and ask for ideas.  The best we can come up with is for me to walk to the welcome center and see if anyone is there that can let me in.   Of course after walking the half mile to the welcome center everything is pitch black and locked.  I start walking back to my building using my small flashlight to see where I am going.  Everything is going well until I hear the unmistakable sound of a North Korean soldier's whistle and angry shouting.  I can't see anything, I do not know what is going on.  The one thing I do know is that I took a wrong turn so instead of walking back to my building, I am near the exit and am about to walk alone in the middle of the night through North Korea!  Not wanting to really be involved with the soldier I try to play it off by saying oh sorry my bad and attempt to walk away.  This gets another whistle blow and louder yelling so it becomes clear I had better not push my luck any further especially since North Korean soldiers have shot tourists in the past.  

In order to defuse the situation I shine my light on my face and empty hand which I wave as I happily smile and say "hello."  I walk a few feet, making sure to not point the light in his direction, and repeat the process.  At this point I want it to be very clear that I am not a threat, I have nothing in my hands, and I am happily cooperating.  I do this so often on the way to him that as soon as I get there the first thing he does is wave really big and say "hello" back at me.  This makes me think phew at least I wont be shot today.  His face however quickly gets more serious as he performs a highly articulate display of pantomime (I am sure the gun slung across his back made me a better listener) where he tells me that he wants to know what is in my pockets.  I attempt to low ball him since I know we have now arrived at the extortion portion of the evening.  I pull out my room key from my left pocket and show it to him saying something about how I don't have anything.  Eventually his attention shifts over to my right pocket which just so happens to have a fat stock of 80 $1 bills (getting change in North Korea can be problematic).  I pull out the money, trying to cover them with a piece of paper hoping he wont see it, which he does.  He then grows more animated and demands that I give him my money.  Understanding how this kind of thing works I peel off $1 and give it to him and put the rest in my pocket and start to leave.  He instantly starts yelling again.  Not wanting an extortion to expand into a murder I happily return.  I look very confused and penitent as I return and when he points at the pocket with the money I give him a big smile and a thumbs up.  I then repeat my low ball offer and give him another $1 bill.  He takes the money but then gets a strange look on his face.  It is an expression that I have never really seen before that was a mixture of confusion (supposedly for why he can't express to me that he wants the entire stack) and reverence for the US dollars he was holding in his hands.  After taking some time to figure out what to make of the situation he puts the money in his pocket and seems much happier with me.   At this point I start to leave, however after I get a few feet down the road my drunk brain after having been totally absent from the situation decides that is the time to show up.  I then walk back over to the soldier, this time both of us are all smiles. 

I then ask him for a picture (which incase you didn't know is the absolute worst thing to try after someone extorted money from you, they don't like photographic evidence) he then starts smiling and waving.  He wasn't shaking his head, he wasn't frowning, he seemed happy, he was waving just like he had when he had said "hello" earlier, and so I was very confused.  I ask the question again and I get the same response.  I am deeply confused so I attempt to raise my camera up to see what happens since it seems like a possible yes, or at least a I don't understand.  The moment he sees my camera rise up he dives hard to his right like someone had started shelling the area.  Knowing I had really, really fucked up I profusely apologize and leave the area which thankfully I was allowed to do without getting shot or having to pay more money.

P.S.  If you ever find yourself in Nampo, North Korea and you are locked out of your building like I was, find the staff door.  There is another door besides the main entrance that I suppose is used for staff (the people who sleep there) simply bang on that long enough and then they will come out of their rooms and let you in via the main entrance.  This way you do not have to wander to the welcome center and back (there are signs to the center but not back to the buildings) and risk getting lost and nearly shot like me

National Liberation Day aka Alex Dances With North Korea's Elderly

For National Liberation Day our first duty was to go to the metro and mill about with locals and take pictures of everything except for the North Korean subway operators/cops (pictured below)

After going through the three stops we arrived at their version of the Arch de Triumph which is covered with soldiers and random people going to pay their respects to the bronze statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jung Il.

After we get over the shock of being in a sea of North Korean soldiers, we make our way over to the park.  The park is filled with people eating on small grills, playing volleyball, and generally just hanging out and having a good time with drinks.  We are repeatedly asked to join groups (pictured below) as we walk by but our North Korean guide was having none of it and we were told that we had to keep going. 

Our guide led us to a pavilion filled with very old North Korean women doing traditional dances.  As soon as we got there it started to rain and so I moved under the pavilion.  

As soon as I do I felt someone grab my arm as one old lady grabs me and shoves another old lady in front of me and the dance off begins.  First of all I am deeply shocked that I am dancing much less with elderly North Koreans but even more than that I am shocked because I have absolutely no idea how the hell to do a traditional North Korean dance.  As I grabbed her hands I looked around and from the best I can gather the only rule is the raise and lower your arms while spinning in circles.  As I started to dance I am sure that I looked like a slapped ass because in my life I have never felt such a strong mixture of being very happy and deeply confused about what the fuck was going on.  

I then quickly realized that I am boring both of us since by this time I have have not discovered any more North Korean moves beyond raise/lower arms and spin in circles so I ended the dance.  The moment I do another old lady is shoved in front of me and I am back in the game.  I noticed someone across the dance floor spinning their old lady so I attempt a similar move but because of a combination of my horrible dancing ability and her shockingly firm footing it did not work out.  She quickly became deeply confused and suspicious by what I was doing and it required some pantomime to convince her that I was on the up and up and that circles were a thing.  She looked back at me (I am sure she was wondering what this stupid looking American was doing with her) as she slowly begun to rotate.  We danced some more and she even awkwardly instigated some failed spins before I once again ended our dance.  However the speedy North Korean women very quickly presented me with additional old people to dance with.  Seeing as this pattern continued for 5 more elderly people I can't figure out if I (and my horrible dancing) was a sort of punishment and trick the North Korean women were playing on each other (some of them seemed deeply hesitant about dancing with me, but both of us were given no choice) or if they just felt people should no be both dance free and on the dance floor.  I suspect it is a combination of the two to be honest.  Eventually and thankfully for both me and the countless old women of Pyongyang, I was able to break free and get out from under the pavilion, our collective ordeal was over. 

Training your feet

When preparing for a long trek one of the most overlooked areas in our training regimen is our feet.  Just like with backs and legs, if you do not train properly you are setting yourself up for lots of pain and potentially some ill-timed injuries.  One of the best and most simple things you can do to prevent that, is get a good pair of shoes and walk long distances on hard surfaces on a regular basis.  While you might develop some light muscular discomfort in your feet as you go longer and longer, it is important that you know what kind of discomfort you are dealing with.  If you start to feel pain on the back of your heel, down the center of your sole, or anywhere else where you feel tendon pain stop working out for that day.  The last thing you want is the injure a tendon because those can take a very long time to heal, so take a day or two and then try walking on a smaller incline or at a slower pace and see if that does not keep the pain from returning, but as always use common sense and if anything is hurting too badly or doesn't seem right to you get it checked out (and of course: disclaimer).  Also if you start to feel isolated sections of your feet getting warm, that is a warning sign that you are getting a blister, you might want to refer back to the article on how to deal with them.  If you find yourself getting blisters or warming spots you want to take some time and check out your shoes and socks.  If they are rubbing and irritating your skin as you walk you might want to look into new shoes or socks depending on where the problem is.    Just make sure when you can you walk on hard surfaces for extended periods, because while other kinds of training can build the muscular and cardiovascular strength to go on a hike, only by walking on hard surfaces like cement can you avoid getting painfully sore on mile 12 of 15 and ruining the end of an otherwise great hike.

Nepal Travel Guide

Annapurna Circuit, An Introduction

Annapurna Circuit, An Introduction

I am getting ready for the Annapurna Circuit in October.  The Annapurna Circuit is a 133 mile, 21 day hike through the Himalayas.  I will be using the blog to cover the things I learn about the trek as I prepare, including places to stay, dangers to watch out for, what/how to pack, and importantly how to get yourself in shape for a trek through the Himalayas but first, a quick overview about the Annapurna Circuit. It is frequently rated as the best hike on Earth.  The route takes you through lush jungle, arid planes, and of course glacier covered mountains.  Unlike many other treks such Everest Base Camp, you do not need to worry about bringing a tent or bringing all of the food you will need for the trek with you.  This is because all along the circuit there are numerous villages with "teahouses" where you can stay and eat very cheaply.  As to be expected the higher in elevation (and more remote) you go on the trail, the more expensive your food and lodging will become, though even at its most remote things are still very cheap.  Due to the large number of villages on the trail (generally no more than 3 hours apart) you do not have to hire a porter but if you are hiking alone like me it might be good to have for security reasons.  The best time of year to go is in October when the views are the clearest and the weather is the driest.  The biggest dangers are from altitude sickness (the trail tops out at around 18,000 feet), cold, and contaminated water  (making avoiding travelers diarrhea very important for parts of the trip).  The other big issue to deal with when on the trail is the road that is being built.  Some parts of the circuit have been covered with a road decreasing the appeal of some of the trail's sections.  This also makes hiking this trek a race against time as the beauty of this centuries old trail will eventually be destroyed.

Round The World Tickets (RTW)

One of the lesser known ways to travel is the RTW or Round The World ticket.  They allow a person the ability to travel around the world for a set price regardless of destination.  If done correctly they can save a person hundreds or even thousands of dollars in airfare for your trip.  The trick is to knowing when and how and when to use them.  The first thing you need to know about RTW tickets is that they require extensive planning.  You have to make sure that you know what area of the world you plan to be in at any particular time.  While it is possible to change some of the tickets after they have been scheduled there are restrictions like limited seats per flight that might make it difficult to alter your plans on the fly if that is your travel style.  Also each airline group like Oneworld and Star Alliance have their own rules and regulations on how their RTW tickets can be used.  It is important to be aware of the specific rules each carrier group offers because some offer their plans based on mileage, others on a per continent basis, some say you can't back track or have specific numbers of stops per continent you have to take, all of this is important because all of this will dramatically affect how and where you plan your trip.  The only really consistent limitation I have seen in RTW tickets is that they generally require the trip to conclude within a year.  The benefits of an RTW ticket is that you can use it to dramatically reduce the cost on the world's most expensive air routes, particularly between North or South America and Oceania (the Australian continent).  When planing your routes remember that you do not want to pay for plane tickets to each city you will be going to (if you did this your RTW ticket might not be cheaper than standard airfare) what you want to do instead is use it to get you to a specific region such as South East Asia.  For example if you land in Thailand and want to explore you should use overland travel, like the cheap bus to Cambodia, or use one of the regional air lines which can be very cheap depending on what part of the world you are in.  All of this is done so that you do not needlessly waste your mileage or your number of allotted flights.  In the end if you use it correctly and in the right circumstances you can use an RTW ticket to travel cheaper and more often than you would with other methods.


*image taken from wikimedia commons and can be found here

How To Deal With Blisters On The Trail

When doing long distance or multi-day hiking it is important to make sure that you have the proper protection for your feet.  Not only can blisters become an annoyance they can also lead to infection or put you at higher risk of parasites depending on where you are hiking.  The obvious first step to avoid blisters is to make sure that your hiking shoes are comfortable, broken in, and not rubbing on your skin.  Also if at any time you feel warmth in one isolated section of your feet pay attention to it, because that is the first warning sign that you are getting a blister.  There are several ways to head blisters off at the pass before they become a factor for your trip.  First if you can make sure that you are not walking in any wet shoes or socks.  While keeping your feet dry all the time on the trail may be impossible because you might have to ford rivers, it is sometimes best to pack a water sock or pair of sandals to change into on the trail so you can keep your shoes dry in your pack.  Secondly there is a really good anti-blister product out there called mole skin.  It is this padded felt patch with adhesive on one side that you stick on the part of your foot that is getting a blister (experiencing isolated warming) also it works on areas that have already developed a blister and makes it more bearable to walk on and can help keep the skin together and from shredding on the trail.  Now because mole skin usually comes in a sheet you will need a knife or something to cut it to the right size (of course make sure the area is as clean and dry as you can make it before applying).  Also each type of mole skin has a different thickness and that means when walking it will feel different on your feet or in your shoe so you might want to try some of it on before you go to make sure your mole skin doesn't make you uncomfortable.  In general the Dr. Sholl's brand mole skin has some of the thickest padding,  which means more comfort but a larger bulkier mass to deal with in the shoe, and the generic store brand ones have the thinnest.  Try on a few and see what balance works best for you, trust me if you get a blister on the trail you will thank yourself for it.