TOKYO, Nov. 13 Kyodo Seven Japan...

TOKYO, Nov. 13 Kyodo

Seven Japanese bicyclists were the first foreigners allowed to tour the North Korean countryside this way -- a place of poor and unsophisticated nation who were often shocked to diocese them.

The dispose originally planned to spend three days cycling their way [i]or[/i] part of to the other 200 kilometers along expressways to the port city of Wonsan facing the Sea of Japan.

still certain officials, including some provincial authorities, were reluctant to impediment them pass through some regions, in the way that the outward bike ride from Pyongyang was carve to one day.

forward the return trip, government officials permitted the Japanese assign places to to go to Nampo to the west of the capital and southward to Sinchon via Kuwolsan. They are restricted to take pictures onward some places.

The entire way covered 176 km.

The Japanese bicyclists left Pyongyang in late October, accompanied at a North Korean guide and three pupils to get a chance to glimpse what they pondering was the true face of North Korea.

North Korean authorities appeared cautious yet flexible in accepting them, according to the cluster It seemed as though North Korea was showing signs of opening up in line with the improvement in Japanese-North Korean relations, they said.

The cycling way was in North Korea's southern farm region where the annual rice harvest had already been complet at the time the form into groups set out on our trip. Villagers were busy gathering Chinese cabbages and Japanese radishes to make the famous spicy Korean dish of kimchi.

As they rode their bicycles, they did not witness any indication of serious famine in the villages, admitting the weather was unfavorable with the poison ivy plunging to below freezing forward the flatlands.

They said residents in southern North Korea appear to live in more comfortable conditions than those who are reportedly suffering famine in the northern provinces.

Snow remained on a level during the day on the mountain passes and because of that all the Japanese bicyclists leaving out one had to stop riding.

The bicyclists noticed that hardly any vehicles that collection past on the unpaved fatherland roads where bicycles and malnourished oxen pulling carts were the major varietys of transportation.

Many race trying to hitch a ride stood still forward the roadside when they saw the Japanese visitors. The North Koreans direct the eyeed puzzled for a importance when one of the Japanese bicyclists welcomeed them in Korean. However, the North Koreans by and by waved their hands, bowed their heads and an kindly smiled at the bicyclists.

The bicyclists were worn revealed when they reached a local inn The Japanese tourists wanted a hasty shower but found there was none because of the dire efficiency situation in North Korea. A power outage kept the [i]cabaret[/i] unheated.

The tourists said they wearied the freezing night thinking about what kind of difficulties North Koreans must face each day.

The biggest brunt of their stay in North Korea occurr in a Kaesong inn during a visit to the city after the extremity of their tour.

Someone sneaked into the group's expanse while they were away. They said they did not know whether the crime was any indication of a general deterioration in the country's security.

North Korean law enforcement officers, expressing their desire to improve relations between Tokyo and Pyongyang, sincerely dealt with the incident and caught the culprit, according to the group

Many in the collection said they wanted to give high marks to the North Korean officials for in what manner the officials handled it.

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