North Korea travel blog

MickeyFinns

MickeyFinns

MickeyFinns

Man of Honour
Joined
17 Nov 2006
Posts
1,931
Location
Tooting, London
Hi everyone,

After pressure from a few friends I've setup a travel blog to post my diary entries from some of the weirder destinations I visit. I'm also going to mix in some posts about how I go about planning these trips. I've wrote a couple of posts last night, editing the diary one to remove some names and make it a bit easier to read, and I was hoping I could get some feedback from people? I'm not the most skilled writer but hopefully I can improve with this new endeavour!

The blog can be found at http://www.jamesfinnerty.co.uk/.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

edit: Bumped with a new Installant! Part 4.

edit edit: Another bump for the fifth and final instalment.
 
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I really enjoyed the North Korea Part 1.

Please keep the coming. Pics also good but your descriptions really paint a good picture.

Thanks!
 
County said:
I really enjoyed the North Korea Part 1.

Please keep the coming. Pics also good but your descriptions really paint a good picture.

Thanks!
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Cheers! The North Korea ones should pop are quite quickly as I've already written out a detailed diary just needs tidying up.

The ones on Palestine, Svalbard and Chernobyl will take a bit longer!
 
MickeyFinns said:
Cheers! The North Korea ones should pop are quite quickly as I've already written out a detailed diary just needs tidying up.

The ones on Palestine, Svalbard and Chernobyl will take a bit longer!
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I will save your blog in my favourites.

The descriptions really do paint a good picture and the way you write your thoughts down are really well presented. Really good stuff:D

My only gripe is spelling :p but for me that is not an issue as i enjoyed it so much!

Keep them coming
 
County said:
I will save your blog in my favourites.

The descriptions really do paint a good picture and the way you write your thoughts down are really well presented. Really good stuff:D

My only gripe is spelling :p but for me that is not an issue as i enjoyed it so much!

Keep them coming
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I've noticed a couple spelling mistakes will work through it again tonight! Might've been a bit too keen in just getting some posts up there :)
 
I found both the North Korea post and the other post (planning your next trip) really really interesting!

Really want to read about the rest of your trip in NK tho - when is the next instalment?!
 
MickeyFinns said:
Hi everyone,

After pressure from a few friends I've setup a travel blog to post my diary entries from some of the weirder destinations I visit. I'm also going to mix in some posts about how I go about planning these trips. I've wrote a couple of posts last night, editing the diary one to remove some names and make it a bit easier to read, and I was hoping I could get some feedback from people? I'm not the most skilled writer but hopefully I can improve with this new endeavour!

The blog can be found at http://www.jamesfinnerty.co.uk/.

Thanks in advance for any advice!
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Really enjoyable and I look forward to the rest of the NK blog.
 
trixilux said:
I found both the North Korea post and the other post (planning your next trip) really really interesting!

Really want to read about the rest of your trip in NK tho - when is the next instalment?!
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I've got a Russian class tonight so probably tomorrow night?

I'm new to wordpress but I think it has an RSS feed built in if you want a notification when I update?
 
MickeyFinns said:
I've got a Russian class tonight so probably tomorrow night?

I'm new to wordpress but I think it has an RSS feed built in if you want a notification when I update?
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Oohh yes I will do that :)

Russian class? Like dancing and the best way to drink vodka without falling on your ass? :p

You sound like a very impressive guy Finns!

Edit: commented and now following with interest!
 
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I really enjoyed reading your blog and look forward to reading more once you get it up. I've always fancied visiting North Korea but it's so expensive once you factor in flights to Beijing and the cost of the tour etc. Brave man choosing to go in winter though, as if the place wasn't grim enough already! It'd be great to go there and see the Mass Games. What company did you book your tour through?

Great to read you're heading to Iraqi Kurdistan. I went there three years ago and found it a very interesting place. Prepare to get out of whatever vehicle you're traveling in a lot - so many checkpoints! I was detained briefly whilst visiting Amadiya and was taken to a police station by a couple of soldiers. Soon on my way but made for an interesting story.

Like you I've visited a few out of the way places over the years. I passed through the US for the first time earlier this year which, because of some interesting stamps, I was stopped twice at Miami for three hours at a time. They were particularly interested in my Iraq and Pakistan stamps. I missed my connecting flight the first time and then had a police escort to make sure I got on the plane the second time. My favourite questions during my 'interviews' where 'Are you Muslim?' and 'What do you think of capitalism?'(!). Fun times.

I posted some notes on the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree after I came back from my trip to Iraq. No doubt some of this is out of date now but a few people of added to it since I posted. Hope some of it is useful.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1831032&messageID=18013188#18013188

Look forward to reading more of your blog!
 
I went though a company called Lupine Travel. By far the cheapest, especially the winter tour.

Unfortunately I believe this years Mass Games were the last there will ever be :(. Next year there are major events to do with Kin Jong-il and Il-sung's birthdays.

http://www.lupinetravel.co.uk/north-korea-holidays-and-tours.html

I'd highly recommend the company. Both of my trips to Chernobyl were through them.
 
The golf tour has been twice before, they also do one to Iran!

It's for amateur players but I believe there is a handicap requirement. It's definitely a very unique trip.
 
trixilux said:
Oohh yes I will do that :)

Russian class? Like dancing and the best way to drink vodka without falling on your ass? :p

You sound like a very impressive guy Finns!

Edit: commented and now following with interest!
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Well due to the seeming popularity of this blog (200 visitors today so far!) I've made a push in my lunch break to write the next part of the blog. I should have it up tomorrow!

The russian classes are jsut for some upcoming trips I'd like to make where English isn't spoken so much (Siberia/Central Asia) :).
 
I had a read and look forward to reading more. I wouldn't worry to much about spelling and grammar, the source material is so fascinating most will ignore it :)

I am particularly looking forward to the planning steps as I have always wanted to do similar but to date have only really done 'mainstream' locations ie China, Thailand, Argentina.

Keep it up, bookmarked... :)
 
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Saviola said:
I had a read and look forward to reading more. I wouldn't worry to much about spelling and grammar, the source material is so fascinating most will ignore it :)

I am particularly looking forward to the planning steps as I have always wanted to do similar but to date have only really done 'mainstream' locations ie China, Thailand, Argentina.

Keep it up, bookmarked... :)
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Nice one thanks :).

The ones I'm in the middle of planning at the moment are Iraq and another trip back to Chernobyl and onto Belarus (which is proving a challenge to do on the cheap!). I'll write some blurb about how I worked out an affordable trip to Minsk soon.
 
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