Train travel offers new perspective on isolated N. Korea
It is 9:30 a.m. when we leave Dandong, the last Chinese town before crossing the Yalu River that separates the two countries. We are the only Westerners on board the train which takes more than 10 hours to cover the 240 kilometers (150 miles) to Pyongyang.
Dandong is booming, thanks to the border trade that has flourished since North Korea came under international sanctions.
Chinese of Korean descent board the two white and blue sleeping cars, stamped with the emblem of the People's Republic of China. Luggage and packages are piled on the top bunks and in the vestibules at the ends of the carriages.
The contrast between Dandong with its skyscrapers and Sinuiju, the first North Korean town, is striking: the buildings are decrepit, the streets dusty, a small amusement park with rides and a Ferris wheel seems abandoned.
There we see the first statue of North Korea's founding father Kim Il Sung, who died in 1994 after ruling the country since 1948.
A dozen North Korean customs officers climb aboard. Baggage is searched, and waved over with a metal detector. They note down the number of cameras, video cameras and laptops.
Only mobile phones are forbidden and put in a sealed envelope, with strict instructions not to open it before leaving North Korean territory.
Most of the passengers seem to know the North Korean inspectors.
"I come once a week," said a Korean Chinese wearing a fancy shirt and gold chain, luxury shoes on his feet and a leather bag from a famous French brand over his shoulder.
Once the inspection is complete, customs officers and passengers sit on the couchettes and strike up a conversation.
Cigarettes are passed around and they exchange jokes, punctuated by slaps on the back.
In the corridor, a smiling customs officer questions the four French journalists.
"You've come for the rocket? There will also be foreign experts?" he asked in Chinese.
Clearly, the official media have trumpeted that the forthcoming launch will be covered by dozens of reporters together with some foreign experts.
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