a little coffee

 **The next few posts will be highlights from our trip so far**

After a few-hour nap following our 7:17 AM arrival in Dandong from Beijing, Chris and I zigzagged around the small river city until we found the Museum to Commemorate U.S. Aggression (also known as the Korean War). 

The museum is set on a large hill or small mountain with steep stone stairs you must climb before reaching this fortress-looking musuem. After spending a couple hours inside, it seems that by the defensive, fortified position of the museum, China is making a tacit statement about the Korean War. 

The displays, with loads of photographs, old weaponry and uniforms from both sides, some letters, and (mostly) good English translations were well done. And it was a fascinating romp into the Doodle brain. I didn’t know much about the Korean War going into the museum, but so much of the information they included was immediately suspect, and after Wikipediaing it, complete lies. Conspicuously absent was any information critiquing the Chinese/North Korean side, let alone a display not glorifying (their side) of the war. The Chinese soldiers were always “brave”, “heroic”, “unbreakable” who slayed thousands and hundreds of thousands of “enemies.” They did no wrong. They even treated their prisoners of war with perfect care and attention (one of the complete lies), while the Americans and their cohorts were nasty and brutal imperialists. And did nothing but evil.

While we examined the displays and dozens of Doodle tour groups milled around us, a man approached Chris.

“Where you from?”

“America,” Chris says with an annoyed, apprehensive eye roll. We are in a museum that clearly displays how evil Americans are.

“Ah! Like in the war.” He points around the room. “We are enemies!”  His enthused voice booms around the room.

“Uh. Not now.” Discomfort increasing.

“Hah hah hah! We are enemies!” Boom boom boom. 

Chris points at the ground and firmly repeats “Not now” before turning his back and drifting away from the man, who then found me and asked me where I was from. Thankfully, he didn’t repeat the “enemies” bit though I expected him too. 

For the following hours in the museum, we felt even more conspicuous than usually, but no one else approached us, though we got pointed at plenty of times.

Later that evening, we walked down to Dandong’s lakefront to ogle North Korea. A single bridge in Dandong, the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, links the two countries. Just by comparing the riverfronts, we see a stark difference between the two countries. China is bustling with activity. A long (several kilometer ?) riverfront path teaming with people, boat tours, cafes, restaurants, lush public squares where people (mostly adults) play hackysack, badminton or practice tai chi.  North Korea is silent except the hurky-jerky movement of a crane and a few burping smoke stacks.