Azkals arrive in Pyongyang ahead of WCQ duel with North Korea

PYONGYANG – It was a nice first impression to say the least.

The Philippine Azkals arrived here Monday afternoon pleasantly surprised at how clean and developed the city looked despite its reputation as one of the most isolated cities in the world.

Riding the bus from the newly-refurbished Pyongyang International Airport to Hotel Koryo in downtown Pyongyang, the Azkals saw a glimpse of life in the North Korean capital ahead of their showdown with the hosts in a World Cup Qualifying match on Thursday.

They saw farmers hard at work in a rural area near the airport, before passing through monuments, parks and schools. Just as the Azkals bus approached the city, school children were rehearsing a parade. On intersections, uniformed officers saluted as the Azkals convoy passed.

Noticeably, there are designated bicycle lanes, but electric buses and trains seem to be the main mode of transportation for locals. The Azkals bus also came across a few taxi cabs on the way to the hotels.

Apartment units and mid rise buildings abound in the capital with pink and light blue as the dominant colors. Huge billboards of late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jung Il are plastered on major thoroughfares as well as school buildings.

“I was surprised about the look of North Korea over here from the beautiful airport to the streets, it was very clean,” said Azkals coach Thomas Dooley, the German-American mentor. “At the moment, the place is very clean and people are very friendly.”

The city is notorious for power outages and players were surprised to see buildings not as well-lit as those in Manila when they returned from training Monday night.

For several players like Misagh Bahadoran, seeing Pyongyang was like a welcome respite from the chaotic traffic situation in Manila.

Azkals captain Phil Younghusband liked the cool, breezy weather and hoped it stayed that way on Thursday when they face North Korea for a critical Group H game.

Unlike the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bulacan where natural grace is the playing surface, Kim Il Sung Stadium is equipped with astro turf and Younghusband said the playing area is wider than that of Rizal Memorial Stadium and PSS.

The Azkals were allowed to bring their mobile phones to the country as well as their laptops, although they needed to declare it with customs at the airport. There’s no wireless internet connection in the hotel where the team is staying, but broadband connection is available for a fee of 10 dollars an hour. Social network sites Twitter and Facebook can also be accessed in the hotel.