The following article is the seventh in a multipart series by Gareth Johnson of Young Pioneer Tours about being a North Korea tour guide. Views expressed in columns are exclusively the author’s own and do not represent those of NK News.

Many travelers to North Korea are surprised to discover how relatively normal their trip ends up being: It’s less extreme and overtly political than one might expect after seeing images of goose-stepping soldiers on the nightly news.

This is particularly true when it comes to Pyongyang, which has begun to shed its spartan reputation and become a bustling city