Closed For Remodeling

Don't you just hate it when you get somewhere, like a restaurant, only to discover it's currently closed for remodeling? I know I've been disappointed before when a small business is closed for remodeling.

In this case, the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, which I visited back in 2009 was closed on a later visit in 2012. At that time, the mausoleum was undergoing renovations to accommodate having an area to keep the Dear Leader, Kim Jong-il's body, lying in state like his father before him.

Given that we couldn't visit and go inside this most unique and interesting palace, the tour bus stopped and let us out for a few minutes to take photos from a distance. On the upside, it's always nice to see things from a different perspective.

The Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, final resting place for the leaders of North Korea Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.