Rocky Swift, in an exclusive for Bloomberg, reports that North Korea has reopened its doors to American tourism, with state sanctioned tours now up and running. Read on to get a review of such a tour.

After a perfunctory presentation of flowers to the giant, bronze statue of Kim Il-sung in central Pyongyang, we checked into the Sosan Hotel, a 30-story faux-brick building surrounded by sports fields on the city’s edge. The hotel, with its immense chandeliers and dark hallways, is a microcosm of the nation.

After I complained about the absence of hot water, one of our North Korean handlers shot back that I was experiencing a result of the crippling energy shortage caused by U.S. sanctions. Heady stuff, considering I just wanted a hot shower.

The tour itself followed a well-worn path of tourist destinations, in a comfortable, Japanese-made bus. First was the heavily guarded border with South Korea at Panmunjom, where soldiers on both sides stare at each other across an unfenced concrete strip. The North Korean tale is rather similar to the South’s, which I’d heard on a tour from the other side a few years ago: The other side started it, and they’ll invade again given half a chance.