here there be dragons

What do you pack when you visit a country that has a very special far-east place in the so-called 'axis of evil'?

I'm headed to North Korea this weekend for some sightseeing on Geumgangsan/Diamond Mountain in a region dominated by spectacular cloud-bound scenery said to be the Korean peninsula's most beautiful.

Here's the lengthy checklist I have to keep in mind while I put some travel gear together:

Banned items list and other regulations

• Mobile phones and other communications devices are not permitted. Cameras with telephoto lenses of more than 160mm and binoculars with zooming capabilities of 10 times or more are banned. All electronic equipment must be checked before departing for North Korea. This includes all cameras, battery chargers, PDAs, video cameras, notebook computers, calculators & MP3 players.
  
  
• Newspapers and magazines from South Korea aren’t permitted. You are allowed to bring personal reading material but please take the subject matter into consideration.
  
  
• You must ALWAYS wear your ID (you will get this before you arrive in NK) around your neck. You will be fined if it is lost or damaged.
  
  
• Must carry your passport and ID with you at all times.
  
  
• You are not permitted to bring alcohol or other food items into North Korea.
  
  
• Only US dollars and credit cards are accepted.
  
  
• There are many large rocks with engravings done by the government. Do not touch or lean on these rocks.
  
  
• You may speak with the North Korean people that you meet, but you may not take random pictures of them, including pictures from inside the bus. In addition, please be careful of the conversation topics when speaking with North Koreans. DO NOT talk about politics, diplomatic relations, economics and other such sensitive issues.

Hello, Corea del Norte! Touchy aren't we?

I won't be dispatching from the dark side of the DMZ. See you when I get back.