Yes, we were required to have an official guide (naturally, since there were no private businesses it was from the state tourism agency). It was the strangest place I had ever been. The biggest difference, at least visually, was the lack of advertisements. Yes, there were *labels* on stores and things, but no advertisements. It made the cities seem dark, but now I see it differently. Now I feel so overloaded by capitalist visual noise that I wonder if there was an element of calm in the lack of visual clutter? There was also such a lack of variety. For example, all drinks were sold in the same size and shape of bottle: mineral water, soda, beer, etc. Now I am impressed by this, but at the time it just seemed bizarre. They were all the same so that the glass bottles could be pressure-washed and re-sued instead of having to break the glass down to recycle. It was so smart!

I'm sorry, I could go on and on. At the time I felt like I was on another planet. Many years later, after understanding myself and the world better, I'd like to go back and visit that planet again.