SOUTH KOREA
628 Kilometres – 13 Days
5 May – 21 May 2014
PHOTOS
E-BOOK
5 May - Hong Kong – Seoul, South Korea - By plane
A
short taxi ride took me and my meagre belongings to the airport. Once again,
the overweight baggage fee was shocking, but nothing one could do but pay and
get the job over and done with. The flight from Hong Kong touched down in Seoul
three hours later and although I couldn’t draw money I could at least pay by
card—what a pain. Priority was thus to contact the bank and I could only hope all
would be sorted out by morning.
6
May - Seoul
To
me, Seoul was merely a name on a map, exceptionally far away and what an exciting
city Seoul turned out. The first thing one noticed was how incredibly modern the
city was. I believe Seoul was the most technologically advanced city I’ve visited.
Even at touristy places, no brochures were available, simply barcode scanners. Even
though scanners were used in other countries, this habit was more prevalent in
Seoul. That said, the old wasn’t forgotten. Old traditions were alive (albeit
with a fake beard and moustache), and one didn’t have to go far to stumble upon
an ancient temple or palace, at times right amidst new ones.
7
May - Seoul
After
taking the bicycle to the bike shop to be reassembled, a short detour took me
to the Bukchon Traditional Cultural Centre. Later I popped into Deoksugung, an
old palace site where stunning old buildings remained.
On
returning, my amble took me through the Namdaemun Market (famous for its street
food) to pick up my daily portion of Kimchi. It seemed Kimchi accompanied every
meal and was often eaten as the main dish. Kimchi resembled fermented vegetables,
sometimes eaten on its own or fried in a pancake. Whichever way prepared, it
was delicious and I needed my daily dose. It all made sense as the key to
traditional Korean food was fermentation.
8
May - Seoul
I’d
all intentions of leaving but changed my mind as tons more remained to investigate.
Good thing as well, as in picking up camping gas, I discovered a cycle path
along the river to Busan. Albeit sceptical, whether the trail led all the way
to Busan there was no harm in trying.
I’m
not sure what I’d envisaged, but Seoul was utterly different from my
expectations. Not merely was the city super modern sporting interestingly
designed high-rise buildings. Still, the city was also modern in a funky way, and
revealed many cool and cosy-looking coffee shops and restaurants. Old buildings
sat comfortably amongst new ones, and narrow pedestrian lanes and malls buzzed
with all kinds of goods and food.
Again,
I must mention how technologically advanced this city was, as I imagined it enough
to make practically anyone feel like Rip Van Winkel. I was convinced no one
ever paid in cash; swipe-and-go or scan-and-go was the preferred payment method.
I presumed both paper and money would soon be obsolete and hence no surprise to
find Seoul, very fittingly, sported a money museum.
I
strolled the Cheonggyecheon, an 11-kilometre stream, right in the heart of the
city. It’s believed the river was rediscovered after a raised highway was demolition.
By then, the area was a peaceful and relaxing space featuring stacks of
greenery, public artworks, wooden bridges, and small waterfalls.
9
May - Seoul – Yange Pyeong (Yangpyeong) - 91km
More
than happy to get on the bike, I headed out of town, grinning from ear to ear
at the opportunity to discover this new country. There’s such an amazing sense
of freedom cycling in a direction, not quite knowing where you’re heading. While
significantly more remained to explore in Seoul, I was eager to hit the road
and thus turned my mobile home toward the river and soon landed on the famed cycle
path along the mighty Han River. At the time I understood it was the longest bicycle
path globally. Moreover, the day was a public holiday, filled with cyclists
dressed to the nines.
Twice
I met up with other cyclists. The spacious pathway made easy chatting while biking.
As a result, I received a stack of information, which came in handy in the
coming days.
A
wave of joy washed over me, and I realised I didn’t want to do anything else.
The best part was that the route ran along the old rail line, resulting in it being
flat and all hills avoided by riding through old rail tunnels.
10
May - Yangpyeong – Chungju - 100 km
It
took the entire day to pedal the 100 kilometres to Chungju. The path made a
lovely day of pedalling, offering hundreds of reasons to stop and, in the
process, I met a cyclist on his way to Busan. He was the sweetest boy, riding
on his road bike with merely a wee backpack. He waited as I slowly slogged up
the hills and translated the information boards encountered. Nearly all the
signs were in Korean and not useful to me and I was happy with the explanations.
At one of these stops, I tried beondegia, a popular snack in Korea. Beondegi was
steamed or boiled silkworm pupae, seasoned and eaten as a snack. Unfortunately,
I only ate one as it had an unpleasant taste and smell.
In
the town of Chungju, I said goodbye to Ben (his English name) and got myself a
room while he carried on to the next village.
11
May – Chungju – Suanbo Hot Springs - 25km
Departing
Chungju, I met another cyclist, this time on a heavily ladened bike. The
Koreans were extraordinarily generous and appeared they couldn’t let you go
without giving you something. With two energy bars in my pocket, I waved him
goodbye and soon reached the small mountain town of Suanbo, famous for its hot
spring.
On
cycling into town, looking for a place to dip, I heard someone call my name. It
was Ben; we’d breakfast together, which turned out quite fascinating. Koreans
sit on cushions on the floor and eat from low tables. The dining area was a
raised platform; one had to remove one’s shoes before stepping onto the
platform. Ben didn’t only pay but escorted me to a spa where he had stayed the
previous night.
The
spa was my first Jjimjilbang (Korean sauna) experience and resembled a public bathhouse.
This interesting set-up offered separate mens’ and ladies’ facilities. Inside were
a variety of hot and cold pools. Firstly, you stripped down, then had a shower,
then a total scrub down and only then could you enter the pools. No bathing
suits are required. Public nudity wasn’t something I was used to and I thought the
practice a tad unnerving. It appeared most of the ladies had never seen a
foreign woman naked as it felt they never took their eyes off me. I couldn’t wait
to submerge myself and stayed underwater until I dared to dash to where I had left
my clothes.
The
remarkable thing was, in general, these facilities provided napping rooms. They
weren’t meant for overnight sleepovers, but generally, cycle tourers used them
as such. The room simply had a mat on the floor, but a free place was a free place,
even if I didn’t think I could ever get used to a wooden pillow.
12
May - Suanbo Hot Springs – Gumio Weir - 103km
It
rained all night, but by the time I woke, the weather had cleared and it turned
into one more lovely day. The bike route ran through small mountain villages
where villagers sat winnowing outside their homes.
I
usually prefer inexpensive accommodation and, consequently, often spend the
night in establishments where rooms are let by the hour, for purposes other
than sleeping. I’ve, thus, had my fair share of oddly shaped beds. However, the
bed was a round one this time and offered all the necessary personal care items.
13
May - Gumibo Weir - Dalseongo Bridge - 108km
I’m
sure freedom means something different to everyone. I look at freedom as living
the life I want to live. As I departed, I knew this was my freedom, at least
for now. The ride featured incredible vistas as the road stuck close to the
river, past small villages, old temples, and lush and green farmlands.
On
spotting a nice grassy patch, I thought it was a perfect place to pitch the
tent. But unfortunately, the site turned out to be the Millennium Plaza. As a
result, the entire area lit up at night, making one feel a bit like a goldfish
in a bowl.
14
May - Dalseongbo Bridge – Namji - 90 km
When
camping at a public square, there’s no sleeping in. After boiling water to make
coffee and loading up, I attempted an alternative route. Unfortunately, Miss Smarty
Pants’ way didn’t pan out, and she’d to backtrack to that morning’s starting
point. The path turned into a hilly ride; sometimes, it required walking the bicycle
up the steep gradient. The lack of breakfast soon made dwindling energy and a
lunch stop at a trusty 7-eleven came at just the right time. With renewed
energy, I tackled the remaining hills. I uncovered digs in Namji, perfect for
charging my growing number of gadgets.
15
May - Namji – Busan - 111 km
The
stretch from Namji to Busan marked my last day of cycling to Busan, and even
though stunning, the trail wasn’t without a good few hills. My route took me over
the mountains, past villages and fantastic scenery. Being spring, flowers were blooming,
making it a pleasure out on the bike.
In
the dying moments of the day, the route spat me out in Busan, where I was in no
mood to deal with the evening traffic following a few days on the tranquil cycle
route. I, nevertheless, had no choice but to brave the traffic in search of budget
accommodation.
I
always feel half sad and half happy reaching my destination. I thought I cycled
through the entire city to get to the centre. Luckily, a tourist information came
into view to find all the necessary information. They provided the location of
a budget motel in one of the narrow lanes. A lane that transformed itself at
night into a food market and a hive of activity.
16
May - Busan
As
a ferry sailed from Busan to Japan, I searched out the Japanese Consulate, only
to find this consulate didn’t issue visas to foreigners. Instead, one had to
apply in one’s home country or have a permanent residence card.
Changing
course, especially due to circumstances beyond my control, wasn’t one of my
favourite situations. I considered packing the bicycle and flying elsewhere a
hassle. Not only was it costly, but it took a few days to get back to cycling. Nonetheless,
the whole fiasco was my fault as I wasn’t too fond of planning or reading up
about countries. It took the surprise out of travelling, but the surprises were
sometimes unpleasant.
I
could um and ah days on end where to go. The world was vast with numerous
options and countless fascinating destinations. But, right then, my options
were limited (due to my nearly full passport) to places where visas weren’t required
and where one could cycle a few months without changing direction or applying
for a visa.
Thus,
my best destination was the Americas, as I already had an American visa and had
unfinished business in the USA. However, this obvious destination didn’t necessarily
mean I would go there. The best would’ve been to return to San Francisco (where
I left off last time) and pedal north. It would’ve been the best, weather-wise
as well but, as I said, just because San Francisco made sense didn’t mean I would
do it.
17
- 21 May - Busan
The
following day I loaded up and cycled to Blue Backpackers offering more
facilities. In the process, a bike shop was uncovered, and the plan was to ride
there the next day to acquire a box or bag to pack the bike. Still unsure which
direction to go, the decision was best left until the very last minute.
By
morning, the bicycle was handed in to be boxed. Though several things needed repairing,
I didn’t fix them, as I imagined it better to do so once I’d arrived in my new
country (wherever it may be).
Busan
was the second-largest city in South Korea, and the metro system was quite
extensive. I ventured into the belly of the earth to investigate the famous
Buddhist temples, situated on the city’s outskirts. These temples were a
pleasure to visit, as they were tranquil and peaceful. South Korea’s temples
seemed to have a green tone instead of the red hue in China.
As
always, the temples were adorned by the four Heavenly Kings, or gods, each watching
over a different direction of the world. They were the protectors of the world
and fighters of evil. Wondering around, I started chatting with a small tour
group; they kindly offered me a lift to the metro upon departing.
In
the city, rows and rows of food stalls sprang up, and one could pick and choose
from the large variety of dishes. I’d my fill and returned to the hostel to organise
my last few belongings for the exceptionally long flight to Seattle, USA, via
Beijing. From Seattle, the plan was to pedal south to San Francisco. The prevailing
wind and already having a visa to the USA were the main reasons for this
decision.
22
May – Busan, South Korea – Seattle, Washington, USA
We
flew into Seattle in the early hours of the morning, and what a delightful sight.
The exciting part was arriving in Seattle before leaving Beijing. I was, as
usual, dead tired, collected my luggage, hailed a taxi and headed to downtown
Seattle. The first stop was at a bicycle shop to drop the bicycle and then the
hostel which I booked ahead of time.
Once
booked in, I, to my horror, discovered I’d left behind my backpack holding all
my valuables in the taxi. So, in a flat spin, I contacted Yellow Taxi Cabs.
Unfortunately, I’d no number or name to give them, but they’d a lost-and-found
section where I could leave my details.
Being
sleepy I took a snooze and, upon emerging, discovered my lost bag on the table
next to my bed. Of course, I was thrilled (to put it mildly) and did a little
happy dance. But then, the taxi driver was the sweetest Somali guy, to whom I
chatted non-stop from the airport. I knew if anyone were to return the bag, it
would be him. So, a massive thank you to this unknown Somalian taxi driver.
