#114 Biking into the Heart of Korea

[스티븐스 대사]

After cycling for nine days, over more than 700 kilometers – nearly the length of the West Coast – we arrived in Jindo on June 5, where we received a great welcome.

A warm welcome at Jindo County Hall

I’ve been back in Seoul for over a week now, catching up with all the work that awaited me here, but I haven’t stopped reflecting on all that we saw and learned of Korea’s rich and varied history, scenery, cuisine, and local color.  I also will never forget all the wonderful people we met!

We found the local roads sometimes hilly but always full of interesting sights.

As we headed south, then west, then south again from Seoul to Suwon and Osan, and on to Asan, Yesan, Seosan, Taean, and then down Korea’s western coast, crossing county after county, province after province, I felt we were getting ever closer to touching the very heart and soul of Korea.  I’ve spent a lot of time in Korea, and I’ve seen a lot.  But on this trip – where we saw at a slower pace this country’s ancient past and modern realities – we experienced Korea in a deeper way.

I’d like to share with you just a few of the things I won’t soon forget.

• Making a wish and releasing a lantern into the clear night sky at the Dano and Gulbi festival in Yeonggwang.

• Stopping at the birthplace of legendary Pansori singer Kim So-hee in Gochang, Jeollabukdo, and then, a few days later, in Jindo, one of her former students, the supremely talented Ms. Shin Young-hee trying to teach me “Jindo Arirang.” 

What a beautiful day to enjoy Jindo Arirang and Ganggang Sullae!

• Watching craftsmen put the finishing touches on a perfect replica of a turtle ship.  A few days later, I saw firsthand how Admiral Yi shaped Korean history when we visited the site of his great victory at Myeongnyang against invading Japanese forces over 400 years ago.

• Admiring the life’s work of U.S.-born Korean citizen Carl Ferris Miller, founder of the Chollipo Arboretum.

I highly recommend visiting the Chollipo Arboretum to enjoy its botanical gardens and its seaside setting.

• A reunion dinner in the Chungnam countryside with my former colleagues from Yesan Middle School and their families.

• Grilling freshwater eel over hot rocks at Shimwon Pungchon Jangeo (심원 풍천장어) in Jeollabukdo.

• Riding the 38 km-long Saemangeum dike – very fast – with ten members of the Kunsan Wolf Pack.

• Climbing and descending the hilly and indescribably picturesque Baeksu Coastal Road.

• Learning to take “selka (셀카)” while riding bikes with the young women athletes of the Naju City Hall Cycling Team.

Members of the Naju City Hall Cycling Team posing with fellow biking enthusiast Kim Chang-wan

The list could go on.  But here’s another way to think about it (for all of you “numbers people” out there):

On our trip, we:

• Biked over 700 kilometers.

• Explored four provinces (Gyeonggido, Chungcheongnamdo, Jeollabukdo, and Jeollanamdo) and one special city (Seoul).

Here is a map of our journey!

• Traversed 17 counties.

• Met 12 Mayors.

• Visited one Confucian School, two fortresses, three temples, four dolmens.

• Visited one bicycle factory, one grain importing company, one farm, and one orchard.

• Visited the birthplaces of legendary figures in Korean arts and politics, from university founders to pansori singers to famous admirals.

• Enjoyed ocean sounds on more than a dozen white-sand beaches, including those cleaned up after the Taean Oil Spill of 2007.

• Planted one tree 

My Yesan friends and I planted a dogwood tree at my former co-teacher’s farmhouse in Dogo, Asan.

• welcomed dozens of guest riders, including:

• 10 professional cyclists from the Naju City Hall Cycling Team.
• 10 members of the Wolf Pack from Kunsan Air Base.
• 8 riders from USFK Yongsan.
• 1 Korean singer.
• The Chairman of the Korean Cycling Federation.

And then there are things that we just can’t count, like:

• the dozens of different kinds of West Sea fish and seafood we tasted.
• the scores of hills and mountains we biked up – and down.
• the hundreds of newly-planted rice and barley fields we saw along the way.
• and the countless smiles and encouraging calls of “fighting!” from Koreans we met on our travels. 

Without the warmth and generosity of our Korean hosts, the trip wouldn’t have been the same.  So thank you all for joining me in this journey!  Biking into the Heart of Korea was truly an unforgettable experience.

    

[달구벌황]

I envy you this fantastic bycicle journey! Near future I also want to follow your adventure! Attractive Ambarsador!