Korea Day 8 - Leading Up To A Rough Start

Refreshed from the good nights sleep, and the only kind of pride I can find from cycling a bike tuned with these two hands, there was nothing today that could keep me down. 

I had a good distance to cover into Guyre because of the route I choose. Mountains be damned, I could always use more training. Especially from what people telling me cycling mount Jirisan is. They like to use the word "impossible."

I'm all about sybolism at times like this. What a perfectly set photo opportunity for the first picture of the day. Only 30 min into my day's ride and both my bike and I grew wings.

I guess you could say we needed them, the wings. And I guess I should have learned this lesson a while back: squiggly lines on maps don't always stand for mountain passes, and straight lines don't always mean flat roads. 12% slope for about 2km, but at least it was consistent.

The look back down the road after the crest. Just straight, steep, and mean.

What must go up, must come down. 

Aha! I am getting close now. I'm seeing signs for my final destination, mount Jirisan. It's close, I should be seeing it along my way to Guyre. Interesting too to notice the same Kanji used in Korea for mountain, 山.

Along another climb through the wooded hills, I stopped off to wipe the sweat from my helmet and take in some water. What I wasn't expecting, what happened is, an elderly woman sprang from her little shop, the only thing open at the top of the crest, walking over to me with a smile. 

Moon mentioned to me in Busan that you can find the younger generation speaking English, but little chance with the older. That had to be the case here. But, the woman and I talked anyways with our hands as much as our mouths. Then she disappeared without saying goodbye. Nice enough lady though.

So I strapped on my helmet, stretched my fingers and checked my breaks in preparation for another 14% descent. Both feet on the bike, I could only manage one stroke before a yell from behind grabbed my attention. The old woman had appeared with cookie snacks  and some ice with water. How perfect =)

I tried to pay here, but she wouldn't take my money. So, we compromised and I bought a cup of coffee from her to go with the cookies - all of which where devoured on the spot. And what I noticed from sitting at her table outside the shop, that she's a cycling fan! Or, at least, her attention was devoted to the Tour on TV.

Do you this man? Points if you do. I guess he's been hiding out in small town South Korea and giving secret art lessons on the down-low.

Right. So, lunch. I don't know any Korean after: hello, goodbye, thank you, and how much. Numbers 1-10 help, but are difficult to me for some reason. Anyways, this makes ordering very fun! It's like Russian roulette every time I go out to eat. Lucky for me, there's always unlimited side dishes to gobble up! 

Here is one of my favorites. I know Harmony would think it weird when I ate raw garlic in Thailand, but I love it. In Korea, it's one of my favorite sides. Peeled raw garlic with a spicy sauce. It's like dropping a lit cherry bomb into your system but it's so damn good at the same time =)

I have no idea what this soup is. Greens, a little salty, and lots of baby shell creatures at the bottom. Not bad, could be worse.

Today, much like yesterday, I'm lucky to be experiencing so much rural nature. This is what I came to see, it's what I was hopping for. The town of Guyre didn't look all that big on the map, and the scenery leading up to it sure didn't disappoint. 

This is a long stretch of river with sandy beaches that stretched out for the better part of it. No complaints, although I wish I could burn a day and camp out here.

Or, camp here =) I said before that the food situation really reminds me of Malaysia, and the plethora of available gazeboes is another similarity. Literally, you don't have to cycle too far to ever find an unoccupied place to rest, nap, tent.  

And, because it was just too perfect an opportunity, I seized the chance to stretch my legs on some treated wood among the birds, wind, and the sound of lazy water working its way down the river.

Small moments like this stick out more than any tourist attraction I could ever visit.

The view over the peer at the gazebo.

Look at this lake! Even if you are not a water spirit, you have to appreciate this. I had to stop on a two lane, no shoulder bridge for this photo, but it's so worth it.

Meet Joe (the teacher)! Wow, so much to say about Joe, I think even now a few days after meeting him, I'm still taking all the experience in.

Canadian, bike enthusiast, no stranger to touring, coffee lover, map lover, and an iron man competitor in training are all things which just only begin to chip away at this positive spirit.

Again, a first time WarmShower host in Korea, Joe was happy to share ideas and stories, and advice about all things concerning the trip West and beyond. I think we talked routes immediately, and never really stopped until we finally said goodbye, as it happens.

Joe also brought me up to speed on Gimbap which I had accident ordered by accident before. You could called this the poor man's sushi, and you'd be wrong. Not that it's inexpensive, only that it's not cheap in quality. A great snack, I am sure that gimbap will rest high on the traveling snack list because they're small, compact, package well, and come on all types - including kimchi!

There are certain assumptions that simply come with staying in a WarmShowers that you don't expect anywhere else. 

We know there is likely laundry to be done aside from a real warm shower, and a cyclist's appetite attached to the end of the day. We must have not even passed an hour or so after eating the gimbap before meeting up with some other international friends (some there just for a night or two as I am) for Vietnamese food in Korea.  

Of course, after the sabu-sabu, what are two Americans, a Canadian, Korean, and two Chinese to do on a Saturday night but keep drinking at the local bar? We also had a fair three more Europeans with us pictured in another photo that I may or may not post. 

Anyways, I really miss this sort of small setting and bar. One or two tables along the wall, but any good company worth their salt knows that you want a set at the bar to meet new folks. It's a move I hardly see in Japan, where people usually go in groups and only stick to their preordained circles. In any case, good times all around. 

Haha, and of course after many beers and soju, we karaoked. A hell of a night!

Well, my friend Chris loves to say that hindsight is always 20/20. He might have a good point here, as I somewhere forgot between the the rounds of beers and teaching/learning international drinking games that I had to go cycle the tallest mountain in the country the following day. In hindsight, I should have played the partying down a bit, or completely. But, on the other hand, I would be breaking a major personal montra, "be happy." 

Tomorrow the big (and steep!) day, rough starts be damned.

Love,

-A