My Korean journey...
When asked if she ‘fancied cycling in South Korea’, Anna Maria Espsäter’s initial thought was ‘what a crazy idea’ - but she’s not one to turn down a potential adventure
I Me in the saddle
Buddha’s birthday inside Jogyesa Temple
f your clients are looking for an active holiday in an unusual location and the opportunity to combine the great outdoors with fascinating cities, South Korea is an excellent option. Cycling is taking off across the country, after the recent opening of almost 1,000 miles of cycle paths along four main rivers.
Seoul Sights Upon arrival in the capital, Seoul,
I had a chance to recover from the
night fl ight before being introduced to my new companion – a sturdy, bright-red bike. After a short test ride, during which I managed to fall
off once as well as roll into a (fortunately stationary) coach, my guide Mr Park deemed it best to continue the day’s excursion on foot – much to my relief. Let’s just say my cycling skills were somewhat
rusty and Seoul is ever so slightly different from rural Sweden, where I fi rst learnt the art of pedalling. The South Korean capital is a wonderful mix
of interesting architectures, with old and new jostling for space in this mega-metropolis. Myeongdong, the mostly pedestrianised area and where
my hotel was situated, is one of the best areas to stay. My afternoon of sightseeing with Mr Park began at the extraordinary Gyeongbok-gung Palace, a complex with some 50 buildings, originally dating back to the 14th century, when this city within the city was home to 250 structures. We also managed to squeeze in a stop at Jogyesa temple, which was decked out with multi-coloured lanterns in honour of Buddha’s birthday. Then it was time for dinner and an early night.
On your bikes Seoul is traversed
by the Han River and the riverside is
blessed with excellent cycle paths. They are, however, somewhat busy and having watched with mounting horror as I struggled with gears and breaks the day before, Mr Park decided we should start our cycling adventure some 20 km outside the city centre. We set off in blazing sunshine from the tiny village
of Changmoru, heading for the northern shore of the Han River. Things felt ‘a bit wobbly’ at fi rst, but it wasn’t long before everything started to fall into place – it was, in fact, just like riding a bike.
“After Chuncheon the cycle paths peter out, and the
biking is on roads the rest of the way up north”
The cycle paths were in very good condition and with few cyclists. The weather was perfect and fl uffy cherry blossoms lined the paths, adding to the already lovely river views. The morning’s cycling was sheer bliss, as we continued north to where the Han divides into North and South Han. Taking the northern branch we reached the city of Chuncheon for lunch. Food is one of the absolute delights when visiting Korea and my fi rst post-cycle lunch certainly did not disappoint. Chuncheon is famed for several tasty dishes and we
stuffed ourselves silly on buckwheat noodles and a chicken ‘barbeque’ dish, cooked on a hotplate at our table, not to mention all the banchan (delicious side dishes).
Way up north Our fi nal destination that day was the intriguingly named
Punch Bowl, less than 10 km from North Korea and the site of one of the Korean War’s hardest-fought battles. American soldiers named it Punch Bowl – seen
from above, this crater-like valley looks just like one. The distance we’d travelled in a day can be covered in three days by bike, but I was exceedingly grateful for the accompanying minibus ‘helping us out’ after lunch, especially since South Korean territory is 70% mountainous and after Chuncheon the cycle paths peter out, turning into road biking the rest of the way up north.
44 September 2013
www.sellinglonghaul.com
My Magical Moments Arriving in Chuncheon after a good fi rst morning’s
cycling and getting to watch the formidable restaurant matron at our lunchtime stop prepare the dak galbi chicken dish at our table. She stirred, added hot sauces and created a delicious taste experience before our very eyes.
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