Life in Korea – Page 61

Road Trip! (Day Twelve/Thirteen ~ Donghae ~ Geojin ~ Daejeon)

By Newfie | August 31, 2009 | Comments 1 comment

I’m excited as I get up. I’m going to the DMZ today. My plan is to drive my bike as far north as I’m allowed to go, then to turn around and drive back to Daejeon. I spend some time studying my map to figure out the way home. Once I settle on my route, I write down the important cities and highways I’ll be using in order on the corner of the map. In what feels like no time I’m back on the road and headed north. As I pass by Yangyang I find a tourist information center and stock up on pamphlets and maps for the region.

As I read my latest batch of tourist literature, I discover my destination. The furthest north I can go is the unification observatory, Cheonmangdae. I’m still a few hours away, but I figure I’ll get there by about one o’clock. At the other DMZ site I was struck by the change in the personality of the landscape, the sudden appearance of barbed wire was a stark reminder of the war that split the two Koreas. However, as I approach Cheonmangdae the shift in my surroundings is much more subtle. I don’t notice much barbed wire but I’ve been seeing more military vehicles as I go further north. Finally I pass through Geojin and come to the parking lot for the observatory. I stop in to check it out. It turns out I have to buy a ticket here to pass through the military checkpoint that’s on the way. Once my turn is up, the girl at the ticket counter asks me if I have a car. I tell her I have a motorbike and she says I can’t go. I also can’t walk up there either, go on four wheels or go home.

I was pretty upset by the news, I figured I wasn’t going to reach the observatory at all, but once again I get lucky. The ticket girl arranged for me to see the observatory with a Korean couple. That two people would take a stranger along for part of the afternoon during their time together was really touching. They were gracious hosts and treated me very well. We drove up to the checkpoint where the guards collected our tickets, and a few minutes later we reached the observatory. The observatory itself is actually a small site when compared to the more famous DMZ Panmunjeom tour. However it does have a beautiful view of North Korea.

There’s also a war Museum, a few restaurants and gift shops here where you can buy North Korean products like toys and jewelry, or North Korean wine or soju. Just outside the observatory there are some statues. In particular, I liked the large Buddha sculpture.

As we walk around the site, the couple speaks to me in Korean. I’m surprised by how well I’ve been able to speak with people. My communication has definitely improved with practice since the trip began. I take some pictures of them together against the North Korean scenery, they’re kind enough to take some shots of me as well. On the way back to their car, we all play ‘gawi bawi bok’; rock paper scissors. We’ve each taken a twig and we pluck a leaf each time we win. I’m the first to remove all my leaves. As the champ, my prize is delivering a hard forearm slap with my first two fingers. I’ve seen my students play like this a bunch of times.

The couple drive me back to parking lot and we part ways. I drive my bike back to the military checkpoint. I can go no further. It’s time to head home.

My plan is to head towards Imje by riding the road north of Seoraksan National Park. I’m making good time and the scenery here among the Taebaek Mountains is really beautiful. The winding roads are fun to navigate. Around five in the afternoon, I stop by a convenience store to buy a snack. I haven’t eaten much today, and now I’m really hungry. The store owners don’t have any food for sale but they give me two corn on the cobs to go with the coffee I bought. We chat as I devour my meal. They’re quite curious about me and my motorbike. They tell me it’ll take about another hour until I reach Imje.

About 20 minutes later I’m surprised to find by a large waterfall next to the road that inexplicably juts out of a peak. I never noticed the name of this falls but it was certainly unique.

I continue towards Imje, which is famous for its whitewater rafting. I’d love to spend some time on the rivers here, but it won’t be possible on this trip. I still stopped at a local tourist information office to pick up pamphlets and brochures about the region. I sense I’ll be coming back here some day.

After Imje, I’m on the road all the way to Icheon. It’s dark by the time I arrive, so I have to start looking around for a cheap place to sleep. Within twenty minutes I’ve found yet another jimjjilbang. The jimjjilbang is a budget traveller’s dream. You may wind up sleeping on the floor but the showers, baths, automated massage chairs, and a clean change of clothes more than compensate for that inconvenience. It’s a bargain at 8,000 won (~$7 cad).

I’m up early, home is only a few hours away now. It rained over night so my bike is a little wet. I wipe down the seat with my towel and I head home. Three hours later, and I’m inside Daejeon city limits. Once again I’m riding down familiar streets. It takes another half hour to reach my apartment. My usual parking spot is overrun with pedal bikes, but that’s no problem. I just move them around a bit. The space is plenty big enough to accommodate everyone. I walk into my building and stand in front of my door for a few moments. I’m happy to be home.