Vagabonding in the Rain- Namhae!

It's a rainy Friday afternoon in Seoul and there is nothing but rain, rain and more rain in the weather forecast all weekend long. The choice was simple- I'm heading down to Namhae rain or shine as I was sparked by a TV documentary highlighting this island on Korea's south shores I had seen several weeks before. Taking my bicycle along was a last minute decision but I'm glad I decided to take it along as public transportation is not very frequent on this laid back island. Indeed Namhae provided a much different face of Korea I have never seen before.



Riding through Namhae's "Green Village" (녹색 마을)







Hiking up 금산 in the pouring rain.



Taking a break after hiking in the rain.

I was lucky to have found some of the nicest minbak owners ever- they cooked me a full breakfast in the morning and took me out to dinner in the evening and refused my money when I tried to give them some extra cash for their generousity. They thought I was completely out of my mind for riding my bike all day in the rain. "Korean people don't usually travel in the rain," they said when I showed up on their doorstep soaking wet. I told them that American people also don't travel when it rains either, but I am just a very special person. I was lucky enough to even meet some of their friends, including an older retired "grandfather" who had lived in the states for around fifty years. He came back to Namhae and started an American Village along the island's shores. The American Village now gives Namhae an even more international feel as there is also a German Village on the island, made up mostly of retired people who enjoy Namhae's laid back atmosphere and beautiful scenery.

Overall, it was an unforgettable experience, even though much of the beautiful scenery I had seen on TV was nowhere to be seen as fog covered most of the ocean shore and mountain landscapes. I will have to return again soon to see the rest of Korea's "treasure island."



One of Namhae's many beaches



Korea's treasure island provides plenty of places to explore.

Freestyle Cycling Along the West Coast

It's Friday afternoon in Seoul and I decide to go for a bike ride along the Han River for a few hours to kickoff the weekend. However, as the Han River bike path ends and I can no longer travel any further I was thristy to go farther and see where I would end up. Then I thought to myself, "The West Sea sounds like a good destination, that's where I will go." I ask a local ajjeoshi how I can reach the Sea and he leads me to his town just outside of Incheon and points me to the road that will lead me in the right direction. He recommends I go to Gangwha-Do for the beautiful scenery and seafood.  So I head west at speeds I never knew were possible on a bicycle until I bought my new hybrid bike from my Vagabonds Korea partner Johnny. The scenery was incredible- the first time I have ever seen a red coastline. I took my time soaking it all in and then night fell before I knew it.

As I rode to a local bathhouse where I intended to spend the night for a mere 7,000 won I hear the dreadful sound of my tire deflating. "Not to worry, I have been in this situation many times before" I think to myself as I raise my thumb up high at oncoming traffic to see who will pick me up. All it took was five minutes before an elderly couple picked me up and loaded my bike onto the back of their truck. Hitchhiking is much easier in Korea than many people think and this wasn't the first time it got me out of a jam. Anyway, I was very relieved to find the place where I would spend the night and ate several servings of kim-chi-jji-gae before crashing for the night.

Now that I got a good night of sleep in me my next task was to resolve my tire situation. Upon explaining my experience the previous evening to the bathhouse owner that morning she called her friend who took me to the local bicycle store where I got my tire patched.  Now that all issues where resolved I decided to make my way back to Seoul along the Han River.  Luckily I met all the right people at the right time this time around. Good karma indeed!

Freestyle your own destiny because anything can happen. Especially in Korea!