When you are traveling by bicycle, people look at you in a different way. They probably think that you’re a bit crazy, that you’ve lost your mind or something like that. And they’re not completely wrong. It’s always funny to see how people are staring at you and your fully loaded bicycle when you pass in front of them. But this is what I like. I’m just not a simple tourist for them. And it changes all the relationship between me and the locals.
The 4 rivers trail is quite popular and it was built for cycle touring. I think locals are used to see foreigner people riding this trail in its entire part. This is why just only a few people stopped on the way to chat with me. But also, Korean are usually shy and they don’t do the first move. And the language doesn’t help too. As I’m not a big talker myself, I haven’t interacted with that much people during this trip. I mean, less than expected. Nevertheless, I’ve met nice people on the road. Like I said in the previous post, those people who gave me that massive lunch after these big climb, that was absolutely priceless. There was also that old lady motel owner who took care of my dripping clothes after a terrible rainy day, without any extra money. Or that old man who gave me some milk and a hard boiled egg while I was changing my flat Tyre. Those little encounters added something special to the trip. So yes, even if sometimes Korean people seem a bit cold, some of them are very kind and generous.
This was also not that easy to free camp on the way. I heard some people did it. But the nice spots are few. I probable camped 3 times in total: one time under a pagoda in a park, one time under a bridge and another time in a kind of park under a shelter. No one came to kick me out so I guess it’s allowed. The other times, I slept in proper accomodation: hostel, motel or guest house…because I had no choice, caught under the rain or wanted a bit of comfort. Well, I would say that accomodation in Korea in general is not that cheap but pretty clean and it does the job.
Did I say something about Korean food? Less famous than Japanese for example, this is probably as good as it. Korean BBQ, Korean Fried Chicken, Bibimbap and others delicious meal that I forgot the names are what I ate along the way. Instant noodles saved my life a couple of time and meals ready to go from convenience store were my friend during this time. Yeah I didn’t cook at all. It was quite different from the trip in Australia where I ate a lot of cans, breads and pasta. At least, I didn’t have to carry a lot food, which is good for my bike already too heavy…But yeah, as usual, food is a big part of my trip…I can’t stop thinking about food when I’m riding! It’s getting obsessional!
To sum up, this warm up in South Korea was a blast. I didn’t expect such beautiful landscapes. The trail is well built. I had a few hard times because of the rain, the heat and to much flat tyres. But I survived. I’ve met old friends and spent nice moment in their companies. The food was incredible and the people I’ve met on my way were very kind to me. South Korea definitely deserves more spotlights. I think it’s gonna be a fancier destination in the future, specially for cyclists. I will be back, for sure!!
thepenguinescapeplan 