Country Roads and Farmlets

South Korea Stage 8 – Mon 9th Nov 2015 – Sangju to Gumi (65 Km)

Weather: 8⁰C min – 14⁰C max, cloudy but fine
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” Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike” ~ John F. Kennedy

What a difference a day makes! In contrast to yesterday when I got a soaking, the 65 Km ride today from Sangju to Gumi was a simple pleasure (I agree with JFK).

Breakfast consisted of a sausage and egg muffin, with a hash brown and coffee from a Lotteria fast food store, all for the princely sum of 6,500 Won (about A$8). Not really the breakfast of champions, but at least it sustained me until got on the road and started munching Dr You muesli bars.

Next it was time for some maintenance, first on my bike and secondly on my head. Laying my bike down on the footpath, I cleaned the grit and brake-rubber from the rims using a couple of wet-one hand wipes and then some toilet paper from the hotel. The brake pads were in a real state after riding in the rain yesterday, so I removed them and gave them a light sand-papering. Having attended to my beloved bike, it was time for some repairs to my poor head which is looking pretty grotesque after bumping it so many times on those little hanok doors. I found what looked like a pharmacy and communicated my requirements to the pharmacist by simply pointing to the top of my battered head. He understood my charade immediately, selling me a packet of large sterile dressings.

Feeling like a new man with a new bike, I finally hit the track after 10 am. For the first 30 Km I followed a good, low traffic, tertiary road (Road # 619) which wound around through farmlands and persimmon orchards. The Korean persimmon (Gam) is very special and in prolific supply at this time of year, in fact judging by the fruit left rotting on the trees and on the ground, there seems to be a glut this year. The Gam is rich in Vitamins A and C as well as high in fibre. It is used as a remedy for stomach ailments and diarrhea, also lowers blood pressure and relieves coughing. What I haven’t worked out though is why the persimmons are threaded onto string or made into a lattice.

Nearly every farm house has a white dog, which I have found out is the Korean Jindo dog. It is a breed of hunting dog known to have originated on Jindo Island in South Korea. It is celebrated in South Korea for its fierce loyalty and brave nature, which explains why they bark a lot. Other animals I encountered today were cats, a deer bounding across the road, and cows that are already in barns to shelter from the winter chills.

There were lots of vegetable patches, mainly onions and cabbages. Something that appealed to my wicked sense of humour was the lady scarecrow wearing jeans that have dropped around her knees … that will scare the birds away!

After a climb of 288 metres I was hungry, so when I reached the enchanting town of Seonsan I stopped at a Mini Stop convenience store where I bought a couple of pieces of crumbed chicken, a Snickers bar, and a cup of Arabica coffee from a machine. A hundred metres further down the road I came across a take-away shop called Sydney Burger, then a little further on a coffee shop called Mom’s Touch.

What I enjoyed most today were all the charming little rustic houses that have that lived-in look about them, with surrounding sheds containing all kinds of interesting bric brac that has obviously been handed down from generation to generation.

Finally at about the 40 Km mark I joined the Nakdonggang Bicycle Path, which took me into the city of Gumi where I am staying at the comfortable and reasonably priced Metro Hotel. The beautiful yellow trees you will see along the path are the stinky Ginko trees, as I found out when I squashed one of the nuts and when my bike went for a slide on the slippery carpet of yellow leaves.

Now it is time to go and check out the town of Gumi and see if I can find something healthy to eat tonight; I have eaten enough rubbish today.

Ah that’s better! I stumbled upon a great little restaurant around the corner where I had a delicious plate of sweet and sour chicken, cut up for me at the table with a pair of scissors (the custom here). The menu given to me when I entered was only in Hanguel and there were no pictures of any of the dishes. However, I spotted a picture on the wall and said “I’ll have that please”.

Appetite now sated, I walked around the corner to check out the city centre and was blown away by the incredibly modern shopping centre, a blaze of neon, with all the right designer labels, all shops open at 9 pm, and with people strolling around everywhere. One could be forgiven for thinking that one is in Milan.