Ride the 4 Rivers Cross-Country Cycling Road Tour

Bike path along the North Han River

If you happen to be a cyclist in Korea, you may have already realized that you've hit the jackpot. Without much fanfare, Korea has been developing its bike paths over the past few years, particularly through the 4 rivers project, and it is now possible to ride on beautiful bike paths around the country. It's the perfect way to take in Korea's beautiful scenery without having to deal with tour companies, traffic on highways, or overwhelming numbers of tourists at the top destinations around the country.

 

Free bike rental at Yangsu Station on the Jungang Line

If the power compels you, you can start in Incheon at the Ara sea lock and ride all the way down to Busan, a total of 633km. But, for those who aren't ready for a week or more of intense bike riding, anyone can take advantage, either by taking your own bike for a day trip or by renting bikes at many free bike rental stations. To rent a bike, just be sure to bring proper identification!

Bike path signage near Yangpyong Station

While on the paths, you'll discover that they are, for the most part, very well maintained with plenty of signage, often in both English and Korean so you will hopefully never get lost!

Being able to read Korean will help at times though...

A steep hill before Ipobo

The terrain differs from trail to trail, but as most of the trails follow the rivers closely,  you'll find that it rarely gets difficult. Occasionally, the paths must stray off the rivers and that's when you might find yourself on a steep hill or following a road with car traffic. As you can see above, though, they tend to be country roads with few cars, though.

Train tunnel turned bike tunnel

Another neat feature of certain trails is how they have been converted from their original uses. Several trails were once train routes. It was pretty ingenious of them to convert these old tracks into bike paths. The flat land was already there, and so were the tunnels! It can be really refreshing to pass through one of these cool (both temperature- and interest-wise) tunnels when biking through the hot summer heat!

'Certification Center' sign indicating you can stamp your passport soon!

For those who are interested in biking a lot, the most rewarding way to do it is to buy yourself a 'passport' to the 4 Rivers Cross-Country Cycling Road Tour. As you ride along the paths, you will occasionally pass signs that look like the one above. These indicate that a 'certification point' is coming up soon. A 'certification Center' is where, if you have a 'passport' you can stamp your passport to show your biking achievements.

In line to stamp a 'passport'

Certification centers look like this. They are kind of reminiscent of the British red telephone boxes. They're usually hard to miss, but if you don't know it's coming up (like if you miss the sign) you could miss it, so be sure to keep your eyes open! Inside you'll find a stamp and ink pad. Be sure to mark the right spot!

Inside the certification center

Passports can be purchased at many places around the 4 rivers cycling paths. Many bike cafes and repair shops sell them, plus some official certification centers.

 

My first stamp! Neungnae Station

Where to start? Anywhere! If you are living in Seoul, then the Han River would be an ideal place to go. Beginners to long distance biking may like to just start biking the length of the Han River in Seoul, or maybe going to the end of the Ara Canal in Incheon. However, as these paths crisscross the country, and many towns and cities have their own bike paths which are not affiliated with the 4 rivers project, there is no excuse not to give biking in Korea a try!

For more information, check out the following links:

4 Rivers Guide- Official English version of the guide to the 4 Rivers of Korea. Information on biking, camping, walking and more is available.

CNN Go: The US Ambassador's Guide to Biking around Korea- Yes, the US ambassador herself is even taking advantage of the amazing biking around Korea!

Discovering Korea: Cruising the Hangang on a Bicycle- Loads of info on biking in Seoul, including bike rentals.

Bike trip: Bukhangang Bike Path (70km)

New bike paths just seem to be springing out of thin air these days. The Korean government is putting a lot of money into developing them, and, as they say... "If you build it, they will come." In a country this small with this many people, there will always be someone to take up on any new endeavor. Our first major bike ride of the spring was the Bukhangang Bike Path, which starts between Ungilsan Station and Yangsu Station on the Jungang Line, east of Seoul and ends in Chuncheon. The path is listed in the 4 Rivers Cross-Country Cycling Passport, which I will also write about soon.

This path for the most part is pretty easy. There are almost no large hills, just small rolling hills and flat riverside biking (see above). When the bike paths do meet roads (see below), cars and bikes are totally separated.

If you do have the passport, you can get your stamps in the red houses along the way which look like this. Kind of like a red telephone booth from England. Collecting stamps sounds a little cheesy until you start, but now my friends and I are total stamp collecting addicts. It's really addicting to show off your accomplishments in a nice little book.

We opted for the 'short cut' into Chuncheon. I kind of regret it now because the bike path ended early and we were stuck on streets and sidewalks clearly not meant for bikes. But, we did get to ride along side a tunnel that looked like this!

Our reward at the end of it all was Chuncheon Dalkgalbi! Chuncheon's most famous food!

We only hung about long enough to eat our dalkgalbi before we made our way home. This was a photo of how the last subway car (only the first and last subway cars are technically for bike riders) looked when we got on. By the time we got off, the number of bikes had doubled or trippled along the way picking up more cyclists at each station. It's great to see so many people enjoying the fresh air and great outdoors in Korea! Just beware of riding the subway with so many bikes, it can be hazardous!

Start: Ungilsan Station 운길산역 or Yangsu Station 양수역 on the Jungang Line (Yongmun train)
End: Chuncheon City (Chuncheon Station) on the Gyeongchun Line.
Other possible ending points: Gapyeong Station on the Gyeongchun Line.

Have patience...

So many things to blog about, but no time to do it. There will be blog posts, and lots of them. But just wait a little longer........

A hike to Sujong Temple 수종사

Since Buddha's Birthday is just around the corner, on May 17th, we thought it would only be fitting to take a trip up to Sujong Temple/ 수종사. We've been wanting to go here for a while. We see it every time we drive home from Yangsuri, as it's sitting high up on the side of 운길산 (Ungilsan mountain) overlooking the junction of the north and south Han rivers.

To get up to the top, there are several options. There is a road, and many chose to drive up, however hiking may be more rewarding. Small hiking paths zig-zag all over the mountain and they often cross back to the road. We hiked up a combination of both road and hiking paths.

Finally, after about 45 minutes of hiking, we caught our first glimpse of the temple from afar.

Another 10 minutes of hiking up we finally got to the temple. As with most temples at this time of year, the path was decorated with lanterns for Buddha's Birthday.

The temple is most renown for it's view looking over Yangsuri, however with the hazy skies yesterday it was hard to make out much below.

However, despite being famous for the view, it also has an impressive legend to go along with it as well. In 1458, King Sejo was passing through Yangsuri and stayed there overnight. During the night, he heard the sound of a bell, but upon asking the villagers in the morning where the bell sound came from they said it could not have come from the village. Perhaps, though, it could have come from an abandoned temple on Ungilsan, they told him. He sent his men to investigate and they came across a cave filled with Buddhist sculptures... and water dropping that made a bell-like sound. After this, the temple was born with the name 수종사 (水鐘寺) or 'Water Bell Temple'. 

 水- 수/Su/Water

 鐘- 종/Jong/Bell 

寺- 사/Sa/ Temple

It's quite easy to get here from Seoul. Take the Jungang Line to Ungilsan station (50 mins from Wangsimni Station). Come out of exit 1, turn left and take the first street to the right. Follow the street and you will eventually come to signs pointing to the hiking trails to the temple. It's approximately 1 hour hiking to the temple and you can walk up the road or the hiking trails, whichever is more comfortable for you.

An end in sight, announcements, life changes etc.

Well, as you may have noticed, blog posts have decreased significantly in the past year, and maybe some of you have realized that's mostly due to graduate school. While working full time here in Korea I'm also taking classes part time online through St. Michael's College in Vermont. I have just 5 more weeks of online classes and then I will go back to the states to complete my final semester in person, on campus (like last summer). Then I will officially have an MA TESOL.

My job here at YBM SiSa will be ending at the end of this month which is rather bittersweet for me. In some ways I really love this job, especially for the students. It's the most satisfaction I've gotten out of any job in Korea.. sometimes I hardly feel like I'm working, just chatting with friends (and pointing out some grammar mistakes while we do it). That's the great thing about teaching adults here in Korea, I guess. Perhaps once I finish my contract I'll write up a proper review for the school as I have with my past jobs.

That's not all.

Those of my readers who are also friends with me on facebook will already know, but I am engaged and getting married this coming September. We're having the wedding here in Korea and we'll have a traditional Korean wedding. We've already gone hanbok shopping (posts to come later) and we're still debating what to do about photography. Several people from home will be coming into town, including my mom and my best friend from college. I just hope I can have a ceremony at home in the States sooner rather than later so I can celebrate with the rest of the people I care about from home.

While we haven't booked any tickets yet, we've pretty much decided to take our honeymoon in Western China, in Yunnan province. When I tell Koreans this, they shake their heads because they can't understand, but Chinese people's eyes light up and tell me it's an excellent decision, so I think I'll trust the Chinese on this one. More motivation for me to go to China is the fact that I've now been studying Chinese since October. My Chinese still sucks from lack of practice combined with terrible grammar-translation teaching methods used at both hagwons I tried attending. I'm hoping if I still have money in my bank account after a summer at home and hanging out with guests from home in Seoul for the wedding, that I will be able to stay in China for a little longer after my future husband has to go back to work... considering that I won't have any job to go back to. If anyone knows of a good language school in China (any city) where the majority of students are not English speakers, let me know. Making Chinese and Japanese friends is how I learned Korean... perhaps making Japanese friends and Korean friends can help me learn Chinese.

Finally, I'm hoping to find a university job in Seoul starting next March. If anyone hears of any job openings or has any tips for finding decent uni jobs, please let me know!

전대감댁 Jeon Daekam Daek

 

Today I met one of the staff members from KOCIS, the makers of The Korea Blog for lunch. She brought me to a really cute restaurant on the Sejong Village Food Culture Street (세종마을 음식문화 거리) near Gyeongbukgung Station. 

 
전대감댁 is the name of the restaurant 전 (Jeon) is a family name, 대감 (Daekam) a word meaning a high ranking official from ancient times and 댁 (deak) is the honorific form of house (집). So, this could be called Mr. Jeon's House in English.

The food was very nice and light. I didn't have that heavy uncomfortable feeling in my stomach I often have after eating a typical Korean restaurant meal. We just ordered two dishes, 'today's special' which was a beef and radish soup and a grilled pork dish with cabbage. It was just the right amount of food for two people.

However, the thing I liked most here was the ambiance. Water fountains gurgling, fish swimming around lilypads and even an eating area open to the sky above (I guess it was covered by glass).  Food and drinks served on really beautiful ceramic plates, bowls and cups.

If you happen to be in the area,  be sure to stop by. Great for lunch, however, it seems to be most popular in the evening for its 전 or Korean pancakes.

전대감댁/ Jeon Daekam Daek

070-4202-5170

서울 종로구 체부동 184

Chebudong 184, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Chinese food and the Multicultural Food Street of Ansan

Entry to the Multicultural Food Street (다문화음식거리) in Ansan

If you happen to be sick of your typical jjajangmyeon and tangsuyuk (Korean style Chinese food) and are looking for some more authentic Chinese food, the Multicultural Food Street in Ansan, Gyeonggi-do is a safe bet. While not particularly close to Seoul, (takes 1hr and 15 mins from Dongdaemun station on line 4), it's a great day trip and definitely worth the time it takes to get there. And if you live in the area, then you have no excuse not to go down here and check it out!

While Chinese food is not the only 'multicultural food' on this street, I would say it makes up a large portion of the restaurants. However, keep your eyes open for Thai, Vietnamese, Russian, Indian, Nepali, and Middle Eastern restaurants as well. While the 'multicultural street' is a good starting point, the whole area sports countless restaurants serving up international cuisine along with stores to pick up ingredients if you prefer cooking things at home.

How can a street such as this, exist out in the middle of the 'suburbs' of Seoul, you ask? This neighborhood has developed thanks to the booming migrant worker population in the area. People come from around the world, particularly from Asia, to work in Korea's factories. Naturally, as people come from other countries, they bring their food and culture along with them. 

While prices here might be higher than actually eating in China or Southeast Asia, prices here for food are quite reasonable. Cakes and snacks are abound, tantalizing the passerby with their exotic allure. The moon cakes pictured below were just 1,000 won each as was a huge slice of the bread above. In fact, the biggest problem you may have is reading the menu as they often don't have any Korean explaination, never mind English. I think the sign of a truly authentic restaurant geared towards natives is when they don't even bother to translate the menu. However, as long as your Korean skills are passable, everyone I came across spoke fluent Korean, so you will still be able to ask what dishes and foods are.

 月饼 (yue bing) Moon cakes, 1,000 each

We came here with the intent of eating Chinese food, but while I've been studying Chinese for 8 months now, I'm still not able to read menus or ask what things are in Chinese (or at least not able to understand the answer), so we wondered around for a good while trying to settle on a restaurant based on very little information. Finally, we passed one restaurant with some people inside and peered in to check it out. There was no menu on the wall, but we saw people eating things out of pots, so we decided to wonder in and check out what it was all about.

 麻辣香锅 （ma la xiang guo) 

It turns out that there was no menu because there was only one thing on the menu:  麻辣香锅 （ma la xiang guo), a Sichuan dish. Of course, at the time, I had no idea what that was, but upon asking my Chinese conversation partner, 'ma la' means 'spicy', actually a particular kind of spice which comes from some small seed like things in the dish, 'xiang' which means 'delicious' and 'guo' means pot. So, litterally translated, this would be a 'spicy, delicious pot'. I like spicy and delicious things, so it was perfect for me. 

Choose your own meat and veggies

Ordering wasn't hard, albeit, not what I expected. Were brought up to a salad and meat bar and given two pots. We were instructed to fill one with all the veggies we wanted to eat, and one with all the meat we wanted to eat. They asked us how spicy we wanted, and I told them medium. Then we handed over our pots to the staff who weighed them to figure out the price and then cooked them up.

Upon describing this dish to other westerners, I got the immediate response, "Ah, so you had Mongolian Grill!". I didn't know what Mongolian grill was, but after some research I found that 蒙古烤肉 Měnggǔ kǎoròu, Otherwise known as 'Mongolian grill' is in fact, not Mongolian at all, but a Taiwanese invention that gained popularity and spread to the west. The idea for ma la xiang guo is similar, but you don't get to choose your sauce. And boy was I glad I went with medium and not spicy, because my mouth was on fire throughout the meal. I think even ordering this dish in its mild form would have been sufficient on the spiciness for me.

The finished product!

Not long after, a pot filled with goodness was brought to our table. We may have been a little excessive when choosing our ingredients... everything looked so good, it was hard to say control ourselves.

Needless to say, the two of us left the restaurant bursting at the seems....

In short, if you happen to be craving foreign food, or missing China, Ansan is definitely the place to be.

The Multicultural Food Street (다문화 음식거리) Is located directly in front of Ansan Station. From the main gate of Ansan Station, cross the street through the underground passage, and when you come up, take the stairs on your left. The Multicultural Food Street will be on your left. Don't just stick to the main drag, many restaurants are located on side streets or past the end of the street.