Today, we set out from the lush green moo fields on the outskirts of Bitgaram. After Jiwon cradled some giant radishes for a while, we frolicked around the dusty side roads before stepping off the edge of the town in a Truman Show-esque fashion. With the blue sky overhead, we took our first bus and hopped off in the fascinating Phoenix town of Bonghwang. We grabbed a couple of classic banana milk kegs from the exuberant convenience store owner and took a sip atop a lovely hillside pavilion. Having grabbed a monstrous branch, I honored Her Lady Manim Jiwon and we sauntered through the crunchy leaves to a heavenly clearing and immaculate tomb site beyond.
Back in the town, we observed the plum flower and bojagi (Korean textile) murals and Jiwon offered a rather raspy, local rendition of the many uplifting phrases scattered across the walls. At the rear of the town, we were awestruck by a stunning mural that throws shade on foreign imports and offers an impassioned plea to protect the local business left in the area. Plastered above the now dilapidated door frames, we could make out the remnants of signs promoting the old Saemaul Undong movement, an initiative that mobilized the energies of villagers and gave birth to the Korea we know today. We also noticed a handmade sign that read, “I’ve had enough. I’m not thinking about what happens afterwards.” Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the hard work and toil of the people of Bonghwang enabled the quality of life that Korean city slickers enjoy today. For those willing to feel it, a sense of loss and struggle emanates from the cracked walls of Bonghwang
Passing yet another mural of a particularly sassy cow, we visited a restaurant known for its deep and delicious chueo-tang (eel soup.) With fried fish bones, silk worms and wildly fermented kimchi on the side, you could say that this meal added an extra few days to our young lives. A world apart from the chain model of dining that has taken over the cities, nothing quite beats a fresh and hearty countryside meal. Loaded up with, and now resembling a couple of eels, we took the second bus and got off close to the banks of the Yongsanpo River.
Passing Juliet of Naju’s window and a closed down 1930s style Japanese tea house, we walked up a staircase etched into the hillside and happened upon the most startling sight of a fortune teller’s gutted home. We slipped our masks on to protect ourselves from the mold and waded through the standing water to see a shell of a kitchen and briquettes on the floor that the previous owner used to keep warm. There was also a monk’s robe hanging up, a suitcase in the bedroom and a glass full of paper cranes that imbibed the wishes of those who once passed by.
Along the yellow brick road, we entered into a nautically-themed model village, took in the preposterous odors of Hongeohoe (Fermented Skate Street) and put on our life jackets for a sail along the river. After some old school anthems and mountainside cliffs galore, we caught the final bus and exited off on a random roadside close to Dado Village.
We stumbled through the pampas grass and stopped off to chat with a group of vivacious grandmas as they concluded their nightly gettogether. Naturally, I complimented their sensationally-colored pants and received a squishy bag of sweet potatoes in return. We accompanied one of the women back to her home and at the age of 86, her vigor was truly inspiring. While many of the residents have now passed and their homes remain empty, these amazing women continue to go strong and live out their days with a true spring in their steps!
With darkness setting in, we arrived in Dado as the nightly loudspeaker announcement caught me off guard. We also dropped by an unlikely restaurant for a sizzling dolsot (hot stone) bibimbap. The owner was very friendly and only too happy to share with us tidbits of her Chinese heritage and life back in Harbin as an ethic Korean.
This was only our second trip, but clearly these three rides are adding so much color to our lives. We experienced a side of Korean life that once seemed invisible in the urban sprawl and had the privilege of hearing the stories of the most kind and eclectic of people. What more could one ask for in life?
We hope you enjoyed the ride too and look forward to seeing you on the next adventure!