Monday, March 29, 2010

Day 7 29/3/10 - Seoul (Goyang City) to Toechon – 75km (Total 75km)

The Surlys have been itching to get their racks on the road. We’ve kept them waiting 6 long days and today their fresh treads finally graced the asphalt roads of South Korea and took us all the way to Motel Fuzz 69.

Following another hearty Korean breakfast with our amazing hosts over the last 3 nights, (Will and Jully) we battled our way through the Greater North Western suburbs of Korea for 15km. South Koreans drive (and ride) on the right and it takes some getting used to. We soon hit a tributary of the Han River, the grand body of water which divides Seoul, and thanks to some brilliant town planning we land upon some the many kilometers of big juicy bike tracks which line the rivers of Seoul.

Riding the folding bike which took him across Australia and NZ, Will lead us from his house to the Han river and then for a further 20km. He has truly been our training wheels in Seoul, educating us in the ways of Korean culture and food as well as limit screws. We followed the bike path along the Han and through Seoul, before it and the track ended at the Padang Dam some 45km later. We agreed that we’re unlikely to meet such flat, uninterrupted paths and with a tail wind during the rest of our trip.

We are also unlikely to meet such a dense population of bike savvy and geared up people. We passed hundreds of cyclists riding high-end hard-tail MTB and road bikes clad in fancy bike attire. Each time we stopped we would be met with a flurry of bike compliments, and iphone photographs. Our street cred is at all time highs.

After leaving the bike path we rolled along road 45 for a further 12km before taking the turnoff on road 88 towards Toechon. Despite some narrow sections of verge and a slight tumble (Ali), we arrived safely at our abode for the night - Motel Fuzz 69.

A ‘Love Motel’ is a regular shady establishment found in most South Korean towns, both for clandestine couples and legitimate ones who continue to live with their parents. The driveway is half covered by large drapes so as to hide the identity of occupants whilst in their cars. The façade is bland. The interior is, in two words: red-light. However, owing to its regular turnover of wealthy male clientele, it’s well kept, spacious and luxurious. Staying one hour is reasonably priced….staying one night is cheap.

And yes, we know how it sounds, but this Love Motel is actually quite lovely. An accommodating concierge, a spacious bathroom to hang our freshly washed cycling clothes, and a spot for the Surlys to snuggle up together out back. Alone together at last…

Day 1 – 6: (23-28/3/10) Seoul - 0km

Well, we could tell you about temples and palaces, shopping (for camera tripods) and parks. But the highlights of our time in Seoul were the accommodating folks who welcomed us into their homes and got us started on our trip around this country.

The Couch Surfing site, through which people with a spare ‘couch’ (or floor space, and a willingness to share it) offer to host likeminded travelers, led us to Aimee, who brokered our way into Korean culture. She is a freewheeling American who has been in Seoul for a year teaching English, studying to be a yoga teacher and gardening at the local communal plot. She taught us etiquette, led us to bars and introduced us to the delicious snacks (spring onion pancakes ..mmm) that accompany drinks such as dong dong ju (fermented rice spirit).

Through Warmshowers, a site designed for cycle tourists with such eponymous needs, we met Will and Jully, who worked us in another layer deeper into Korea. They welcomed us into their warm abode, provided home cooked meals that we have been trying to emulate ever since and took us hiking in Bukhansan National Park. They also answered with patience our endless questions about Korean language and culture.

These two are an incredible adventurous couple who humble us in their bike touring achievements. They have not only cycled from Cairns to Sydney on folding bikes with trailers, but also have done 12,000km in Africa, at one very remote stage eating only potatoes as they searched for the next town with supplies. Will is in the final stages of writing a book about their journey, and we eagerly await the translation into English.

Now in the olden days, pre-internet, when I last did a year of travelling, these networks were much more hidden if they existed at all. Perhaps a few days of hanging around in a city, asking lots of questions and you might be lucky enough to find a local or expat to welcome you in. It is very suitable, in this country of net-addicts and ubiquitous unsecured wireless networks, that we should now use online networking to find our feet here. The benefit that we have gained from staying with these two people seems to far outweigh that which we can offer them. But our hosts both alluded to the fact that they have stayed with people in other countries and in a way, this is their way of paying it back… or forward…



Sights of Seoul


Wednesday, March 24, 2010

A Surly beginning

20kg of bikes and boxes, each
18kg of checked-in luggage, each
8kg on-board pannier, each
One flute
One violin

5kg worth of excess baggage charges

Andrew and Ali 1, Korean Air 0

We've spent the last two nights with our superb couch-surfing host, Aimee and begun to sample some of what Seoul has to offer. However, yesterday was dedicated to our Surlys as we bolted, allen-keyed and spannered our steads back together. With the exception of some loosened front derailer cables all was intact. (For those unaware, the brand of our bike is Surly)

Stay tuned for 'Bike Perils 01 - Yellow Dust'

Saturday, March 20, 2010

It's going to be a bit chilly

It's been an extreme Mongolian Winter. The Guardian is calling it one of the worst in 30 years. Perfect weather for a little jaunt on a couple of bikes...right?



http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/picture/2010/mar/14/mongolia-natural-disasters