Throwback.2 + Cycling in Jeollabuk-Do

In February I joined Il-Hoon and Professor Yoo on a two-day cycling trip in Jeollabuk-Do. We put our bikes on a bus and rode from Seoul to Buan. Once arriving in Buan and eating lunch, we biked from Buan to Kyeokpo. We ended up taking a dirt road through the mountains. Not a big deal, except that it was wet and overcast for the whole trip, which meant a lot of mud. At one point my bike was completely covered with mud, which for the first hour or so was fun, but quickly became really irritating. Upon arriving in Kyeokpo, we took a ferry to Wido (Wi Island), about an hour off the coast. As far as I know, Wido is a tourist trap but at this time it was almost deserted. The weather was overcast, which was a little disappointing but made for some cool photos. After riding around the island for a little while, that evening we crashed at a minbak, which is a kind of homestay for travelers, similar to a bed-and-breakfast in the West. We ate a delicious duck dinner. It was so good I still remember it two months after the fact.

I'm an amateur cyclist and this trip definitely pushed me to my limits, but ultimately it was a good experience. I remember doing a long, challenging ride with Il-Hoon and the professor about a year ago. That experience was actually a little traumatic for me. A lot of that trip involved me seething and the two of them laughing at me. However, when it was all over I missed the experience and longed to do it again; so this time around, I resolved not to grumble or complain. It was hard. The weather, while not freezing, remained a little colder than I would have liked. I wore heavy clothes, but the weather made it difficult to dry off. The slippery roads were a challenge as well. I really hate this kind of weather. I wanted so badly for the sun to come out. After arriving back in Buan, I was surprised to find out that overall we covered more than 100 kilometers. After getting back on the bus, we stopped off in Cheonju to visit a pastor friend of Professor Yoo's. It was a good night. Since then my cycling has improved significantly; I don't get tired as quickly as I used to. So I'm grateful for the opportunity, even though next time I may wait until spring.