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bike adventure #1 - Gangneung to Samcheok

While at work this past week, Erin and I have been discussing plans for this week-end. We finally decided we would head south to Samcheok to visit the city and the very popular limestone caves. Erin being super stocked that she finally bought a bike last week after being here 3 months, suggests we try and bike there instead of hoppin’ on a bus. I eagerly agreed.
We left Saturday morning at around 10 am both knowing we probably would never make it as far as Samcheok since it is 3 cities away from Gangneung. (You go from Gangneung, to Okgye, to Donghae and then finally Samcheok.) Since they are both coastal cities, we first headed to Gyenpo beach to begin our journey which is about a 20 minute bike ride from home. For a while we were able to ride along the coast, which had a captivating view of the Sea of Japan. (Gangneung being on the south east coast of korea). The day was super sunny, without really any wind, and the waves were massive. We were able to ride along the coast for a little while, through small towns, fisheries and harbours….it was very charming. Shortly after we left, we ran into Morven, a friend of ours who is from England. She informed us that we wouldn’t be able to make it to Samcheok riding along the coast because of Army blocks up ahead. That’s when Erin and I decided to head inwards, away from the coast and head west for a bit, trying to find our way through the city. Everything was very well indicated for us…already we could see sign directing us to Donghae so we were on the right track. The ride through all of Gangneung was mostly through the city, riding along the roads, sometimes major roads and sometimes highways. I really enjoy biking, but when I come face to face with inclines, that’s when I start going through some serious inner turmoil. I can understand now that endurance is definitely psychological. You can bike uphill for as long as you think you can. As soon as you make the decision in your head that you’re giving up and can no longer go on, that’s when your legs react and no longer can pedal that extra way. So….you get off your bike, and you continue by foot. I usually am pretty good at riding uphill. As long as I can see where the incline stops; I can push myself to the top. But at one point, we were making our way through the mountains, along winding never-ending roads and never-ending hills. You could never see the top of the hills because of the curves. I struggled my way up that mountain knowing I couldn’t give up now even if I wanted to because we were in the middle of nowhere. Regardless of what I’d decide to do…I’d still have to keep pedalling. (Oddly enough, there was a hotel situated randomly along this deserted road?? I’d definitely stay there, the area was beautiful, nothing but mountains everywhere you looked…but I’m not sure how many people actually drive through there) So, we kept going, had a snack under this massive bridge, got back on our bikes and kept riding. Well walking for a bit, having endured all we could for that time being. During our snack I remember looking up at the bridge and saying ‘I wanna be on top of that bridge to take a picture of the view’...then Erin and I looked at each other and gave a little laugh…because of how high it was…both knowing there was no way in hell we could get up there. Well, to our surprise after struggling up those hills through the mountain, we eventually found ourselves higher then that bridge, looking down at it. What kept me going was the thought ‘what goes up must come down’…and did it ever, the way back down that mountain was exhilarating…a real treat and a nice break. Our entire trip had a lot of never-ending ups and short downs, it was a real intense struggle. It’s really an incredible way to explore the country…you get to see everything riding your bike from one end to the next. Having taken the bus back, you really realise what you would have missed out on seeing since the bus took an entirely different route. Our entire trip was a lot of fun. We kept seeing signs for Donghae then Samcheok announcing how many dam kilometres we had left. To be completely honest, I never thought we would make it to Samcheok, especially after seeing a sign that said….37 kms to Samcheok…and we had already been riding all freakin’ day. Its funny what a person goes through mentally when riding a bike. It’s really pleasant when you’re riding on flat roads,so you’re mind is at ease…you’re enjoying the scenic view, the birds chirping and the sun shinning….but as soon as you start goin up, your mind and your mood instantly shift. Thankfully, same goes for when you finally get to the top, your mood switches right back to cheerful. And that’s exactly what keeps you going. Anyways, to make a long story short, 7 ½ hours later we made it to Samcheok, went out for dinner, hopped on a bus back to Gangneung. We were beat. Dead tired. But we felt good. Once in Gangneung, we didn’t even ride our bikes home. We locked them up and took a cab. That should give you a pretty good idea of how tired we were. Today I’m recovering.

Posted by synthesizer on 2008-04-20 02:35:37 | Rating: