The travel-heaviest days would be Day 11 to Day 12.
We spent most of time on the road to Gangwon, a north-eastern province of South Korea. Specifically, we were headed towards the Mt. Seorak area, where we were to visit Sinheungsa temple. Enroute, we would visit a few other attractions in Gapyeong / Gyeonggi area. Later we were to overnight at Sokcho, a port town in the province.
The Garden of Morning Calm
Before the separation between North and South Korea, Korea was known as “the Land of the Morning Calm”, loosely translated from its old name “Chosun”.
The garden in Gyeonggi, sprawling over 30,000 m² (or 300,000 square meters, depending on which website you’re looking at 😆) and housing over 5,000 plant specious in 20 different themed sections, is aptly named “The Garden of Morning Calm”. It is located around 40 km from Seoul. It embodies the spirit of idyllic scene that “Morning Calm” is known for.
This trip would be the second time I visit the garden, and honestly, no regrets. I would love to visit it in other seasons.
The garden is beautifully landscaped, and it’s instaworthy everywhere. In June, the weather is slightly overcast, threatening to drizzle. The temperature is cool. June is when hydrangeas are blooming. There was a little exhibition of different coloured hydrangeas.
Definitely go see the millennium Juniper tree if you’re visiting the garden. Estimated to be 1,000 years old, the juniper is said to have watched over a village in Andong before it was transplanted in the garden.
Nami Island
Nami Island, of the Winter Sonata fame, is a small river island in Gyeonggi region. It is around 54.2 km away from Seoul, and 16.1 km away from the Garden of Morning Calm, so it’s really worth it to visit Nami Island since you’re already in the area.
Nami Island was not always an island. Historically, the island was a part of the mainland and was gradually separated over time due to the rising water levels of the Han River. Today, to go to the island, you can cross via zipline or on a very short ferry ride.
According to Korean folklore, General Nami was falsely accused of treason and executed. His body was thrown into the river, but his spirit remained on the island and continues to watch over and protect the people of Korea. There is a marker on the island indicating a shrine dedicated to General Nami.
The island has several paths through rows of trees, giving a sense of peace as you walk under the trees. There is also a small hotel, Hotel Jeonggwanru, if you’d like to experience staying there. It appears not to be convenient though, with a lot of the shops catering to tourist attraction kind of opening hours.
Something different that I experienced this round was wild rabbits! The last time I was at the island was in September. There were ostriches and squirrels then, but I didn’t see any other animals.
At the point of time, most of the shops on the island were closed. Thankfully there were snacks, so I tried authentic hottoek (a traditional Korean fried bun stuffed with bean paste) and hot citrus tea for the first time in my life.
Gangchon Rail Park
The Gangchon Rail Park is a converted old railway track with about 6 km of rail, which visitors can pedal on either on a 2-seater or 4-seater bike. The course weaves through the rural neighbourhoods and through a few experiential tunnels, with a part of the track running parallel to the Bukhan river (Bukhangang). There is no overtaking here 😂 since everyone is on the rail, in a fixed line.
The course ends at a small open-air station by the river where everyone waits until the last bike rolls in. By this time, I couldn’t feel my legs.
Thankfully, a train picks riders up and chugs along the river, offering a scenic, relaxing ride.
The last leg is a bus back to where we started. In all, we spent around 2 hours there and then headed off to Sokcho, where we would stay overnight.
Sokcho
We were headed to Sokcho, a seaside town located in the northeastern part of South Korea. Sokcho is around 1.5 hour’s drive from the Gangchon Rail Park, and two hours by car from Seoul. It is located right by Mt. Seorak, home to Seoraksan National Park, and Sinheungsa Temple. A photo in Sokcho might have three elements in it – sea, land and mountains.
The sunset is absolutely gorgeous.
I’m not sure whether it is because travelling was only still in sputters, but the town was pretty quiet. It had a really laid-back vibe.
Dinner was fresh seafood in the market right by the hotel – we literally picked the fish / squid and the shop owner prepared for us.
If I were to be very honest, the squid kind of freaked me out. If you’ve seen one of those travel shows where they cut the squid up and tentacles are still moving…yeah. I tried the none moving one, and the squid was pretty good. I couldn’t really taste the fish sashimi – maybe the taste is too subtle for me.
I had sashimi with perilla leaves and clove of garlic for the first time in my life, and it’s pretty good! I will miss this when I’m back in Singapore.
Diary of an Internet Addict 
Leave a comment