Travels to the land of canned coffee: day 2

27 April 2008

As expected, I decided to ignore my alarm, trapped by warm blankets on the warm floor, and the knowledge that cold air awaited me once I stepped into the bathroom.

I caught the 9 o'clock bus to 진도읍 (which is when I started writing this). We arrived just before 10. I inquired about the next bus to 뽕할매동 and learned that it wasn't hourly: the next one would depart at 11. I had an hour to kill.

I saw the funniest man at the bus terminal. He had brown socks and gray shoes, and too-short pants that revealed the sock-shoe faux-pas. The only reason I noted this, though, is because he had Susie-Q brown curls (gawd I hope it was a wig). Attractively placed in these curls were two pink bows. Cute.

By this time I was ready for a decent cup of coffee and ventured out to find a coffee shop (this canned stuff feeds the addiction but is otherwise unsatisfactory). The sight of a Paris Baguette raised my hopes, but I soon forgot my coffee when I came across the outskirts of a small open-air market.

It was fun. It's a mixture of cheap clothes, plants, food carts, and fresh meat and produce. I swear, I saw basil plants, but I doubt I can find a basil plant in rural 진도 when I've never seen it in 서울 shops. I bought two small scarves for 천원 each. (I'm not sure if I'll be able to transcribe this when I get home; I'm writing this in a bus on a bumpy road.)

The meat section of the market was chock-full of seafood: small squids lying in ink-filled tubs, frozen whole fish of all sizes and colours, skates, eels squirming crazily in their tubs and fresh clams measured out by the pailful. Freshly plucked whole chickens (and a few roosters) were a fair distance from the pens that housed live chickens and little black pigs (I don't know if I've ever seen a black pig before).

A nice thing about the market is that the only dogs sold are little 진도 puppies bred as pets, not for food. The horrors of the 모란 meat market still haunt me. I've chosen not to adopt the Korean nickname for dogs: 똥개, or poop dog. Instead, I mentally call them 개고기, and occasionally I worry that I'll slip and my mental nickname will become a verbal nickname. That could be a bit awkward.

진도읍 market outskirts; man with the straw triangle hat in the center

As I walked through the market something struck me that only adds to 진도's attractions: nobody stares! I made eye contact with others, but, with a few exceptions, they nonchalantly looked away. People here are too busy living their own lives to be concerned with what people invade their homogeneous bubble. Such a far cry from the "OMG, a 외국인!" reaction that I've grown accustomed to--grown accustomed to, but still dislike and mock. And in the unlikeliest of places: a rural island in the SW that is only seasonally flooded with tourists.

On the bus I noted another beautiful thing about these people. The bus was crowded with 할머니s, all loaded down with produce they had bought at the market. At the front of the bus sits a woman who logs in the number of passengers to ensure that the bus company is accordingly paid by the driver. She also takes the 할머니s' groceries, helps them mount the steep three steps, returns their groceries, and helps them again when they disembark. I thought that was a really wonderful thing.

허동리 is beautiful, despite its initial drabness. Small dories are moored at the end of a short concrete pier, waiting to ferry passengers to nearby islands.

I sat for awhile along the water's edge, writing and staring out at the water. It's cloudy, occasionally sprinkling (cursed forecast!) but still it's a wonderful sight, I love the smell of the ocean, and the nearby islands block the cold breeze (once again regretting not bringing my shell).

My mom called and while we were talking I noticed people descending a small hill. I had been so busy looking out at the water that it had completely escaped my notice. I began to climb up a wide trail lined with azaleas. 진도 azaleas are pretty -- a different hue from those in 서울. It was a 10-minute walk at most, including the time it took to snap some photos. The top was rewarding: azaleas and small pine trees framed the ocean and islands below.


One thing: I hit a few dead spots, and I'm sure my mom and I called each other and connected at least four times, but it was a long conversation. Basically I gave her a shortened version of this blog. That, and she gave me some mom-lectures about my finances and taxes, and voiced her worries about my safety, traveling solo; a condensed version was repeated shortly thereafter by my father.

I'm now updated. I'm on the bus back to 목포, where I'll catch a train back to 서울.

When I left home I was a bit concerned about going solo, though I did it from time to time back in the States. My uncertainty about finding an ATM in a rural area in case of an emergency, my incomplete knowledge of the language, and my nearly non-existent knowledge of the area (apart from my LP) filled me with doubts which usually don't bother me. However, I found that I need not have worried. No emergencies arose, and my Korean didn't fail me (nor did my phone dictionary). Most importantly, though, I encountered some wonderful, generous and helpful people during my short stay. I think that sometimes we have to leave our familiar zones and be dependent on our own strength and other people's knowledge, because this gives us an opportunity to rediscover both ourselves and the beautiful side of humanity.

I had a great time here. I'm excited to get back to the bright lights and fast pace of home, but I really hope to return to this area. This was a wonderful experience, and I still have .33 km of a mountain to conquer.

My hand is cramping from so much writing. For now, this trip blog is complete, unless something exciting happens on the way home. I've been writing this in the blank spaces of a sudoku book, having forgotten a journal. So now it's time for sudoku.

* * *

목포
It was nearly 3:45 by the time I arrived at 목포역 from 진도읍. Taking the bus from the bus terminal to the train station reminded me of how stressful life can be up north. here the streets are lined with cars, but traffic flows smoothly. The lack of traffic is telling: where my bus driver could be heard loudly cussing at stupid drivers, SW bus drivers yell loudly into their cell phones with their thick accents, sing along with the radio, or talk to you through the rearview mirror. Yet I still love my bus drivers, swerving through oncoming traffic, or squeezing the orange to cross an intersection, if not just outright running red lights. You've gotta appreciate their dedication.

I was hoping out here in the boons booking an early train would be simple, but I didn't get one until 19:00...for 60K원. Is that a first class ticket? The price seems a bit...steep.

I had three hours to kill, so I began by looking for a place to eat. I had breakfast, a kid-sized granola bar that did nothing for me, and countless cans of coffee. Needless to say, I was slightly hungry.

I looked around for about a 1/2 hour, finding no suitable restaurants (I'm right here and I want seafood!). I finally decided to end my fruitless search and look around town. Land's End was only a few km away, so I headed in that direction. I got into a small port, beside which was a small fish market. It was a nice stroll.

With two hours left I headed back towards the station, near which I had spotted a small restaurant advertising 낙지 비빔밥. It was good, but the 반찬 was better. I swear, 반찬 in the south is uber-yummy. They know what they're all about down here. Must be all this fresh produce and fish juice.

I'm sitting in the station right now, waiting for my train to start boarding. I'm gonna be exhausted when I get home.

* * *

SHE BOOKED ME A FIRST CLASS TICKET! Dang it! I'd better get a freakin glass of wine, or I'll be uber irked.

And instead of a window I have the big plastic wall between the windows. Wonderful...

Being a positive person -- or actually a realist who recognizes the good as well as the bad -- no screaming children in this section! w00T!

* * *

I tried to sleep, since it's quiet, and I know I'll get home late. I even put on my sunglasses and hit my classical & opera playlist, but to no avail. I rarely sleep in moving vehicles. I guess I'm a picky sleeper. I sometimes envy people who can sleep anywhere, until they drool on themselves for all the world to see, or lean their heads on the greasy spot on the subway.

(In between Andrea Bocelli I heard something that sounded suspiciously like a fart, and I do hope it was the music-warped sound of a grunt.)

But to add, I can't sleep because I did some sudokus. Have you noticed that when you do puzzles, then let your mind rest, or try to sleep, all you can think about are ways to solve the puzzles? Like after playing Meteos I'll place coloured blocks into their imaginary cells, then try to match them up. Same thing with sudoku. It's kinda like going to bed after being on the water too long -- you can still feel the boat's rocking. So, no sleeping. Back to sudoku.

* * *

Too many people are apparently farting in their sleep. The whole car smells of catbutt, and I'm not referring to the car freshener. I hope there are no accidental sparks, or we're all gonna go up in flames.