Tractors, Trees and Tradition

South Korea Stage 6 – Sat 7th Nov 2015 – Andong to Hahoe Folk Village (30 Km)

Weather: 9⁰C min – 16⁰C max, steady rain
 
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“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving” ~ Albert Einstein

Not wishing to lose my balance it was time to start moving again after a most enjoyable rest day in Andong. All night I had been listening to the raindrops tinkling on the roof of my cell at the House of Chiam, but miraculously the rain stopped just as I was setting off on my short 30 Km ride to the Hahoe Folk Village. It stayed dry for the first 20 Km enabling me to get some photos, but got steadily heavier by the time I reached my destination.

My journey today was along the Nakdonggang Bicycle Path which, as the name suggests, follows the Nakdonggang River. The fertile river flats lend themselves to agriculture, so I passed through orchards, well-tended vegetable gardens, and hundreds of long D-sectioned hothouses. And of course there were tractors everywhere, all kinds of tractors from the little two-wheeled ones fixed to a trailer behind to the big green Deutz-Fahr you can see in one of the photos.

A feature of today’s ride was the variety of trees along the way. Everywhere there are lots of Ginko trees which the South Korean government first named as its official tree more than 40 years ago and started planting widely along the city streets. However, one problem they overlooked was the stench! The gingko trees and their yellow leaves make for beautiful scenery but the nuts they drop get crushed by pedestrians, making for slippery streets and foul odours.

Other plentiful trees were maples, silver birches, mountain ashes, gnarled conifers, persimmons, quinces, and orchards of apples trees with their big, plump, red fruit inviting temptation. However, I heeded my good wife’s advice and restrained myself! When I looked at the hillsides mottled with green and gold trees (the Australian colours) I was reminded that there is a cricket game going on at the moment and I have heard that the Aussies are getting the best of our NZ friends – sorry for mentioning it Alexander Jurgen Falakiko le Bas!

Tradition is something that is not in short supply in South Korea, particularly in the world heritage village of Hahoe where I am staying tonight. When I entered the village on my bike the first thing that hit me was the busloads of tourists, sheltering under umbrellas in the pouring rain. Hahoe is simply a maze of little streets full of immaculate traditional houses, some with thatched roofs but most with the delightful upturned pointed roofs that we associate with South Korea. Most of the houses are occupied by residents and only a few of the hanoks are open to the public. It was so lovely tonight strolling among the hanoks and taking in the atmosphere of the village.

Built by Ryu Sa-chun, a high-ranking official from the Joseon Dynasty, in 1797 (21 years into the reign of King Jeongjo from the Joseon Dynasty), Bukchondaek Hanok is the largest and most impressive hanok in the Hahoe Village. My room is a bit larger than the one I slept in last night and even has a little window, a fridge and an electric jug. There is a bamboo stick hanging horizontally on the wall, with two clothes hangers and a mirror hanging off it. There are no modern locks on the door or the window, just a latch (ancient type). Both the door and the walls of the room are covered with paper. Like the House of Chiam the last two nights, I will again be sleeping on a futon placed on the floor and will be kept snug and warm by the “ondol” or underfloor heating system.

The current owner of Bukchondaek offers guests more than a simple accommodation or sightseeing opportunities. He is proud of his family and wishes to give tourist a chance to experience real Korean traditional culture, meet locals and see how people really live in the village. There are strict rules that must be obeyed, like your shoes never entering inside the house. Because I had arrived dripping wet I was ushered straight to the shower/toilet block. My mud-spattered pannier bags had to be left outside with my shoes, but I was permitted to take with me the inner packing bags containing my clothes and electronic devices. The rubber shoes that I had to wear to get to the shower were about six sizes too small for me but when I went to pull them on with my hands he shouted “no, no, no .. don’t touch”, so I just pushed my toes into them and scuffed along as best I could. When I got to the door of the shower room I had to remove the rubber shoes and replace them with the plastic shower slippers, then was handed a hand-towel size towel to dry myself with.

Tonight he walked me down to a nearby hanok for the evening meal that he had invited me to. As we walked he helped me with the correct pronunciation of some of the basic phrases such as gamsa hamnida (thank you) and annyeong haseyo (hello). When we arrived there was a feast waiting for me on one of those low tables … including soup, rice, grilled fish, and about nine tasty side dishes.

The backyard is quiet and secluded, making it the perfect place for a walk or meditation (when it is not raining like today). I am looking forward to a breakfast of traditional food served in brass-ware, with a video shown every morning to help guests learn about the history and structure of Bukchondaek.

And now for that futon and hopefully a good night’s sleep!