From Gwangju to Yeosu
- äpitravel
- Dec 22, 2015
- 3 min read
I finally took off from Seoul after a small compression sitting in the subway, a first bus to arrive in Jeonju in the middle of a snowstorm .... No visit of the folk village, I try the renowned Bibimbap for lunch and I keep moving more south to Gwangju. The snow continues to fall overnight. The next day it's a new decor! Busy schedule for the day! A bus takes me to the north east of the city in a village called Damyan, the attraction here is the bamboo garden. So under a bright sun I walk in this small bamboo forest which are bent by the weight of snow, as it is atypical situation, it's really nice to see.
No time to be idle, I get help from locals to catch the bus and run south to Boseong. A little south of Boseong, there is the tea fields that attract visitors. It is true that the waves rounded shrub hillside is a beautiful image. If you push a little farther your curiosity, you can enjoy a magnificent view of the bay at the top of this hill!
I keep walking around, and I expect the sunset to enjoy the lights festival. On the way I met a group of young Korean students and we spend the evening together, freezing in the cold wind of the bay and with good laughs.
The next day I keep discovering the South of South Korea and it is under a beautiful sun I get to Suncheon. I go to the garden of this city that has been build for the Expo of 2013. Here we travel internationally with gardens from all backgrounds. It is true that the onset of winter does not allow us to enjoy flowers and greenery expanded but it is still nice. And what was my surprise when I discovered that there is even a garden of Nantes! Yes yes Nantes! The city of Suncheon is twinned with the city of Nantes! Isn't it cool ? !!
In this park, we learn more about Suncheon Bay which is a nature reserve protected because it's full of resources! South of the garden even there you can reach the Bay and can take advantage of the Sunset after having climbed to a point of view.
The view was amazing but somewhat marred by everyone taking of '' selfies '' because the Koreans are really fond of this kind of pictures where they must pose in front of everything. ( It's also worldwild) Anyway.. it is in the dim light of a sun hidding behind the hills that everyone went back to town.
Discovering of the village Nagan. A village that has not changed for 400 years! After a short bus ride zigzaging between the hills here we are at the entrance of the village. A small fortification around it and a group of phallic sculptures welcome visitors. When we enter this village and that walk around, we imagine quickly taking a leap into the past. People still live and follow the crop cycles. Right now this is almost winter, villagers redo roofs or repair them. There is a kind of small festival, young people are having fun and older listen to the small concert. This discovery also helped me to slow down and take a sit under a nice and warming sun.
We keep going on the descent! Towards Yeosu! One of the favorite destination of Korean youth, especially during their winter holidays that last three months! Yeosu is a very active place, but for my part, I find myself in a cushy area near the Expo Park. A large park that include aquarium and museums and other attractions about the marine life. As Sunday stroll, I went to the rock of Odongdo! A nice place full of camellias some still flowering. You can also learn more about the famous ships that allowed to defend Korea in its history.
The following days I went on exploring the island Dolsan and Geumodo! Two islands on which I discover the coast, the trails are well marked, you just need to follow the blue turtles! Pleasant moments alone in the forest, or to pass through fishing villages, folk ceremony and a welcoming by a bunch of puppies coming from out of nowhere. Sunrise on the Hyangiram temple and a day hiking on the coast of Geumodo island. The schedule is tight for my last day, so I began to run along the coast, a few breaks to catch my breath and observe the landscape but then I had to take a bus to go back to the harbor, a boat on with a group of Korean teachers that made me share the local alcohol, kimchee and sweets, another bus to go back to Yeosu and the last bus to Busan to meet my friends.
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