Left the motel slightly later today since Gyeryongsan National park is just a short distance from Daejeon. Thanks to being lost most of the time yesterday, I also knew the way down. More reason to sleep longer :)
The ride to Gyeryongsan was easy, on a relatively level road and clear directions. The fact that this park lies in such proximity to Daejeon city means that the turnover of visitors is very high. This would also explain why the rules at Gyeryongsan national park were rather stringent and the number of staff managing the crowds high. Most of the rangers monitoring the crowds coming in were older folk and constantly told me to stop riding and walk. Something I listened to.....occasionally :)
There was also a long line of shops along the pathway leading to the visitor's centre, mostly food and souvenirs. This turned out to be a culture shock for me as compared to the serenity of all the previous parks, this place was like entering a major tourist attraction.
The visitor's centre was rather impeccable as well and nicely maintained, with lots of diagrams and models. The highlight was a glass enclosure filled with stuffed animals. The facility also had a computer for use.
Packing up my stuff to set up camp, I was driven to the campsite. Despite it being busy, the ranger in charge of the campsite ( after some discussion), found me a small corner beside a family. What was nice was that this park had raised platforms so even though the ground was wet, it was not an issue.
Moreover it was a relief to set up my tent someplace dry and just sit and stone for a bit, as opposed to constantly getting drenched in the rain.
Got to know the family beside me and it was awesome that the daughter spoke perfect english due to having studied abroad. Made myself dinner after a shower and just sat and chilled for the night. The toilet facilities were rather lax here and it was hard to shower since the basin was right in front of the entrance to the toilet..
I was the entertainment for all the children staying around and they even went as far as to shine the torch on my tent as I lay inside for a bit. All in the name of fun :) They also constantly spoke to me and ran around giggling till my neighbors told them in korean that I needed to sleep. It was really fun interacting with them despite not knowing korean.
For this trip I brought along a kindle instead of the usual paperback book and this was a decision I would not regret. The portability and the fact that the battery lasted long made it the best companion for a single traveller. Storing many books in one unit and also being able to charge it using my portable charger was an added advantage. A definite addition to any more further trips I would do.
This was a perfect night to read under the lamp I had, and read I did till I fell asleep.
The ride to Gyeryongsan was easy, on a relatively level road and clear directions. The fact that this park lies in such proximity to Daejeon city means that the turnover of visitors is very high. This would also explain why the rules at Gyeryongsan national park were rather stringent and the number of staff managing the crowds high. Most of the rangers monitoring the crowds coming in were older folk and constantly told me to stop riding and walk. Something I listened to.....occasionally :)
There was also a long line of shops along the pathway leading to the visitor's centre, mostly food and souvenirs. This turned out to be a culture shock for me as compared to the serenity of all the previous parks, this place was like entering a major tourist attraction.The visitor's centre was rather impeccable as well and nicely maintained, with lots of diagrams and models. The highlight was a glass enclosure filled with stuffed animals. The facility also had a computer for use.
Packing up my stuff to set up camp, I was driven to the campsite. Despite it being busy, the ranger in charge of the campsite ( after some discussion), found me a small corner beside a family. What was nice was that this park had raised platforms so even though the ground was wet, it was not an issue.Moreover it was a relief to set up my tent someplace dry and just sit and stone for a bit, as opposed to constantly getting drenched in the rain.
I was the entertainment for all the children staying around and they even went as far as to shine the torch on my tent as I lay inside for a bit. All in the name of fun :) They also constantly spoke to me and ran around giggling till my neighbors told them in korean that I needed to sleep. It was really fun interacting with them despite not knowing korean.
For this trip I brought along a kindle instead of the usual paperback book and this was a decision I would not regret. The portability and the fact that the battery lasted long made it the best companion for a single traveller. Storing many books in one unit and also being able to charge it using my portable charger was an added advantage. A definite addition to any more further trips I would do.
This was a perfect night to read under the lamp I had, and read I did till I fell asleep.
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