Aug 31- Cycling down to Tongyeong

Spent yesterday at Jinju doing nothing much besides visiting the movie theatre with Min to catch a movie. Learnt that the Jirisan National park's stand on opening the park was not going to change anytime soon. It had been a wonderful time resting and recuperating at Jinju but I was feeling restless and spent the day packing, setting off for Tongyeong today. Tongyeong is a coastal town, set by the coast and recommended by Sally whom I had met at Jeonju. It was rather disappointing to leave Jinju without heading up Jirisan but it taught me a beautiful lesson about moving with life and making the most of what life presented, rather then worrying about what had been left behind or could not be accomplished. Jinju had been a beautiful cultural exchange and it could not have been planned better.

Bidding farewell to a place I had been for a relatively long time, I left for Tongyeong. Tongyeong is about 50 km from Jinju and it was a comfortable day to ride. The weather had cleared up really well and there was no hint that a cyclone had passed by a few days ago.


My first stop was at a place that had several shops and a great view of the sea and mountains. Such scenes would be present most of the way but this was the first. Further along the way, I cycled past a place selling bonsai. Used to bonsai that were usually small, it was interesting to see big trees artistically shaped. Stopped by to take a break and talk to the gardener before proceeding on. Reaching Tongyeong, I did the routine, checking into the nearest tourist information centre. Besides being packed with pictures of places  a little pup caught my attention for some time.

Feeling rather lazy after staying in a motel for many days, it was time to check in someplace. Today had been a short ride and after a shower, I made plans to head to Mt Mireuksa which had a cable car ride to stunning views of the surroundings (http://eng.tongyeong.go.kr/03/06.asp).

City view

Taking the cable car up, it was a short walk up the walkways to the views and it truly was worth the trip, especially as the day was very clear and sunny. Walking around the top yields a view of the city as well and this view was really nice as well.

After spending some time at the top, I made my way down and took a bus back to the city area enjoying a walk by the coast. There were a few fishing boats and it was really nice to take a relaxed walk, wandering aimlessly. There were a few things to see, such as the undersea tunnel and the beautiful sunset. Dinner was something light and I made my way back to the motel in the dark.

Most of my stays henceforth would be in motels and the stint at Jinju successfully broke the fixation I had with only using the bicycle as a mode of transport. Cycling would be the primary mode of transport but somehow I was more open to adapting to the situations life presented.

 In truth there had been no rules to follow except whatever I had imposed on myself.