We passed a little town called Jamseong through a local market which could be one of the best one I saw in Korea.
some traditional music and dance attracted our attention and we sat there in the little square to watch a piece of culture and to enjoy seeing people singing, dancing and be happy.
we looked at our watch both and we agreed to leave as we didn’t know exactly how is the road ahead of us!
Finally we got to the turn off where I could see a climb, a steep one and we left the main road to go through that windy road.
we saw its picture from our Australian friends who went through that road.
we were climbing and after actually a long climb we didn’t reach that windy road, so it was totally clear that it should be in the other side.
We have cycled through so many climbs, so a steep itself is not something to attract our attention but that one was totally different, where we could see the entire road winding and going down which was really nice and worth it to spend a couple of days to get there.
we were at the top near sunset and after taking some pictures we descended. As always I get mad when I see a downhill and I go down the way I used to do with my racing bike!!
Suddenly I felt that I should stop and wait for Mirjam to come!! As always again no reason and just a feeling, I looked back and I saw her 100m back standing by the road. I cycled back and I saw that she hit a nail with 50km/h speed in downhill!! We were really lucky that she did control the bike and she didn’t fell off as it could be very dangerous with a heavy bike.
Fine! let have a coffee and eat something first “ I said and we sat side the road and she began to fix her tube while I was making a coffee!! No way! The tube was gone completely and she didn’t have spare one with her!
the road was quite empty and not many car passing through to hitchhike! So the only way was to walk and find a place to stay overnight.
I went to knock a door and see if they can help us to find a place? An old man appeared at the door. He looked at a stranger who was saying something he had no idea about! No common word and even no any expression from his face !!
we continued walking and in few hundred meters we asked a lady and she yelled at her neighbor the other side of the river.
A couple approached and the man said, I am cyclist too!! He took us to their community housed and they let us stay there at night.
It was freezing cold outside! In the morning he changed Mirjam’s tube and we followed him to his house to see his art works.
Once again new people with a warm heart who offered us to see their life, to go through their house and sit and drink with them.
that’s the beauty of being on move. Changes all the time and there is no routine!!
It was freezing cold yet which we began to ride along the river. We already knew that road will finish in 3km and then we should go take an off road through the valley.
5km later we were passing a very beautiful house which was good enough to sit and have a coffee!! It was somehow our shortest ride before having a coffee break! But anyway we were not in hurry and sun was warming us up a bit, so why not to sit and have a coffee and enjoy the silence, beauty and peace of being in the nature?
we began to ride and in less than even 100m a guy appeared and yelled at us “ welcome to my world !” “come to have a coffee!”..” sure” we replied and in less than 2 minutes we had our second coffee break ! Good enough though!
we sat outside and as usual we began to introduce and present ourselves! Then we saw a little wooden plate written on it GUEST HOUSE! a very different one from the ones we had seen in Korea before.
It was so beautiful and after a very quick discovering the place we found it amazingly nice to stay there.
It was November 24th and I had a lecture in a seminar in Seoul on 26th, so I was planning to be in Seoul that day to have enough time to get prepared and do the PPT for presentation!
but honestly it was so tempting and we decided to stay there, still I would have few hours to do my job when I am back in Seoul. Also I have learned in my journey that never miss the moment because of future, if something comes to you, just appreciate it and enjoy it.
I knew that it would be hard when I go back to Seoul as we would be 4 persons and we would talk a lot and I wouldn’t have so much time, but still it was fine and I was not going to miss that lovely place and lovely people.
we asked the price and he told us 40 000 won which is 40$ including food.
we were already in to enjoy the place and we paid them.
It was Saturday and a friend of him also visited them and we had lunch all together.
The good thing from that guest house was that they cant host more than 4-5 people in the same time and they have just one room, so anyone who stay there is a part of family and is not a guest which makes the place even warmer and cozier.
over lunch we had a very nice conversation after he told us which is important for him for people to come and stay and talk about important things in life, about their goal, passion to learn more and to improve the quality of his life while his goal in life was to be happy with his wife.” Be happy together”
in the evening after we had dinner he told us that the price is actually 40 000won per person and we miss understood at first and we paid just for one person. He continued “ it is fine and I just mention it because if you tell your friends about here, then you know the right price but for you two is totally fine and it is already finished, you don’t need to be worry about it and even think about it! it is finished !!”
It was raining hard at night and we were happy to have such a nice place to stay, warm and happy.
we shared some of our experiences and in the morning he told me that last night he visited my website and he saw my videos.
It was still raining and he offered us a lift to the bus terminal as we were planning to take a bus to go back to Seoul.
I was walking around and packing which he came to me and he handed me 40 000 won and he said “ this is a very small donation from me Mohammad to your project !! I am sorry this is very little but take it with you !”
I was touched, my heart was warm and pure joy was expanding through my whole being!
we loaded our bags into his car and drove toward city.
I don’t know if I would have a chance to meet him again but he definitely left a deep mark in my heart as many others did ,a beautiful one which will last forever and will nourish my soul.
we arrived to Seoul and I got an email from KTO informing me that seminar was cancelled…I am happy that I didn’t miss those lovely moments because of uncertain future!!
26 November 2013
Mirjam drow this for them and she mentioned all the details from our way and their house in this drawing.
here is the link to Mirjam’s website : www.cyclingdutchgirl.com
I am not that good in art I think….but here is what I left behind as a memory
here is a link to a small video of him how he say I love you in Persian ;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noOBhZMCj6E
