The Votes are In!
So, it looks like I am actually going to do this.... and it isn't going to be *that much* of a big deal. I've spoken to Do Hyun, my hot mechanic, and he is giving me a map today. I also photocopied a bit of my tourist map of Jeollanamdo and highlighted some of the roads that seem to lead sort of in the general direction between Suncheon and Mokpo. Lana and Bryce might be helping me out with a map too (hope so!). But like, the last Geography course I took was in Grade 9, and I know that the area I'll be riding through is quite mountainous, which will hopefully just make it prettier.
I've also spoken to various friends who have given me all sorts of good advice as well, ranging from "You're nuts" to "Well, there's no reason that you *can't* do it. I mean. Nothing is really impossible, right?" to "Yeah!". Melissa thinks I'm nuts and so I am not allowed to talk to her about it at work. Chad told me not to hit any trees. Scott said something confusing about oil levels or something about the engine and something or other. But that sounds like mechanical stuff.
My other way of preparing mentally has been to watch a borrowed DVD
of Long Way Round where Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman ride the "long way" around the world from London to New York (Possible side effect: learning how to ride a motorcycle). I've been paying close attention, and not just because of Ewan's hotitude. In the first episode they learned Russian, practiced First Aid, learned how to dodge bullets, talked about how many centuries they have both been riding motorcycles, got a team of producers, doctors, camaramen etc together, and planned the entire trip, which included going to the Kazakhstan embassy etc etc etc.
Right. I have a photocopiedhighlightedtouristmap of Korea.
So, I have decided instead to take a lesson from a different movie all together: The Straight Story (where that old guy rides his lawnmower/tractor thing across Iowa).
I'm somewhere in between.
In all seriousness, my route will be something along the lines of Suncheon-Beolgyo-Boseong-Yeongam-Mokpo. Or maybe Suncheon-Beolgyo-Boseong-Jangheung (Do Hyun's brother has a motorbike shop there) -Gangjin-Mokpo. Or you know, quite possibly something very different.
The entire trip is supposed to take about 6 hours. If I do it over 2 days, that is only 3 hours a day. I've done long-ish rides on my scooter before, so I'm not too worried about the time that I will spend riding since I will certainly stop frequently to take pictures and look at stuff. Oh, and gas up.
Wish me luck.
(and please don't worry Mom. Aren't you glad that I inherited your sense of adventure?)
I've also spoken to various friends who have given me all sorts of good advice as well, ranging from "You're nuts" to "Well, there's no reason that you *can't* do it. I mean. Nothing is really impossible, right?" to "Yeah!". Melissa thinks I'm nuts and so I am not allowed to talk to her about it at work. Chad told me not to hit any trees. Scott said something confusing about oil levels or something about the engine and something or other. But that sounds like mechanical stuff.
My other way of preparing mentally has been to watch a borrowed DVD
of Long Way Round where Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman ride the "long way" around the world from London to New York (Possible side effect: learning how to ride a motorcycle). I've been paying close attention, and not just because of Ewan's hotitude. In the first episode they learned Russian, practiced First Aid, learned how to dodge bullets, talked about how many centuries they have both been riding motorcycles, got a team of producers, doctors, camaramen etc together, and planned the entire trip, which included going to the Kazakhstan embassy etc etc etc.Right. I have a photocopiedhighlightedtouristmap of Korea.
So, I have decided instead to take a lesson from a different movie all together: The Straight Story (where that old guy rides his lawnmower/tractor thing across Iowa).
I'm somewhere in between.
In all seriousness, my route will be something along the lines of Suncheon-Beolgyo-Boseong-Yeongam-Mokpo. Or maybe Suncheon-Beolgyo-Boseong-Jangheung (Do Hyun's brother has a motorbike shop there) -Gangjin-Mokpo. Or you know, quite possibly something very different.
The entire trip is supposed to take about 6 hours. If I do it over 2 days, that is only 3 hours a day. I've done long-ish rides on my scooter before, so I'm not too worried about the time that I will spend riding since I will certainly stop frequently to take pictures and look at stuff. Oh, and gas up.
Wish me luck.
(and please don't worry Mom. Aren't you glad that I inherited your sense of adventure?)
posted by Ms Parker at
12:30 PM
3 Comments:
I really have no idea how the backroads are for driving, but if you are confident and take it slow, I'm sure you will be fine.
And make sure you don't finish "Long way round" before you leave... Ewan and Charlie have some serious troubles through Mongolia and the Road of Bones... not to be imitated! Great DVD!
As long as you are comfortable with it, go gettum tiger!
By
Brent, at 11:43 PM
I'm sure you'll do just fine. Just be really careful, and be careful for others, too. That's the way to do it. Don't talk to strangers and things like that, and you'll get there without any problem. And don't forget to gas up (or you'll remember your trip very well, after walking for an hour in search of gas). The unknown can be scary, but so fun at the same time. It might be risky, but eh, crossing a street in Montreal, by car or by foot IS risky as well. That's what I told my mom when I decided to go on my roadtrip in Canada all by myself (during WINTER).
By the way, you say you'll do it on 2 days? Where will you be sleeping?
By
Jiji, at 2:47 AM
Yeah - the backroads of Korea are where I usually ride my scooter around - and they are far from being the Road of Bones!
Good luck, J-J, with your move and all. I know what it's like to spend so much time surrounded by boxes and try to figure out how to get things to the next place.
I will gas up every time I see a station and I have a spare bottle of oil too.
By
Ms Parker, at 7:59 AM
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