This is a comforting site to see.....whitewater kayaks on the cars....time to have some fun!!
No Creek Boats (kayaks), but Freestyle / Play Kayaks.....
My introduction to the Korean Yeowool Kayak Club....
Traditional Ceremony to start off the 2008 Korean Kayak season and blessing of a member's new kayak and our paddles......
On the table....food for the ceremony included fruits, pressed pork, mokoli (Korean rice wine), and 1 dried out fish to be tied to the new kayak for it's maiden voyage...
Getting ready....10:00a.m. start for the ceremony....
the dried out fish.....
learning how to correctly bow......
here we go.......
2 bows were recommended.......
then a sip of mokoli.....
After that.....toss the mokoli into the river for the river gods.....
the Italian and the American (Slovenian...too!, right DAD!!).........
Future Korean kayaker........
The Hantan-gang (River) located near the border of North Korea about 2 hours north of Seoul near a town called Chaeorwon.....beautiful river flowing down from N.Korea, as you can see in the photo, it's at a low flow, but when it rains, it can fill up fast.....
At first I thought this was ice on the bank, but it's actually a smooth flat piece of granite. Amazing......eh? Nice spot for a break!
One of the rapids....
That's me! YAHOO!! I was paddling some kayak produced by Dag kayaks called the "Scandal"
and borrowed gear....However, my Mother is sending my gear, should arrive next week. Just in time for a mini-vacation from work...and more adventures with the Korean kayakers.
THANK-YOU MOM!!!!
Incredible rock formations with some spring flowers....
The size of the river bed was impressive, definitely will be back at different water levels.
Another rapid! Nice to be in the water.....hole punching....
There is a colored water level gauge in the distance....the colors show the different levels....very low today.....
Spring flowers on the river banks.....
This is how you use a paddle right?
The kayak I will be using next time on the RIO.....
After kayaking, a nice cooked meal consisting of soup, rice and many delicious side dishes. And of course the green bottles of Soju....but Luca (Italian) and I opted for a beer.
The drive home......this was a bit bizarre, seeing ATV's cruising down the road weaving in and out of traffic....
Heading back to the city....the sun is setting and just on the other side of that ridge line is Seoul.
I was starving, so before heading back to Bundang, I stopped off for some Mexican food at this local taco place. Pretty tasty for being in S.Korea....Felt a bit like home (Colorado) after paddling with the crew......
OK....That's all for the second kayak adventure, time for some more spring beauty and fun!!!
Outside a bakery near Seohyeon Station in Bundang......nice cruiser bicycle....
unique game.....teams of 3 or 4, a soccer ball, a small court with a net similar to tennis, and a referee. You can only let the ball bounce once and you can use your feet or your head. Looks like fun....There are some Philippians's that play and they don't let the ball touch at all....ahhhh.......It's getting warmer out.....
some wildlife in the city with a nice reflection...taken from the bike path....
Cherry Blossoms galore.....
more blossoms....
beautiful season in Korea.....
Even some color in the mountains on the MTB trails.....
my SWEET ride...... :)
Some of the smooth trails....
Flying through the woods......
Quality single track......looks like fall but soon to be green and lush!
Haze in the city of Bundang....or could that be the Yellow Sand from the Gobi desert in the air....
We have to be careful certain days of this season....Winds will pick up sand from the Gobi and pick up the pollution from China and then it comes and settles in South Korea. I have a website that I regularly check, so playing it safe. When it is really bad it is recommended to wear a mask and to stay inside. So far, I have not experienced that.....China cut down a lot of the trees that used to help filter the air to stop the particles from coming our way......Not thinking of the environment, just the profit from the resources.....
Small garden by one of my favorite MTB trails..."Cafe 32 Loop"...ready to produce.....
Mountain Temple..... You may have seen this one before. This is towards the end of what I call the "Buddha Trail." It's another great MTB ride. 10 mile loop. It has one of the most technical descents leading down to this temple. Then, you can take your shoes and helmet off and meditate in the temple for a bit before riding home.
Kwan-yin (Chinese Buddha) means.....Also Kannon (Japanese). Bodhisattva of Compassion, depicted in female form. Identified with Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.
You can see a few baby Buddhas here. Not sure what the name of this one is.....
Getting ready for Buddha's birthday, which I believe is the 5th of May. Should be a great day to visit a temple. Many colorful lanterns.....
Close-up of a lantern......
Spring colors....very beautiful time of the year.....Jeongja officetels in the background.....
closeup of the cherry blossom......
Walking back from Seohyeon Station on the Tanchon River walking and bike paths....taking in the beauty of Bundang...not a bad place to be living.....
Nice advertisement for Cadillac......
Bike path heading up to the mountains.....a favorite site......cyclist artwork.....
Well..that's all for now.....hope you enjoyed the show.....stay tuned for more adventures and spring time images....
