Seoul, Korea
- By: Nelson Auner
- Created on: 09/24/2009
- Rated By 2 Users
- Comments: 2
Blooming flowers, large fern fronds, and scores of happy mothers with smiling children all blur past my face as I jog along the banks of the mighty Han River. Its turquoise surface extends far past my jogging territory and cuts a watery path through the bustling metropolis of Seoul, South Korea. Bikers speed by me, and to my right are a pair of fishermen, dangling long poles over the surface of the broad river .
I have been living here in Korea for three months now, but I have yet to grow tired of running along the Han river. For me, these excursions are more than just exercise; they showcase the best parts of the incredible city called Seoul.
One of my favorite aspects of the city is how, despite having a population twice as big as Los Angeles, Seoul manages to maintain a sense of natural beauty. As I run, I find myself awed by the numerous mountains which tower above the apartment blocks, watching over the city like ancient guardians. Alongside of me, dragonflies zip among flowerbeds and small gardens, and the long boughs of willow trees sway in the crisp autumn breeze.
A couple weeks ago, I biked down the river with my host family, attracting stares and grins as people watched the family of three Koreans and a blond-haired teenager pedal down the blacktop path. Suddenly, I abruptly stopped biking and pulled over to the side of the road. "Mwo Hae?" asked my mother-"What are you doing?". I simply pointed to the sun, which was beginning to set over a row of apartments and casting long shadows across the ever-calm river. The fall air was sweet and cool, and for a reason I don't exactly understand, small speakers suspended on lamp posts emited Frank Sinatra-like Korean ballads that floated over the bike path and lamented the sun's inevitable descent.
As we crossed over the bridge on the way towards home, a small waterfall began to cascade down from above, narrowly missing us and dropping down into the Han River. It wasn't raining, though. The bridge itself had come alive, sending down fountains of water so that we were standing behind a miniature Korean version of Niagara Falls. Other bikers stopped too, and together we stood in awe of this stunning mix of natural beauty and human ingenuity.
Shortly after, the waterfall turned off, and we biked back home. There, my host grandmother is waiting for us at the door of the apartment. "Pae gopuji"-"You must be hungry". And I am, but not too much. A large portion of my hunger had already been sated -- not by food, but by Seoul; its people, charm, and mystifying natural allure.
Comments
kswogahn wrote on 13/11/2009
Extemely well-written!! It sounds like it was a great experience... :)
JillianRyan wrote on 19/01/2010
I am an editor with Family Travel Forum. One of the SATW judges wanted to share this comment with you: From Michael Verdon, Editor, Boating World Magazine: Nelson, Nice work on this. Very advanced writing and description of the place, but I also liked the way you put yourself into the story fairly unobtrusively. I love the waterfall off the bridge. What a great idea. I’ve never really wanted to visit Seoul, but after reading your story, I could see a reason to go. Great job.
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