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I had been trying to get to the sea ever since my arrival in Korea. I finally got around to it six months late, and consequently the weather was extremely cold. We'd been having high temperatures of zero (as in freezing point) and lows of -10. I asked around, but no-one was man enough to brave the cold with me. It took about three hours to get there by taxi, coach and bus. The initial view in itself was worth the time and cost of traveling half way across the country.
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There was quite a crosswind, and taking my hands out of my pockets to take these pictures was a painful process. I guess I really should buy some gloves. I walked about a mile or so down the beach, then was invited into a colourful plastic tent to warm my hands at a brazier. Not wanting to turn down such appropriate hospitality I stayed for five minutes, and left toasty warm. The tents house little businesses specialising in grilled shellfish.
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Seeing the sea again was gave me a feeling akin to coming home after a long day at work. Things just seemed so much clearer. I realised when I saw the sea just how much I'd missed it. It made me feel like communicating, so I bought some paper and a pen at a convenience store, sat in a coffee shop and wrote a letter home. I still haven't mailed it, but I mean to.
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I wanted to get some fish at one of the fish restaurants, but they pretty much cater for groups only (I think... There was a lot of handwaving in the communications, and I didn't want to spend 50,000 on a fish) so I went back to the plastic tent to get some shellfish, but I would have had to have paid 20,000 which was a bit much for food I was sure I wouldn't enjoy. I've never like shellfish before, and this was no reason to think I suddenly would.
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Deciding that I was probably more cold than hungry anyway, I headed down to another coffee shop just off the little square below. I managed to get Hot Chocolate rather than coffee this time. And this is where I had the first real communication breakdown of my stay in Korea. It's taken six months, and the results were truly tragic. I took my cup to the counter to ask for more. I was perfectly willing to pay for this second cup, and it didn't occur to me that they though I was asking for a free refill. They refused to give me more. I only got one cup of the most delicious hot beverage I've had in over six months.
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I wrote another letter to a different home, and then decided to leave. It was probably about 45 minutes before the sun was due to set, but the clouds on the horizon looked pretty permanent, and the absence of a second cup of hot chocolate didn't give me a good enough reason to stay and see if they would clear. The trip back was really smooth. I walked to the bus stop just in time to catch the bus, then bought a ticket back to Daejon at the coach station. As I took my seat in the appropriate coach, the doors closed and we were off home. I wasted no time waiting for public transport.
It was a really great day out. I felt tired and energised at the same time when I arrived back home. The sea is special, and I don't intend to wait another five months before I visit with it again.