Road to Mokpo

0 Comments

SPECIAL

(Reading time: 6 minutes)

On the Purple Islands, we “just ordered an Uber,” though it took some luck. In Mokpo, the starting point of our journey, Uber isn’t very common. Locals are more accustomed to KaKao (a similar service), but KaKao drivers aren’t keen on detours 50 km out of the way. Nobody wanted to take us.

We were slowly activating Plan B: walking a few kilometers to the bus station, even though, as you can see below, the wait was at least an hour. Buses are slower, often delayed, and prone to route changes or cancellations. As you may have read in the article I Purple You, the Uber eventually arrived—but only after several attempts. Honestly, I was surprised it worked at all. Then again, isn’t it always the last attempt that succeeds?

For our return from the Purple Islands to Mokpo, we tried our luck again but couldn’t even find someone to reject us this time. No Uber, no KaKao, and maybe a bus in two hours. The nearby town of Eupdong, about 5 km north, promised a higher concentration of civilization and therefore more frequent transportation options. A brisk one-hour walk, pleasant weather—there wasn’t a better plan to come up with anyway so…

Of course, we considered the possibility that two pedestrians walking along the roadside might catch the attention of a passing driver. Especially in an area where pedestrians are rare. We’d hitched rides like this before. A car ride to Eupdong would save an hour, which we could spend waiting at a bus stop instead. Efficiency matters. Cars slowed down but didn’t stop, so we kept walking—efficiently and relentlessly.

skII12.5-3
skII12.5-4
skII12.5-5
previous arrowprevious arrow
next arrownext arrow
Shadow

You might know the feeling when you stop searching for something and find it, or when you lose hope, only to have things work out once you’ve given up. That’s exactly what happened when a car suddenly pulled over. A middle-aged Korean man rolled down his window and, in fluent English, asked where we were headed. His level of English surprised me more than his offer to give us a ride, as we hadn’t encountered anyone on our Asia trip with such excellent English skills.

We gratefully accepted his offer and discussed various topics during the ride.

Let’s call him Mr. Kim. A native Korean, he studied in the U.S., works in business in India (where he regularly travels), and has visited Europe, including the Czech Republic. He praised our beer sincerely, without pretense. He prefers Belgian beer, having worked as a bartender in Belgium in his youth. Czech beer is “also good,” and he listed several brands, though he spoke dismissively of South Korean beer. If you know something is worse, why praise it “out of politeness” to make it seem better? That doesn’t change reality; it only hinders improvement.

Mr. Kim struck me as assertive and healthily self-assured—a trait undoubtedly shaped by his extensive travels. He recognized that regardless of the country or continent, people essentially face the same challenges.

In Europe, there’s the war in Ukraine caused by Russia’s invasion. For the average South Korean, it’s not a major concern, as they have their own issues with North Korea, which we know little about. In the Czech Republic, people in some regions struggle with poverty, just as South Koreans in provinces like South Jeolla face similar hardships. Our seniors reminisce about communism; South Korea’s elders remember the Korean War and the decades spent rebuilding their country into its current state. Nowadays, the work is done—for now.

South Korea is a modern, civilized country. Even its poorest citizens live relatively comfortably. But the elderly know they won’t have time to enjoy this new chapter, and they carry the sadness of their youth. According to Mr. Kim, that’s why grandfathers and grandmothers in South Korea never smile—it’s a cultural norm. We’d certainly seen older people during our trip, but until then, we hadn’t thought about their somber expressions.

Before we parted, Mr. Kim tasked us with solving both the migration crisis and the war in Ukraine upon our return to Europe. He remembered a better Europe from a different time. Despite his pro-European and pro-Western views, he noted that Russians are well-regarded in South Korea. The reasons are simple: Russians are tourists, they bring money, and they’re polite.

This last point contrasts with my personal experience, but it’s worth remembering that Russia is vast, and not everyone lives in Moscow or St. Petersburg. The closer you get to Asia, the more “European” traits fade. Just as South Koreans don’t concern themselves with the war in Ukraine, some Russians don’t either—it’s far away, and they have more immediate concerns.

In former Soviet satellite states like the Czech Republic, some Russians might still harbor feelings of entitlement—“this used to be ours”—but they wouldn’t think the same about South Korea. Historically, China, Japan, and later the U.S. have influenced Korea. Russians neither liberated nor oppressed Koreans. South Korea has never been, and hopefully never will be, a vassal state to Russia.

I deeply appreciated Mr. Kim’s global perspective and ability to avoid seeing the world in black-and-white terms. Encounters like this bring me so much joy. And, being pragmatic, I was equally thrilled by Mr. Kim’s attitude toward our trip. He reminisced about his own backpacking days, walking along roadsides, and without hesitation, he offered to drive us all the way to Mokpo. Originally, he wasn’t headed there, but he turned around and drove us just for the joy of it—because he could. An incredible experience with an incredible person.

-mj-

On my travels, I live by the belief that everything always works out somehow, and we’ll find a way back. 😊 My faith—and let’s be honest, my generally laid-back approach to returns—was rewarded in the best possible way this time. We’ll never forget meeting this man, especially because we could discuss so many cultural and political topics in English.

To top it all off, after a kind taxi driver and an English-speaking Korean, a friendly local teacher approached us in Mokpo on our way to the accommodation. She appeared to spend her free time seeking out and engaging foreigners, offering insights into interesting local spots. She had pre-made cards with names of places, which we read together.

It’s a shame we left the next day and couldn’t fully appreciate her advice. However, her efforts are preserved in this article. 😊

-endy-

Categories:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *