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www.groovekorea.com / November 2014 78 DESTINATIONS Edited by Shelley DeWees (shelley@groovekorea.com) T his summer I explored Korea’s south coast: 600 kilometers in six nights on the road less traveled, from Wando to Bu- san. Dusty lanes meandered though ramshackle hamlets where gnarled hands clasped antiquated contraptions and wizened octogenarians lazed in the shade of ancient trees. Buzz- ing wetlands alternated with vast mudflats home to the throngs of slender-necked birds silhouetted against the distant horizon. Nestled between misty mountains, carpets of glowing green were dappled with brilliant pinks and luminous yellows, like dabs from an impressionist’s paintbrush. Dewy morn- ings turned to sun-drenched days, and in the early evening a warm light washed over the calm sea, wrapping the myriad offshore islands in a honeyed haze. In the fading twilight the landscape melted to smudged lilac and mauve, then dusky blue, before the amber flickers of far-away fishing boats speckled the darkness like fallen stars from the twinkling skies above. Why do I wax philosophical about my ad- ventures? Because I travel by bicycle. Automobiles are sold with hollow prom- ises of the feelings they can inspire, but in reality they’re air-conditioned, sound- proofed cocoons designed to cushion, de- tach and isolate us from our surroundings. They get us to our destinations as quickly as possible, with as little feeling as possi- ble. By contrast, on the bike saddle your every sense is fully immersed in the imme- diate environment; the intensity of the ex- perience is heightened exponentially. You savor the beauty of fine details and pause to connect, rather than passively gawp as the world slips past your tinted panes in square frames, so much more like TV. On a bike, you’re in the scene — not just watching. Travel by bicycle and the road comes alive. Along the south coast crickets skipped helter-skelter all around, glossy beetles scampered in my wake, tail tips slithered out of sight and comical crusta- ceans scuttled for cover, claws held high. As I glided past, pocket-sized birds burst from bushes in unison, flashing bellies of iridescent turquoise. Further afield, their lanky cousins unfolded broad, milky wings like the flowing white hanbok of Joseon scholars, soaring away in majestic curves. Journeying by bicycle turns the body into an engine. A bicycle traveler doesn’t measure speed, distance, gradient or temperature by dials on a dashboard, but rather on their skin and in their muscles, gut and bones. A direct and intimate con- nection, physical and emotional, binds the rider to the land they travel. Every bump, crack and dip is transmitted up through the frame and along the spine. Each twist and turn of the road is felt through the handle- bars’ movement, from the fingertips up to the neck. The accumulating miles wear on tiring joints, but even with eyes closed, the precise texture and topography of the land can be sensed — from the finest pebbles or blades of grass to the broad contours of a mountain range. In meditation, conscious breathing tech- niques are used to anchor oneself in real- ity, as feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. The rider’s breath is a con- stant presence; by concentrating on the cadence of inhalation and exhalation, they may come to perceive a reality drenched in rhythm: There’s the heartbeat and the perpetual pulse of pedal over pedal to the metronomic click of the chain; there are the wavelengths of the rolling, winding road and the bending coastline, lapped by the ebb and flow of the sea; and each day there are regular cycles of hunger, al- ternating periods of grinding exertion and overwhelming pleasure, oscillating illusions of boundless energy and insurmountable fatigue, all played out under the scorching gaze of the sun. In a world suffused with such sensory stimulation, you can become completely absorbed in a profound appreciation of the moment. And this is the very essence of A u t o m o b i l e s a r e s o l d w i t h h o l l o w p r o m i s e s o f t h e f e e l i n g s t h e y c a n i n s p i r e , b u t i n r e a l i t y t h e y’re a i r-c o n d i t i o n e d , s o u n d p r o o f e d c o c o o n s d e s i g n e d t o c u s h i o n , d e t a c h a n d i s o l a t e u s f r o m o u r s u r r o u n d i n g s .