Springtime Take Two

Hi, all! We're here enjoying our second spring in southern South Korea, and if you remember last year's post, spring here is all about the cherry blossoms. Unlike last year however, we didn't go far to enjoy them. We stayed right here in sleepy little Goheung and took a stroll down every Gohoug-ers favorite springtime street.

Cherry blossoms only bloom for about ten days, so when they do it is quite the event. Schools take their employees on staff trips in the middle of the day to go see the flowers, young girls walk farther than they ever have in high heels to get a good picture all dolled up against a backdrop of pink, and new parents can be seen sprinkling petals over their babies for family photos. It also brings out an amusing (or annoying depending on who you ask) habit that is the pet peeve of many foreigners in rural Korea. That is, the tendency to drive slowly in the blind spots of windy street corners with heads out the window to get a glimpse, or even stop completely in the middle of the road to get out and admire. This can make driving especially hazardous, but most locals are aware to be careful of pedestrians where pedestrians really maybe shouldn't be for about a week.

It's a bit hard to see (sorry, phone photo) but you can make out the cherry blossom street winding down the hillside to the bay as it's lined with pink. This spot happens to be the only 100 meters or so of the road that has a sidewalk and photo-zone, but that doesn't stop people (including J&I from walking it's entirety right down the center lane.

So J and I participated, like you do, and got off the bus on the side of the road where there are no sidewalks and just walked. We walked for about three hours down the one windy street in Goheung that everyone knows has the best flower viewing. Completely lined on both sides with cherry blossom trees, it leads around a mountain and down to the bay where there are parks and pop-up food tents more suitable to foot traffic.

The day was clear and relatively polution-free for the spring. Hooray!

Other than the cherry blossoms, there's not much to say. It's been a typical, windy, temperamentally-temperatured, slightly smoggy (thanks, China) springtime. It has, of course, been nice to hang our laundry without wearing gloves, and not have the clothing freeze on the line. So in that respect, thank you spring... But really, I'm just waiting for summer.

Cheers!
-K