Gangneung: A Peaceful Vacation Place

Written and photographed by Natsuho Tsuda

 

One day, my mother said, “I will come to Korea. I have booked a ticket!” That was five days before making the trip. I was upset because it was too sudden, and I had no idea about where I should take her because, like me, she also studied abroad here in the past and knows a lot about Korea. At the time of the proposed trip, the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics were being held, and we were so excited about it that we decided to go to Gangneung (강릉), which is near Pyeongchang, to feel the atmosphere of the Olympics and to explore a new place.

For my mother, the Olympics in Korea is something special, as the 1988 Seoul Olympics took place when she was here studying and working as a translator. Now, I am following the same path, so we cannot help feeling a strong connection between ourselves and Gangneung.

Gangneung is located in Gangwon Province in the northeastern part of South Korea. By bus, it takes about two and a half hours from Seoul and about five hours from Gwangju. Because of its location, Gangneung is the place that gets the most snowfall in South Korea, so it is really famous for its resorts and for enjoying winter sports like skiing or snowboarding. I had a strong image of Gangneung as only a place for enjoying winter attractions because of the Olympics; however, I now know there are so many other attractions there.

Actually, Gangneung is a harbor town. When I checked the tourist map, there were so many beaches (approximately four or five), so we visited the seaside nearest our guest house, Sacheon Beach (사천해변). It was so large and seemed to continue for as far as the horizon, clearly visible without any obstructions such as high buildings. I felt like I had the sea view all to myself because there were not many people around. Although it still does not meet the sightseeing quality of Haeundae in Busan, it was really calm, and I felt like staying all day on the beach even though the temperature was 10 to 15 degrees below zero and my mother and I were almost freezing.

Because of this coldness, we were really eager to get something warm to drink. Near the seaside, there were so many cafés that we had a hard time choosing which one to visit. Actually, Gangwon Province is also famous for a coffee called “coffee mecca.” This was created by Park Yi-chu, a first-generation barista who started a coffeeshop there. From this humble beginning, there are now many things related to coffee in the area: a coffee museum, a coffee academy, a coffee festival, and a café street at another beach, Anmok Beach (안목해변). Moreover, the local tourist information center offers a map book for coffee shops that includes countless cafés. So, I think that for coffee lovers like me, Gangneung is the best place to enjoy coffee in Korea.

Finally, we decided on a café named “Shelly Café,” located just in front of Sacheon Beach. The building’s appearance was really cute, and it seemed that we had strayed into a nostalgic house drawn up in a fairytale, complete with fancy vintage-looking furniture. There were various types of coffee and some cakes offered. On the menu, an explanation about each coffee was also included, so we chose the coffee that best suited our taste. The shop had two floors, and the view from the window of the second floor was amazing. It seemed like we were looking at a framed picture of the sea accompanied by the beautiful sounds of waves and birds.

Traveling is always about food, especially in Korea. So during the trip, we of course enjoyed the local food. Near Gangneung Station, there is one big market, Gangneung Jungang Market (강릉중앙시장), where one can taste a lot of delicious local foods. My recommendation here is to taste jang-kalguksu (장칼국수). This is a variation of kalguksu, a noodle made from rice. Usually, kalguksu is just noodles with seaweed, beaten eggs, and vegetables. However, in Gangneung, it can also include some seafoods, since it is a harbor town, and spicy seasoning that makes you so warm despite the winter temperatures. Actually, since there are several of these restaurants located close together, if you pass by, you cannot help but stop at one of them because of the attractive smell.

Of course, there are various other foods I would like to recommend. One is coffee bread (커피빵). This is a small bread pastry with a coffee taste made in the shape of coffee beans. Also, there is jeon (전), a Korean crepe made from buckwheat flour whose texture is really soft, or sundubu (순두부), which tastes extra fresh thanks in part to Gangneung’s naturally clean water and air. You should not return home without trying these foods.

One more thing I would like to mention is the hospitality in Gangneung. I am still amazed by the Korean people’s hospitality, which made my experience so enjoyable. Sometimes this hospitality causes unexpected miracles.

In Gangneung, I felt this so strongly. When we asked the local people about things like the best place to see or good food to try, they gave us more information than expected. For example, in a taxi, when we asked about Gangneung, the drivers explained things to us as if they were our local tour guides.

The most impressive experience came from a convenience store ajumma (older lady). On the way to Sacheon Beach, we could not find a taxi to take us there, so we asked the storeowner to call one for us. However, because of the Olympics, she could not get one, so she finally ended up taking us to the beach in her own car even though she had to close up her shop to do so. This level of hospitality made us want to come back again and reminded me that interacting with local people is the most valuable part of traveling.

In my opinion, traveling opens up new worlds that allow us to escape from reality. However, this time I traveled like I was living there. Everything was comfortable. The cozy cafés, beautiful beaches, warm food, kind people, and calm atmosphere removed the coldness from the body with the warmth created in our hearts. This peaceful feeling gave us time to look back on our lives after coming to Korea and to share our experiences together.

Summer is coming. In Gangneung, the temperature will be cooler than in Gwangju. How about visiting there to relax near the seaside, drink coffee, and experience the calm atmosphere?

THE AUTHOR
Natsuho Tsuda is a Japanese exchange student at Chonnam National University, studying English language and literature, and is also currently volunteering for GIC Talk. Natsuho loves traveling, sharing experiences with others, and learning new things about the world.