A Very Korean Road Trip (Day 1)

As warmer weather tries to wipe out the remaining doldrums of winter, flowers and trees are beginning to bloom. Well-known in Japan, cherry blossoms are popular throughout Korea, as well; but nowhere are they as beautiful as along the southern coast. Every year, in celebration of the delicate, cottony blossoms; a festival is held in the small city of Jinhae. When Joey, our Korean friend, offered to take us on a road trip to see the beautiful blooms, it didn't take much convincing—we were in. 

After renting a van Saturday morning, we set off on the open highway for the drive down south. Because South Korea is roughly the size of Indiana, the trip from one end to the other is only four hours so there was plenty of time for our quick weekend getaway. As we entered the coastal city, our van came to a standstill. The cherry blossom festival is one of the most well-known spring celebrations in Korea and thousands of people from around the country flock down for the festivities. In need of an escape route from the traffic, we stopped off at a set of railroad tracks for some humorous photo shoot opportunities among hundreds of cherry blossom trees too chilly to bloom. 

A few blooms braved the cool weather for us!

Damsels in distress

Saved just in time!

Bumper to bumper we followed cars into the town center for the festival. As we grew closer, the cherry blossom trees became more abundant and even more beautiful. Gone were the small, shy buds; now replaced by larger silky petals. Out of the car and under the cover of a low-hanging tent, we joined the crowd in the excitement of small town fair festivities. Booth lined pathways were covered with food, merchandise, and games. The typical homemade crafts found at American festivals were absent leaving room for a variety of other unnecessary objects: pantyhose, knee-length socks, off-brand shoes (Z Balance instead of New Balance); and random head accessories including masks, hats, and hair bands. Most of the game booths were similar to those found at carnivals: darts and balloons, darts and dart boards, BB guns and targets, baseballs and cans; however, the option of liquor as a prize drew more adults to the game tables than children.

More interesting than the goods and games was the food. Although cotton candy was present, other typical fair food (funnel cakes, hot dogs, fried twinkies) was expectantly unavailable. Because of Jinhae's close proximity to the ocean, seafood was abundant and colorfully displayed at each booth. Live purple octopus, red sea urchin, and black whale meat sat in close proximity with other exciting dishes such as silk worm larvae, eel, and roasted pig. After checking out our options, we settled on a delicious dish of roasted pork with a side of ketchup salad (literally ketchup on a bed of cabbage).

 

Cherry blossoms in a more advanced stage of blooming.

Welcome to Jinhae!

The tent coverings were a wee bit short, as were the dangling light bulbs.

Firing up the kitchen for...

Silk worm larvae

An assortment of slimy "under the sea" creatures

Tiny, dead octopuses

Not so tiny, and very much alive octopus

Whale meat

Dessert

One of MANY pigs on a spit

Enjoying the delicious roasted pork with chopsticks, of course.

After a full day of traveling and playing, we were all growing tired and ready to relax. In an effort to save money and gain another Korean experience, we forfeited the option of a hotel and decided to stay the night in a jimjilbong (Korean bath house); which is where the story really gets interesting...