Motivations

Working in Seoul since March 2002 has left me suffering from a very serious case of big-city blues. It's time to put what I suspect is becoming a case of malsise about Korea behind me and get out and explore this country, its culture and people. What better way to renergise and develop a positive outlook than by saddling up on my alloy steed and taking to the backstreets and country roads of western / south-western Korea en route to Busan?

For most foreigners residing in the land of the morning calm, not only haven't they ventured very far out of Seoul, one of north-east Asia's greatest megalopolis, but the proposition is about as appealing as having a handful of kimchi rubbed in their eyes. You'll always hear how the city "is a horrible place" and absolutely representative of Korea. But in my humble opinion, nothing could be further from the truth.

Seoul is not Korea and Seoulites are not typical of Koreans. For me, the reality is that Seoul is a second-class city -- in international terms anyway -- trying desperately to take a step up and prove that it's all that and more.

Lacking a soul, pardon the pun, as a result of devastation during the Korean War, it's basically a sea of concrete apartment complexes illuminated by mesmerising neon lights and interspersed with snaking freeways. The occasional splash of sanity-preserving green space still survives and believe it or not, are actually growing at the behest of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's greening policies.

As with any big city suffering from the weight of population pressure, a plethora of changes are underway and the Seoul that we know today will be a much more habitable, if not completely unrecognisable place by the time 2010 rolls around.

But I digress: In a nutshell, I need to undertake this trip because it represents a massive physical challenge, a fantastic way to recharge my batteries and a means to discovering the "real Korea."

Cycling Equipment List

Bike -- Specialized Rockhopper Comp (full Shimano XT upgrade) and clipless pedals
Computer -- Cateye CC-CD300DW
Lights -- Cateye front (opti Power Cube) and rear (standard disco-flashing edition)
Rack -- Old Man Mountain Red Rock
Panniers -- Arkel XM-45 (45 litres)
Shoes -- Diadora Caymano
Shorts -- Specialized
Jersey -- MEC
Gloves -- MEC
Eyewear -- no-name Taiwan clear cheapies
Helmet -- Alpina

Tomorrow: Let the Ride Commence.