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Published: February 8th 2012
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For many of us foreigners living in South Korea, there’s something about Sunday night. It’s
that one night you occasionally find yourself missing the comforts of home. More so, the
Sunday night dinner tradition that many expats are used to back home. For me, Sunday night
is “roast night” with my family, so moving to a place where the idea of a roast was virtually
nonexistent took a bit of getting used to.
So you can imagine my surprise and delight last Sunday, when things took a turn for the
better. My friends and I had been hanging out at Chuncheon’s famous Gongjicheon Park,
sunbathing, playing in the fountain, and even running through it because the weather was
so warm. We suddenly received a call from our Korean friend who invited us to Hongcheon
River for a spot of fishing and dinner as the sun went down.
Hongcheon River is located in Hongcheon in Gangwon Province in South Korea. Hongcheon
is a lovely place - three times bigger than Seoul. To the left of Hongcheon is Chuncheon -
and the two places share many similarities. This is no urban jungle, but rather the best the
country lifestyle has to
offer you – with sunflowers and other flowers bursting all over the
place, mountains in the distance, and the smell of the country air in your nostrils.
Our friend came to pick us up (we were still soaking wet from the fountain) and we
departed for Hongcheon River. Our friend bought his Korean parents along, as well as his
grandmother. His grandmother was a lovely lady with white hair and well into her 80s – not
that you would know it from the way she walked and talked (In Korean of course, but she did
manage to say the words “New Zealand – Beautiful”) which made me smile.
We arrived at Hongcheon River – some 143 kms in length and eventually flowing into
Cheongpyeong Lake. There were these makeshift tables already set up, in the water! Luckily
the tables were only set up on the water’s edge. It was magical, as we all took off our shoes
and dunked our feet into the warm water. Hongcheon River is a shallow river with warm
water and there is plenty of potential to swim. In the hottest months, it is the place to go for
foreigners and Koreans alike who
are desperate to escape the heat.
Next thing we knew, it was fishing time, so we rolled up our pants, and were given fishing
rods to use. We made our way deeper into the river, and as we were doing so the sun began
to set behind the mountains. It was an amazing moment as everywhere we looked there were
mountains, and as the sun departed, a purple - orange light covered the sky. There wasn’t
much sound, which made the ‘plop’ of the sea as it hit against our legs more peaceful.
Our friend felt a tugging, and started pulling, and low and behold she had caught a fish. The
family cheered, and it turns out this was going to be dinner later on.
Everyone worked together to catch fish after fish. The Koreans knew what they were doing
–and caught a ridiculous amount of fish. And once the sun set, we came back to our table
and the Koreans took the catch and started making an almighty feast. A giant soup, with
whole fish in it (or split into two so you had the choice of the head or the tail), noodles, and
spices in
it. Some of the fish were thrown straight onto the fire, and there little screams were
extinguished as the heat robbed them of their life force. I must commend the Koreans for so
quickly gutting these fish and getting them ready.
Kimchi was also prepared, and we were given these boiling hot bowls of soup. I was startled
at first by the fishes head staring at me…and even more by the tail, but you know what they
say ‘when in Rome’ so I dived my spoon in head first and tasted the sweet broth. The dad
kept offering us Soju, and wouldn’t stop refilling our soup bowls until we promised we were
full.
But that was not the only food that was prepared for us, as we were also offered rice cakes,
fried chicken, Soju and beer poured by the head of the household. We all sat together moving
our legs back and forth as the sun finally said goodbye. We all ate our soup, only stopping
briefly to ask for some more fish, or spice, or noodles, or all of the above. And all I could
think was what an amazing way to spend a Sunday
– with good friends, good surroundings
and good food.
After dinner, it was Ramen time, and we talked in the best English we could to
the parents about how much we adored Korean food, and their hospitality. They gave us
some good tips about the river – including what a great place it is to barbeque in the summer
months. And there are a range of tables to sit on, as well as plenty of opportunities to fish,
swim, or both.
Hongcheon River may not offer the party lifestyle of Seoul – but for a nice and relaxing
Sunday night dinner with all the trimmings, this is the place to head. There is nothing more
peaceful than watching the sun go down at Hongcheon River – whilst the water gently laps
around your ankles. One tip – bring your camera.
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