I've been wanting to go on the Hwangpo Sailboat rides along the Yeongsan River for several months now, but I had been holding back and waiting for someone to go with me. Finally I had my chance because I had a friend visit me during my vacation period, so I dragged her there. It was a scorcher of a day with a heat index of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit; thankfully on the water it was much cooler with a breeze.
You can take the 160 bus from Naju bus terminal and get off at the first stop once the bus crosses the river to get to the boat rides. It is fairly obvious to see from the bridge that crosses the river. We were charged 8,000 won per person for the ride, even though the sign said it was only 4,000....I am not sure if we were ripped off or if it had something to do with the time of day, season, or etc that we were charged more. Before paying you are required to fill out an info sheet with your names, contact info, gender, and show an ID to get your ticket. Life vests must be worn while riding the boats as well.
We rode the boat with a group of 5 older men who were clearly enjoying themselves. They offered us everything from beer, makgeolli and soju to drink, which we politely turned down. So instead they gave us ice cream and wouldn't take no for an answer. The guys tried really hard to strike up a conversation with us, where we were from and why we were in Korea. They told us we looked beautiful, pretty, and like barbies.... they wanted to make it clear that they thought we were pretty ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ. Flattering or too much?? They even wanted to take photos with us...and even though they sent us some pictures I know it wasn't all of them. It was a bit amusing though, as they had my friend pose with one of them and do a 'Titanic' pose at the bow of the boat. He was respectful, posing with her while making sure not to make body contact with her. Since they were drinking they got to be a little too much toward the end of our trip, but thankfully enough one of the guys told his friends to knock it off and just leave us be, which I appreciated. The guy driving the boat was looking out for us too, making sure the men didn't overstep any boundaries and even told us both once to move seats so that we could sit in the shade and not get sun burnt. He seemed like a nice man.
The river was a bright green due to lots of algae accumulation in the water. I overheard the men on board the boat talking about how the river resembled a green tea latte. ㅋㅋㅋ I think it was an appropriate comparison. It made me curious why so much algae was growing in the river. I wonder if it is because fertilizer from all the nearby agricultural land is getting into the water systems and causing algal blooms in this summer heat. Nevertheless the river was beautiful.
We saw this rock formation on the cliff side while on the trip that is famous as well, as it is supposed to resemble a man and woman kissing. From a distance you really could see the image in the cliff face. It was cool to see, but I was unable to get a decent picture of it. The river and surrounding area itself was really gorgeous, with the green water, mountains, and cranes flying past. Taking a traditional style sailboat along a river that historically was a main route for inland trading was a unique cultural experience that I am glad I finally was able to try.
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