A Shut-in Nomad's Summer Wanderings in the Arboretum
I proudly declared to the world that I would live as a digital nomad, but looking back at some point, I found myself stuck in my room, glued to my chair, just working endlessly without ever stepping out. It was the weekend, right in the middle of the vacation season, and I didn't want to get squeezed into the crowds of vacationers all over the country, yet it felt unfair to remain trapped in my room. On a day when a heat wave warning of over 30 degrees Celsius was issued, I wondered who in their right mind would visit an arboretum tucked away in the deep mountain valleys of Yeongwol and Bonghwa. Seeking out the most unpopular-sounding spot, the destination I found was the National Baekdudaegan Arboretum. I started my journey by refueling my trusty steed, which would flatten out the winding mountain roads for me.
As I left Seoul and crossed the border into Gyeonggi-do, an unexpected passenger joined my lonely drive. A green grasshopper flew in from somewhere and quietly hitched a free ride on the car's hood. Even as we sped through the wind, it looked quite bold, crouching close to the car body with its sharp legs. However, perhaps realizing early on that I was a rather boring driver, it soon hopped over to the bumper of the car in front of me. Leaving behind that short encounter with my little green friend on the road, I stepped on the accelerator again.
After driving for over three hours on winding roads from Seoul, I finally arrived at the National Baekdudaegan Arboretum located in Bonghwa, Gyeongsangbuk-do. As I walked up to the ticket window and said, "One adult, please," the ticket seller looked at me with a puzzled expression and asked back, "Just one person?" Looking around, there were only families and couples; it seemed I was the only one walking in alone in this scorching heat. When I paid the 5,000 won admission fee, they handed me a 2,000 won local gift certificate that could be used like cash within Bonghwa County. Since I essentially got to stroll through this vast national arboretum for 3,000 won, my mood was great right from the start.
Passing through the shaded gabion stone pillar tunnel at the entrance and entering the main outdoor garden, the dense, lush greenness I had yearned for wrapped around my entire body. Since it was midsummer, it was hard to expect a whole flowerbed in full, brilliant spring bloom, but summer flowers caught my eye, proudly holding their ground and showing off their colors in the hot sunlight. The first to greet me was 'Echinacea' (purple coneflower), with its impressive spike-shaped central flower head. Its pale yellow-white petals drooped slightly downward as it rose toward the sky from the tip of its sturdy stem; it is a resilient aster family flower well-known as a medicinal plant good for immunity. Next to it, a single rose bloomed, catching my eye with its exceptionally vivid and intense red hue. When I checked the variety name, I found it had the cool name of 'Superstar Rose'. It certainly lived up to its name, blooming wide with layers of red petals without withering in the sweltering heat. Walking a bit further up, a unique flower with dark red spots on an orange background emerged from the grass. It is the 'tiger lily' (Belamcanda chinensis, commonly known as leopard lily or blackberry lily), native to our land. It was named because its split leaves resemble a fan and the spots on the petals resemble tiger skin, which blended wonderfully with the atmosphere of the Baekdudaegan Arboretum, famous for its Tiger Forest. While it would be much more gorgeous in the bright spring when flowers bloom, the vivid vitality of these summer wildflowers met here and there had its own deep, poetic charm.
After looking at the flowers, I was heading up toward the destination where the Tiger Forest is located, when a yellow tram shaped like a cute tiger passed along the road in the distance. My original plan was to walk leisurely to the top of the arboretum and then comfortably take that tiger tram back down. However, it didn't take long for me to realize that this was a completely wrong decision. This was because the entire arboretum was designed as a slope rising along a gentle mountain. Walking up the uphill slope on my own feet and taking the tram when coming down meant I had the order completely backward. Properly speaking, I should have taken the tram up first and then walked down the cool forest path.
But since I had already started, what could I do? I decided to slow my pace down on purpose. Although sweat soaked my forehead under the blazing sun, billowing clouds passed by at just the right moments, briefly blocking the stinging sunlight, and dense tree branches created a thick shade over my head. Just as I was getting tired, a cool breeze blowing from the mountain valley cooled down my entire body. Walking completely at my own pace and breathing speed without having to worry about others, the frustration that had accumulated while staring only at the monitor in my room finally seemed to wash away. Walking slowly at my own pace without thinking about the time, I feel like this is what real rest is.
After walking up the hill for a long time, a beautiful pond appeared, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds like a painting on its transparent surface. It was a place with the lovely name 'Mirror Pond'. Looking at the aquatic plants and the scenery of the sky reflected so clearly in the clean water, Narcissus from mythology suddenly came to mind. Like Narcissus, who lost his mind after falling in love with his own reflection in the water, I almost got drunk on this scenery myself. Fortunately, my face reflected in the water was that of a tired traveler drenched in sweat, so I returned to reality quickly. Passing the pond, I walked along the sign for 'Alpine House' located at the top. Since high-mountain plants were on display, I walked in inwardly expecting a cool greenhouse with blasting air conditioning, but to my surprise, it was a glass greenhouse with no cooling facilities, with a plastic greenhouse roof designed to replicate the native environment of high-mountain regions. It felt even hotter inside than under the outdoor sun, so I quickly took in the view of the clear pond reservoir and hurried along. This was because the long-awaited public viewing time for the tiger enclosure was approaching.
The highlight of the Baekdudaegan Arboretum is undoubtedly the Siberian tigers living in the spacious natural enclosure. However, in a heat wave like this, I was informed that they were operating shortened viewing hours because the tigers also couldn't beat the heat and refused to come out of their dens. I didn't expect much, as they said the tigers wouldn't come out even if the keepers prepared plenty of food. But to my surprise, as soon as I arrived in front of the enclosure, incredible luck was waiting for me. As it turned out, today was 'International Tiger Day', which happens only twice a year, and it was also this tiger's birthday! Under normal circumstances, the fellow wouldn't have come out due to the heat, but to eat the special treat of a colorful ice birthday cake prepared with care by the keepers, he had walked out majestically onto the wooden platform. Just looking at his magnificent posture and sharp gaze faced through the wire mesh was overwhelming enough to give me goosebumps. The hardship of trudging up through the sweltering heat felt completely rewarded in this single moment.
After finishing the tour, I stopped by the arboretum cafe to soothe my tired body and quench my thirst. I ordered a drink because the color was unusual, but I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw its visual appearance. It was a bizarre combination of a yellow Mountain Dew drink topped with an espresso shot. What kind of brilliant developer would think of putting coffee on top of Mountain Dew? Taking a sip, the fizzy carbonation and bitter coffee mixed together, creating a very grotesque taste, almost as if cigarette ashes had been flicked into Mountain Dew. Fortunately, the chewy butter rice cake I ordered with it was savory and sweet, which neutralized the bizarre taste of the drink.
I wanted to have a special meal in downtown Bonghwa after leaving the arboretum, but unable to find a suitable local specialty restaurant, I ended up getting on the highway on my way back. But isn't a service area meal also an indispensable delicacy on a road trip? Around 7:30 PM, when it had already grown dark, I parked my car at the Gyeonggi Gwangju Service Area. I took a seat at a Korean restaurant and ordered a sizzling soft tofu stew and a hot pot spicy pork stir-fry set. When I took a spoonful of the spicy, bubbling soft tofu soup along with side dishes neatly served in brass bowls, the fatigue accumulated over the day seemed to melt away. A hearty meal at a service area after a long drive and walking in the sweltering heat was indeed the most perfect dot at the end of the sentence.
The summer arboretum in Bonghwa that I set out for on a whim, escaping from the days of just lying in my room and working. From the sweat shed on the uphill path, to the quirky memory of the cigarette-ash-flavored drink, and the impressive encounter with the tiger celebrating his birthday. It was a day that was more exciting because it didn't go as planned. Even when I return to my daily routine and sit in my chair in the corner of my room, the green scenery and the tough vitality of the wildflowers I met along the way today will likely fill my heart for a long time.