I decided to walk around Jindo and see what the town was about. What I came across after first stepping out of the bus terminal was a river where a few men were doing what looked like some washing.
I went into a stationary store, bought an eraser that made me feel like I was going to go to school as an adolescent in Korea, took some photos of local flowers overflowing the walls enclosing a private home...
and then, as I was taking photos of the varied rooftops and gates in town (colors, textures, etc.) ...
(I found it interesting that these two gates were right next to each other; the obviously very new and the obviously very weathered and old.)
...somewhere behind me, I heard a young voice say in Korean, “Nah-doo sah-jin jji-guh joo sae-yo.” Translates: Take a picture of me too please.
I turned around and saw these two schoolgirls; I asked them, do you want me to take your photos? They immediately replied yes. So, I had them stand again the gate and proceeded to shoot a couple. I am not sure what to say about them, look for yourself. It seems that their style of hair was rather ubiquitous in the country; I saw it everywhere.
I kid you not, this is EXACTLY how these two posed for me.
I am not sure what to say about them. I think the above shots speak for themselves.
This was just another gate to a home I came across. It's fascinating, the juxtaposition of so many gates like this next to so many more modern buildings.
As it was cooling down and getting darker, I went in search of my resting place for the night. This motel was the least interesting of all of them and actually, I think the most expensive.
The next morning I got up “early” and went in search of the bus that would take me to the folk museum I was interested in going to go see. I had watched a movie several years back, “Chi-wah San” whose subject was this famous artist/painter from back in the dynasty days who painted for his majesty, and I was curious to see if it might be this particular artist. It wasn’t, lol.
The museum was on this fairly large parcel of land about 15-20 minutes from Jindo proper. The bus dropped me off right in front of it. I went up to the teller, paid a rather high fee (as I was literally the ONLY one there), and proceeded to stroll around on the grounds of where this folk artist used to live; found my way to a mini museum of his work and work done by generations of family after him. It took me like an hour or two, max, to get through all of this stuff.
This is how weeds are pulled and grass is cut. A bunch of ahjuhmas grouped together, with hand shears, cutting and pulling away.
This is the artists' estate as you enter.
This is a closer look into the grounds of his home.
The artist I went to see is the one at the top of this lineage. At the bottom (the most modern photo) is an artist in this lineage who is currently alive and apparently has made a name for himself.
This is some of the modern artists' work. He is known for his stylistic fog and clouds.
I wanted to take more photos of the work in the gallery (I wasn't using flash) but, because of the dim lighting, it made it difficult.
I went back to where the bus dropped me off to see about my return ride, only to find out that the next bus wasn’t due for like 2-3 hours. Now this might not be a problem exactly, but my bus OUT of Jindo to go to my next stop was in like one hour. So, then I ask about getting a taxi, cursing to myself already about how much one was going to cost etc., when a very nice man, I believe one of the gardeners for the folk artists' estate, offered me a ride back. As the woman in the ticket booth did not seem concerned with this man offering, nor did the other man who worked for the place, it being daylight and me having a pair of trekking poles I could whip out for good whipping use (should the need arise), I accepted this ride.
Along the way, the guy was making conversation with me, the usual where are you from, what are you doing out here, explained the bus times…and at some point, I was mentioning that I was a little bummed because I hadn’t quite figured out where the National Jindo-gae Research Center was, and it was the one other thing I had wanted to do.
This ahjussi being the nice guy he came off to be, offered to take me there as it was along the way back and it was no problem. He knew exactly where it was. So, to my very merry delight, I was able to go to the National Jindo-Gae Research Center.
I wanted to see Jindo-gaes in real life and here they were, tons of them. There were even a few puppies in the front that were allowed to roam freely for the public. Totally cute.
This white puppy RAN towards me when I came up to the gate. He was so happy for attention and petting love. I wanted to take him to the States with me.
The ones in the cages were rather yappy. I don't know why
The ahjussi then took me to the bus terminal (after handing me a CD of what I think are Christian sermons) and wished me well (see folks, one can hitchhike and not get killed… ok ok, so I didn’t tell my mom this part, but really, it’s SOUTH South Korea, they are like country folk – and if I had died…well I had already accepted that potentiality and was ok with it).
I caught my bus in time and was on my way to Boseung, land of green tea plantations!!
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