May 15th was Hanyang University’s anniversary and so most classes were cancelled. To make the most of this day off, my friends and I decided to go to have a picnic by the Han river. We got off at Ttukseom Resort and was immediately greeted by some elderly workers handing out food advertisements and menus. While some people might pack food in advance for picnics, it’s not necessary in Korea. The food delivery system here is so diligent, most workers are able to meet up with you anywhere as long as they have a description of where to go. Because of this, it’s quite common to just order food to your picnic, which is what we decided to do. If you’re not sure how to describe where you are in Korean, it’s easiest to just tell the delivery man to meet you by the nearest station exit.
The most popular kind of food for university to eat by the riverside is chicken, pizza, and beer. Families, on the other hand, might be more likely to just make themselves sandwiches, kimbap, fruit, and other typical picnic foods. Be aware however, that you will most likely need a Korean phone number to properly order food. We were able to order two boxes of food for 6 friends and we bought some beer at a nearby convenience store. There were a lot of people around us who brought small sized tents to have their picnic in, which I thought was a practical idea to keep the sun rays and bugs out while still being able to enjoy the weather.
After our lunch, we decided to travel to a station called Bus Express Terminal, which is a big station amidst a large shopping area. We walked around for a bit but after an hour, we didn’t really find any shops that caught our eye, so instead, we decided to leave the station and head towards to Han river again. Here, we found a place that rented bikes. While I forget the exact number, the price for 2 hours was definitely less than 10,000 won. I definitely recommend biking by the river, with friends or by yourself, as way to exercise or relax. It was a beautiful day to be out and windy enough to keep us cool as we tried to race each other. One thing to take note of is that the bike trail is one lane so if you decided to go with your friends, try to not go side-by-side because those who may want to pass by your group will need to speed up on the left.
After 2 hours, we returned our bike and spent a good portion of the night just hanging out by the river along with a crowd of other people. Overall, it was an amazing way to spend the day.
You must be logged in to post a comment.