By Honorary Reporter Jovana Svedic from Serbia

Photos = Jovana Svedic

My friend on Nov. 12 invited me to go to Sokcho, Gangwon-do Province, with her and her family. This trip opened my eyes to how special the city is as a tourist destination. 

Sokcho Beach

Starting our journey in Seoul, we discussed on the way how driving and travel differ in Korea and Serbia. In addition to noticing the road conditions, speed limits and traffic volume, I was most surprised by the rest stops on the highway packed with stores, restaurants, cafes and even parks for dogs. 

Upon arrival in Sokcho, we explored the renowned Sokcho Tourist Fish Market and saw so many things to buy, especially dried fish.

Sokcho Tourist Fish Market

Later we headed to the harbor to visit the magnificent Yeonggeumjeong Pavilion and see an impressive view of the East Sea. I had to approach the water and was surprised to see that we didn't just scale ordinary rocks to reach the sea but enormous (and sadly dead) coral reefs draped in moss and the cutest tiny shells. This was truly a breathtaking site.

Yeonggeumjeong Pavilion

We arrived at a fish restaurant and joined the rest of my friend's family. We ate the food there along with homemade ajvar (Serbian roasted red pepper sauce) that I brought from my homeland. We mixed the sauce with our meal to find the best pairing, with ajvar-infused fried rice being the best. 

We shared travel stories in our two countries over dakgangjeong (crispy fried chicken glazed in a sweet, tangy and spicy sauce), fruity wine, beer and the traditional Serbian liquor rakija. The night ended with me and my friend singing karaoke with her family.

Heavy rain the next morning didn't stop us from pursuing our schedule. We drove to our next destination, the Buddhist temple of Sinheungsa. Photos can only capture a tiny portion of the beauty of the temple and its landscape, with the gloomy sky, changing leaves, fog and light rain enhancing Sinheungsa's mystique and atmosphere.

Sinheungsa Temple

Afterwards, we went to a tea shop with snacks that perfectly complemented the marigold tea we had with a gorgeous glass tea set. 

Tea house

This was one of my best road trips in Korea, as I got to not only see the best of Sokcho over a weekend but also learned more about Korean culture and lifestyle, made new friends and created lifelong memories.

kalhong617@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.