Ahoy, Mateys!

Rafting & Bungee Jumping
http://www.adventurekorea.com/ouradventure/calendar_content.asp?id=calendar&RowNo=411

• cost: W48,000
• location: Hantan River in Cheorwon, Gangwon-do/한탄강, 철원, 강원도

Today was spent doing one of my favorite things to do once the Korean summer hits: rafting and bungee jumping. I may not be an adrenaline junkie, but the heat of the season does require an occasional dip in a river. Since most rivers in the Seoul area are not suitable for this, the job then falls to Adventure Korea to take us foreigners on a day-trip to the wilderness.

The main draws for the trip are that it's organized, there are staff who speak English, and it's almost 100% guaranteed fun. The bus leaves from either Hongdae (Line #2, Hongik Univ. Station/홍대입구역, exit #1) at 07:00 or from the Express Bus Terminal (Lines #3 and #7, Express Bus Terminal/고속터미널, exit #8) at 07:30. From there, the tour moves on to the rafting site at the Hantan River, with one rest stop made along the way for people to change into their swimsuits.

Once at the rafting site, the crowd of foreigners is asked to divide itself into "teams" of nine. These "teams" will be on a boat together, along with a guide, and then they will be given a brief introduction to the dos and don'ts of rating on the Hantan. Don't worry, this isn't white-water rafting by any stretch of the imagination. While there are a few rapids, the majority of the time is spent playing games that result in at least half the boat in the water.


After cruising down the river for about 7 or 8 kilometers, the time as come to get out of the water and back onto dry land. A short bus ride later, and Adventure Korea members are taken to the lunch location, complete with a shower room. Change out of your wet clothes, and then tuck into a Korean-style buffet lunch before going on to the bungee jumping site. Light lunches are recommended for those who plan on jumping, as well as refraining from the beer.

The final stop of the day is the bungee jump, the only one in Korea that is done from a bridge. The price of the jump is not included in the tour, and will cost an extra W30,000 if going by one's waist... and an extra W35,000 if by the ankles. The jump is 52m in height, and no refunds are given if you chicken out. Deliberate carefully before shelling out the won, should you not be able to leave the platform.

The bungee jump can be a bit tedious, however. With more than 30 people usually jumping during an Adventure Korea trip, it can take a few hours. With your own jump lasting only a few minutes, the down time can prove to be boring. Thankfully, the scenery is gorgeous, and there is a mart that sells both beer and ice cream just down the way from where the spectators sit.


Finally, are you wondering about the title of this post? Thank the guide that was with my boat today... With his decision to steal people from other boats as we passed, he made our "team" feel all the more piratey. Looking to pilfer and plunder in northeastern Korea!

I'll be going on this trip again next week...