At the end of last autumn, cycled around padyatri's mom's hometown, the far northern region of the province surrounding Daegu 대구. Mom's parents lived in a small village near Hwaseo 화서 when she was born, in which she had witnessed the historical moments like the independence from Japan and the Korean war. The grandparents now rest in peace at the nearby hill with a good view, and the uncle and aunt below them, too.
Parked at Hwaseo township office in the morning, and headed southwards towards Hwanggan 황간 along the typical rural road. It was a little bit chilly, chillier than Daegu. Passed small villages and arrived at the bottom of the mountain pass. Like other people, Mother had to cross the high mountain pass named Subong Jae 수봉재 on foot to travel to and from Hwanggan, where a railway station is located. She doesn’t remember how long it took to walk from her village to the railway station. However, she said that sometimes she had to spend a night at a relative’s home in a village along the way. For her son, about 2.5 hours were enough to reach the station from the township office by bicycle. The high mountain pass is currently under construction to lower its elevation and widen the road.
It was the second visit to Hwanggan, whose railway station, the Catholic church on the hill, and downtown seem to be the same as before. The quiet town scenery keeps a visitor warm and secure as ever.
On the way back, ran eastwards to Chupungryeong 추풍령, which has the highest altitude railway station on the Seoul-Busan railroad line. A water tower still remains at the place where steam locomotives once stopped to refill water. And then, headed northwards and passed through three villages, Modong 모동, Moseo 모서, and Hwadong 화동, and finally reached the graves nestled in the hill where the grandparents, uncle, aunts, and elder cousin sister are buried.
