A Day on the Banks of... what river is this?

For me, rivers are IT when it comes to summer afternoons. Pools, lakes, even the ocean - I'd take a river over any of them on a listless July day. Rivers just seem that much more rustic and untouched, and that's appealing to me. You'll be hard pressed to find disgusting popsicle stands, kiddie railroads, and sandy asscracks on the banks of any good river. I guess, on the one hand, that's because they're inherently more dangerous than most other water features. But, on the other hand, to those who enjoy their environs, the danger partially makes the experience. It's not blatant danger, but it's present enough to make a full day by the river seem THAT much more exhilarating.

I suppose another part of my river jones has to do with my love of hiking, and the sense of discovery that comes with it. You'll never have to hike to a pool, lake, or ocean, whereas you'll often have to do at least a bit of trekking to find the 'good' spot along a river. This act of walking away from society is a huge part of my river-love. I don't care if the hike from the road to the spot is only 10 minutes. Quite frankly, it often is. Just the simple act of creating distance between myself and the 'front country' is intoxicating. For me, there the hike creates the illusion that I've discovered something special (regardless if there are 40 other people there). It also creates a sense of privacy - like myself and all the other revelers are in some way removed from the confines of society. How that manifests itself... well, you'll just have to come to a river with me someday.

For the most part, river outings in America are minimalist affairs. We'll bring a backpack, some beverages, a towel, and maybe some trail mix or a sandwich. Anything else would be overkill. I should have assumed that Koreans take the complete opposite approach. Three weeks ago I found myself on the banks of a GORGEOUS little river, with enough gear to feed and put up a family for an entire weekend. We had a tent, a miniature gas barbecue, a glut of meat, kimchi, lettuce, various sauces, beers, changes of clothes, and obviously large coolers for all of this. While I still felt as if I had discovered something - via my generous Korean guides/friends - that I had done so with a moving cornucopia seemed like slight overkill. Then again, if I'm not getting out of my comfort zone in Korea, what the hell am I doing here?