Monday, April 17, 2017

Walk Thoughts #34: a quick supplement to the previous post

Several of the places that I've chosen to stay at—mainly because there's nothing else in the area, including campgrounds—bill themselves as "pensions." As an experienced Europe traveler, I think of a pension in a European way: it's a small, modest accommodation in a building that is run basically like a hotel or B&B. European pensions are no-frill places to flop down and get some rest. But what I'm now seeing, as I click the Naver Map links to look more closely at these Korean lodgings, is that the Korean notion of a pension is grandiose. These places look absolutely gorgeous, which means they've got to be expensive as hell. I'm currently scheduled to stay in five pensions; if each one runs $200 a night or more, I'll be hemorrhaging over $1000 during this walk. I'd much rather camp if it's going to be like that.

I'm going to call these various pensions and see what's up with their nightly rates, and whether they'll even accept a single traveler: most of the pensions I've looked at have vaulted, spacious interiors, and they seem prepped to accommodate entire families—in some cases, up to eight in a room. Do these places even have single rooms? I'm going to find out.

If it turns out that pensions are a no-go for whatever reason, then I'll just play it by ear and camp where I find a decent patch of earth.



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