2주 전인가요? 인터넷 검색을 통해서 예약한 밀양시 단장면 고례리에 있는 오토캠핑장을 향해서 달렸습니다. 꼭 한 시간 만에 도착했습니다. 적절한 거리라는 생각이 들었습니다. 물론 우리 별빛동산도 있지만 한국의 오토캠핑장을 경험해 보고 싶었기 때문입니다. 게다가 제티슨모빌 스쿨에서 캠핑카를 빌려서 오랜 꿈을 이루었습니다. 해외를 다니면서 단체로 버스투어도 하고 승합차로 서너 가정이 함께 며칠씩 여행도 하고 작년처럼 텐트를 가지고 다니면서 캠핑도 했지만 캠핑카로 여행을 하는 것은 오랜 꿈이었습니다. 그동안은 기껏 남의 캠핑카 앞에서 사진을 찍어보는 것이 전부였습니다.
하지만 캠핑카 사용에 대한 혹독한 댓가를 치러야 할 것 같습니다. 막 집을 나서는데 걸려온 전화를 받는다고 운전에 신경을 쓰지 못해서 골목길을 돌면서, 아뿔싸, 옆집 축사의 지붕에 스쳐서 확실한 생채기를 남겼으니까요! 보통 승합차보다는 덩치가 큰 캠핑카라 운전에 염려가 된다고 걱정을 하는 아내의 말에 귀를 기울였다면 좋았을 것을 하는 생각을 뒤늦게 합니다. 한 시간 운행하는 동안에는 잘 왔습니다. 그러나 도착해서 캠핑카를 주차하고 곧장 어닝이라고 부르는 차양막을 설치하는데 조심성이 없어서 또 지지대 두개를 다 부러뜨리는 제2의 사고를 내었습니다. 성격이 급한 나도 문제지만 플라스틱 사출로 만든 제품도 튼튼하질 못했나 봅니다.
캠핑카 실내에서 전기 주전자를 220볼트 인버터에 꽂았는데 삐하고 소리가 한 번 나더니 다시는 작동이 되지 않는 전기적인 문제까지 일으키고 말았습니다. 그러다보니 운전 부주의에다가 조심성 결핍으로 물리적인 사고에다 전기적인 문제까지 일으켰으니 골고루 사고를 쳤습니다. 그 후유증으로 실내에 찌하는 소리가 계속 나고 환풍 소리까지 겹쳐서 다행히 준비해간 귀마개로 막고 잠을 드는 수난까지… 그래도 행복했습니다. 오랜 꿈을 이루었으니 말입니다. 게다가 캠핑카 뒤편에 두 대의 자전거를 장착해서 금요일 오전은 단장면 사무소까지, 오후에는 밀양댐까지, 토요일은 표충사까지 아내와 함께, 정말 아내로서는 오랜만에 타는 것이라 자전거 기어 작동까지 다 잊고 있었습니다.
도착한 첫날 오후에는 30대의 차량을 받을 수 있는 넓은 오토캠핑장에 는 우리 말곤 아무도 손님이 없어서 그랬는지 산행을 하자는 사장님의 제안대로 바로 제약산 산행을 나섰습니다. 그런데 산길을 잘 알지 못해서 야생짐승들 길을 따라서 오르내린다고 4시간 가까이 헤매는 험난한 첫 시간을 보냈던 기억이 아직도 새롭습니다. 금요일 오후가 되니 오토 캠핑족들이 속속 도착하기 시작했습니다. 가히 이삿짐 수준의 물품들을 너 나 할 것 없이 싣고 도착해서 엄마아빠가 텐트를 치는 동안 어린 꼬마들이 서로 어울려 노는 모습이 순식간에 생기 넘치는 캠핑장을 만들었습니다. 거기에 비해서 젊은 부부들은 서로에 대해서 별다른 관심을 보이지 않는 것도 눈에 띄는 신 풍습이었습니다. 캠핑카 여행에 대한 꿈이 이루어지니, 항공기 조종에 대한 꿈이 뭉게구름처럼 피어나는 것을 어찌하면 좋을까요?
Was it about two weeks ago? We set off toward an auto-camping ground in Gorye-ri, Danjang-myeon, Miryang, which I had booked online. It took us exactly one hour to arrive. It felt like just the right distance. Of course, we have our own Starlight Garden, but I wanted to experience an auto-campsite in Korea. Moreover, by renting a campervan from Jetison Mobile School, I finally fulfilled a long-cherished dream. Over the years, during our travels abroad, we had joined group bus tours, spent several days traveling together with three or four families in a passenger van, and even camped with tents like we did last year. Yet, traveling in a campervan had always been a dream of mine. Until now, the most I had ever done was pose for a photo in front of someone else’s camper.
However, it seems I had to pay a rather steep price for this campervan adventure. Just as we were leaving the house, a phone call came in, and distracted by answering it while navigating the narrow alley, alas, I scraped the camper against the roof of the neighbor’s barn, leaving an unmistakable scratch! In hindsight, I should have listened to my wife, who had worried aloud that the camper was far bulkier than an ordinary van and cautioned me to be careful. The one-hour drive itself went smoothly. But upon arrival, while setting up the sunshade known as the awning right after parking, my carelessness struck again: I ended up snapping both support poles, causing a second accident. My own impatience was certainly part of the problem, but perhaps those injection-molded plastic parts were not particularly sturdy either.
Inside the camper, I plugged an electric kettle into the 220V inverter, only for it to emit a sharp beep and never work again, creating an electrical failure as well. Thus, careless driving combined with a lack of caution led to both physical damages and electrical troubles—I had managed to cause quite a comprehensive variety of mishaps! In the aftermath, a constant high-pitched buzzing persisted indoors, blending with the sound of the ventilation fan, so I had to resort to using earplugs I had brought along just to fall asleep. Despite such trials, I was genuinely happy. After all, a long-cherished dream had come true. Furthermore, with two bicycles mounted on the back of the camper, my wife and I rode on Friday morning to the Danjang-myeon office, in the afternoon to the Miryang Dam, and on Saturday to Pyochungsa Temple. It had been so long since my wife had ridden a bicycle that she had even forgotten how to shift the gears.
On the afternoon of our arrival, the spacious campsite, capable of accommodating thirty vehicles, was completely empty except for us. Perhaps because of this, at the campsite owner's suggestion, we set out immediately for a hike up Jaeyaksan Mountain. However, unfamiliar with the mountain trails, we followed animal tracks up and down, wandering for nearly four grueling hours—a vivid memory of our rugged initial adventure. By Friday afternoon, auto-campers began arriving one after another. Families unloaded an impressive amount of gear, almost like moving into a new home. While mothers and fathers pitched their tents, the young children mingled and played together, instantly bringing the campsite to life. In contrast, it was an interesting modern phenomenon to see the young couples keeping mostly to themselves without paying much attention to others. Now that my dream of traveling in a campervan has been realized, what should I do about this new dream of piloting an airplane, billowing up like cumulus clouds?
Was dit omtrent twee weke gelede? Nadat ek aanlyn bespreek het, het ons vertrek na ’n motorkampeerterrein in Gorye-ri, Danjang-myeon, Miryang. Dit het ons presies ’n uur geneem om daar aan te kom—’n baie gepaste afstand. Natuurlik het ons ons eie Sterreligtuin, maar ek wou graag ’n motorkampeerterrein in Korea ervaar. Boonop het ek ’n jarelange droom verwesenlik deur ’n kampeerwa by Jetison Mobile School te huur. Oor die jare heen het ons tydens oorsese reise al saam met groepe op bustoere gegaan, vir dae aaneen met drie of vier gesinne in ’n bussie gereis, en selfs soos verlede jaar met tente gekamp. Tog was dit altyd ’n groot droom om met ’n kampeerwa te reis. Tot dusver was die beste wat ek kon doen om voor iemand anders se kampeerwa vir ’n foto te poseer.
Dit blyk egter dat ek ’n bitter duur prys vir hierdie kampeerwa-avontuur moes betaal. Net toe ons by die huis wegry, lui my foon, en omdat ek deur die oproep afgelei is terwyl ek deur die nou straatjie gedraai het—ag nee!—het ek teen die dak van die bure se veeskoot geskaaf en ’n duidelike skrapie agtergelaat! Agterna besef ek dat ek maar liewer moes geluister het na my vrou, wat haar kommer uitgespreek het dat die kampeerwa baie groter as ’n gewone minibus is en my gemaan het om versigtig te bestuur. Tydens die een uur se rit het alles vlot verloop. Maar met ons aankoms, net nadat ons die kampeerwa geparkeer het en dadelik die sonstoor (afdak) wou opslaan, was ek weer onversigtig en het albei stutpale gebreek—’n tweede ongeluk. My eie haastige geaardheid was gewis deel van die probleem, maar hierdie gevormde plastiekonderdele was blykbaar ook nie baie stewig nie.
Binne-in die kampeerwa het ek ’n elektriese ketel by die 220V-omskakelaar ingeprop, maar ná ’n enkele skril piepgeluid het dit botweg geweier om weer te werk, wat nog ’n elektriese fout veroorsaak het. Weens onoplettende bestuur en ’n gebrek aan omsigtigheid het ek dus sowel fisiese skade as elektriese probleme veroorsaak—waarlik ’n hele verskeidenheid van flaters! As nagevolg hiervan was daar ’n aanhoudende, hoë gegons binne-in die wa, tesame met die geluid van die ventilasiewaaier, sodat ek gelukkig die oorduisies wat ek saamgebring het moes gebruik net om aan die slaap te raak. En tog was ek gelukkig. ’n Lank gekoesterde droom is immers bewaarheid. Boonop het ons twee fietse agterop die kampeerwa gelaai, en saam met my vrou het ons Vrydagoggend na die Danjang-myeon-kantoor gery, die middag na die Miryang-dam, en Saterdag na die Pyochungsa-tempel. Dit was vir my vrou so lank gelede sedert sy laas fietsgery het dat sy selfs vergeet het hoe die fietratte werk.
Op die middag van ons aankoms was daar op die ruim kampeerterrein, wat dertig voertuie kan akkommodeer, buiten ons geen ander gaste nie. Miskien daarom het ons dadelik, op voorstel van die eienaar, die berg Jaeyaksan begin klim. Aangesien ons egter nie die bergpaadjies geken het nie, het ons dierespore op en af gevolg en byna vier uitputtende ure lank rondgedwaal—’n rowwe begin wat my nog helder bybly. Teen Vrydagmiddag het die motorkampeerders een na die ander begin opdaag. Gesinne het vragte vol toerusting afgelaai, amper soos mense wat trek. Terwyl ma's en pa's die tente opgeslaan het, het die kindertjies heerlik saamgespeel, wat die kampeerterrein in ’n oogwink met lewe gevul het. Daarteenoor was dit ’n opvallende moderne verskynsel dat die jong paartjies min aandag aan mekaar of aan ander geskenk het. Noudat my droom van ’n kampeerwareis bewaarheid is, wat moet ek tog maak met hierdie nuwe droom om ’n vliegtuig te vlieg, wat soos stapelwolke in my binneste opwel?