울산을 떠나면서 그동안 즐기던 자전거 라이딩에 대해서 어떻게 경기도 고양에서 펼쳐질 것인지에 대해서 막연했습니다. 울산에서는 네 사람의 환상적인 팀이 있었기에, 시간만 정해지면 약속 장소에 나가서, 한나절이든 하루든 즐기면 되었습니다. 그러나 새로운 거처에서는 누구와 어떻게 라이딩이 펼쳐질 지 몰랐기에 다만 좋은 길을 열어달라고 하늘 아버지께 기도하면서 올라왔습니다. 물론 울산에 있을 때도 사실 자전거 라이딩은 취미 활동이고, 건강을 위해서는 매일 걷는 산책이 중요했습니다. 하루는 산길을 걸어 내려오면서, 아내에게 전날 거기를 자전거로 내려오면서 노면이 너무 험해서 넘어지지 않도록 기도했다고 말했더니 “나 같으면 그런 기도는 안 들어주었겠다”고 하길래 제가 바로 응수했습니다. “그래, 나는 하나님이 당신 같지 않아서 너무 좋아”
자전거로 새로운 거처 고양을 처음 벗어난 것은 3주간 전입니다. 서울 지역에서 목회하시는 목사님 한 분이, 좌우를 구별 못하여 갇힌 것같은, 제 딱한 처지를 전해듣고, 자전거 길라잡이를 자청해서 나섰기 때문입니다. 우리 학교 주변에는 고양향교, 중남미문화원이 의좋은 3형제처럼 담을 맞대고 있습니다. 거기서 자전거를 타고 나서면 1km도 못가서 바로 자전거 전용도로로 연결된다는 것을 그날 알았으니, 이제, 다만 문제는 시간일뿐입니다. 그날도 길을 나서서 처음에는 김포쪽으로 갔다가, 다시 돌아서 양주화훼단지 부근으로 올라 갔다가, 뒤에는 파주도서단지가는 길로 접어들었던 것이 아직 기억납니다.
오늘은 드디어 한강으로 진출했습니다. 자전거 타기에는 최상의 날씨였습니다. 공기도 깨끗하고 시야도 멀리 열린 날이었습니다. 비바람에 벚꽃은 좀 떨어졌지만 깨끗하게 피어난 조팝나무 꽃이 곳곳에서 환영해 주었습니다. 게다가 오늘 라이딩의 길라잡이는 20대에 중국, 인도, 미국, 남아메리카의 여러 나라를 3년간 자전거로 16개국 27,000km를 달린 <자전거희망여행가>로 알려진 박정규 님입니다. <희망여행> <자전거 타는 남자, 버스타는 여자>란 책의 저자이기도 하니 분에 넘치는 분을 길라잡이로 모신 셈입니다. 지난 24년간 섬겼던 교회의 청년부 출신이기도 하고, 그동안도 지속적인 교제를 가져왔기에 오늘 특별한 호사를 누린 셈입니다.
오늘 서로 만나는 곳은 행주나루터 주차장이었습니다. 자전거 앞바퀴만 빼어내면 승용차에도 실려지기에 자전거를 싣고 거기까지는, 도로사정에 따라 25분~ 45분 정도 걸립니다. 세상에, 열심히 달려갔는데 행정구역은 경기도 고양시 덕양구, 우리 동네와 같아서 놀랐습니다. 어쨌거나 오늘은 거기 행주나루터에서 한강을 오른쪽으로 끼고 양화대교까지 달려내려 갔다가, 양화대교를 건너서, 그 다음에는 한강을 왼편으로 끼고 질주하다가 행주대교를 건너서 다시 행주나루에 오니 총 길이는 27km, 순수하게 달린 길은 1시간 20분이었습니다! 시간이나 거리에 비해서 크게 감격하는 것은, 한강변 자전거 길까지 진출하므로, 앞으로 한쪽으로는 아라뱃길을 지나 인천까지도 갈 수 있고, 다른 편으로 달리면 팔당, 양평, 춘천까지 갈 수 있는 전략적인 포인트에 도달했다는 것 때문입니다. 오늘 하루도 하나님이 주신 선물같은 날이었습니다.
Leaving Ulsan, I had only vague ideas about how the cycling I had enjoyed so much would unfold in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do. In Ulsan, we had a fantastic four-person team, so as long as a time was set, we could just show up at the meeting point and enjoy riding for half a day or a full day. But in my new home, not knowing with whom or how I would ride, I moved up here simply praying to our Heavenly Father to open good paths for me. Of course, even when living in Ulsan, cycling was merely a hobby; for daily health, walking every day was what truly mattered. One day, as I was walking down a mountain trail, I mentioned to my wife that the day before, while riding down on my bicycle, the terrain was so rough that I had prayed earnestly not to fall. She quipped, “If it were up to me, I wouldn’t have answered such a prayer.” To which I retorted immediately: “Well, I am so glad God is not like you!”
It was three weeks ago when I first ventured beyond my new surroundings in Goyang on a bicycle. A pastor ministering in the Seoul area, hearing of my pitiful situation where I felt trapped, unable to tell left from right, volunteered to be my bicycle guide. Around our school, Goyanghyanggyo Local Confucian School and the Latin American Cultural Center stand side by side like harmonious brothers sharing a wall. That day, I learned that setting off from there on a bicycle leads straight to a dedicated cycling path in less than a single kilometer; from now on, time is the only issue. I still recall how that day we set out toward Gimpo at first, turned around to head up near the Yangju Flower Complex, and later joined the path leading toward the Paju Book City.
Today, I finally ventured out all the way to the Han River. The weather was simply ideal for cycling. The air was crisp and clear, with visibility stretching far into the distance. Though the wind and rain had shed some of the cherry blossoms, blooming spiraea flowers welcomed us everywhere with their pure white petals. Furthermore, today’s riding guide was Mr. Jeong-gyu Park, known as the “Bicycle Hope Traveler,” who in his twenties spent three years cycling 27,000 km across 16 countries, including China, India, the United States, and several nations across South America. He is also the author of A Journey of Hope and The Man on a Bicycle, the Woman on a Bus, so having him as my guide felt like an undeserved honor. Having grown up in the youth ministry of the church I served for 24 years, and having kept in continuous fellowship with him since, today felt like an extraordinary luxury.
Our meeting place today was the parking area at Haengjunaru Ferry Pier. If I detach just the front wheel of my bicycle, it fits neatly inside a passenger car; driving there with the bicycle loaded takes about 25 to 45 minutes depending on traffic conditions. Goodness, after driving with such anticipation, I was surprised to realize that its administrative district is Deogyang-gu, Goyang-si—the very same neighborhood I live in! In any case, starting today from Haengjunaru, we rode downstream with the Han River on our right all the way to Yanghwa Bridge, crossed it, pedaled briskly back with the river on our left, crossed Haengju Bridge, and returned to Haengjunaru. The entire route was 27 km, and pure riding time was 1 hour and 20 minutes! What moves me deeply, far more than the time or distance, is that by reaching the Han River cycling paths, I have reached a strategic juncture: in one direction I can ride along the Ara Waterway all the way to Incheon, and in the other, I can cycle out to Paldang, Yangpyeong, and even Chuncheon. Today was truly a gift from God.
Toe ek Ulsan verlaat het, was dit vir my vaag hoe die fietsry wat ek so geniet het, hier in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do sou uitspeel. In Ulsan het ons 'n fantastiese span van vier gehad, so sodra 'n tyd vasgestel is, kon ons net by die ontmoetingsplek opdaag en vir 'n halwe of 'n hele dag die rit geniet. Maar in my nuwe woonplek het ek nie geweet saam met wie of hoe ek sou ry nie, en daarom het ek eenvoudig hierheen getrek terwyl ek my hemelse Vader gevra het om goeie paaie vir my oop te maak. Natuurlik was fietsry selfs in Ulsan bloot 'n stokperdjie; vir daaglikse gesondheid was dit die daaglikse staproetes wat regtig saak gemaak het. Eendag, toe ek met 'n bergpaadjie afgestap het, het ek vir my vrou vertel dat ek die vorige dag toe ek daar met die fiets afgejaag het en die padoppervlak so ru was, gebid het dat ek nie sou val nie. Sy het geantwoord: “As dit ek was, sou ek nie so 'n gebed beantwoord het nie.” Waarop ek dadelik teruggekap het: “Ja, ek is so dankbaar dat die Here nie soos jy is nie!”
Dit was drie weke gelede dat ek vir die eerste keer op my fiets buite my nuwe woonplek in Goyang gewaag het. 'n Leraar wat in die Seoel-omgewing bedien, het van my deerniswekkende toestand gehoor—waar ek gevoel het asof ek vasgevang was en skaars links van regs kon onderskei—en het homself as 'n fietsgids aangebied. Rondom ons skool staan die Goyanghyanggyo Plaaslike Konfusiaanse Skool en die Latyns-Amerikaanse Kultuursentrum sy aan sy soos drie gehegte broers met aangrensende mure. Daardie dag het ek agtergekom dat 'n mens van daar af binne minder as 'n kilometer dadelik by 'n eksklusiewe fietsrypad aansluit; voortaan is tyd die enigste struikelblok. Ek onthou nog goed hoe ons daardie dag eers in die rigting van Gimpo gery het, toe omgedraai het op pad na die Yangju-blommekompleks, en later op die pad na die Paju-boekestad beland het.
Vandag het ek uiteindelik uitgevaag tot by die Hanrivier. Dit was die volmaakte weer vir fietsry. Die lug was skoon en die sig het wyd en ver gestrek. Al het die wind en reën van die kersiebloeisels laat val, het die skoon wit blomme van die spiraeastruike ons oral verwelkom. Boonop was my ritgids vandag mnr. Jeong-gyu Park, bekend as die “Fietshoop-reisiger”, wat in sy twintigerjare drie jaar lank 27 000 km per fiets deur 16 lande afgelê het—insluitend China, Indië, die Verenigde State en verskeie lande in Suid-Amerika. Hy is ook die skrywer van Hoopreistog en Die man op die fiets, die vrou op die bus, so om hom as my gids te hê, was voorwaar 'n eer wat ek eintlik nie verdien het nie. Hy het grootgeword in die jeugbediening van die gemeente wat ek 24 jaar lank gedien het, en aangesien ons al die jare kontak behou het, was vandag vir my 'n buitengewone voorreg.
Ons ontmoetingsplek vandag was die parkeerterrein by die Haengjunaru-veerhawe. As ek net die voorwiel van my fiets afhaal, pas dit maklik in 'n passasiersmotor; om soontoe te ry met die fiets agterin neem sowat 25 tot 45 minute, afhangend van die verkeer. Genade, nadat ek so gretig soontoe gery het, was ek verras om te sien dat die munisipale distrik Deogyang-gu in Goyang-stad is—presies dieselfde buurt as my eie! Hoe dit ook al sy, vandag het ons van Haengjunaru af met die Hanrivier aan ons regterkant tot by die Yanghwa-brug gery, die brug oorgesteek, toe met die rivier aan ons linkerkant voortgesnel, oor die Haengju-brug gery en weer by Haengjunaru aangekom. Die totale afstand was 27 km, en die suiwer rytyd was 1 uur en 20 minute! Wat my egter veel meer as die tyd of afstand raak, is dat ek deur hierdie deurbraak na die Hanrivier-fietspaaie nou 'n strategiese punt bereik het: in die een rigting kan ek met die Ara-waterweg langs tot in Incheon ry, en in die ander rigting kan ek deurskiet na Paldang, Yangpyeong en selfs Chuncheon. Vandag was waarlik nog 'n geskenk uit God se hand.