Hey Bob,
That's great news!! I just finished interviewing at KBS (Korea Broadcast System) for the World Radio Program (: I was nervous once the "on air" lights went on, it was filmed using 5 cameras in a studio, we didn't wear headsets (like @CJAM), so I felt a little rough on the edges, but pulled through with my notes prepared from 430am today, LOL! I promoted my roots in Windsor, Caboto and Maple Leaf Cycling Clubs for my origins in Cycling and the spark that start touring for me (Grand Bend, 1990,1992), those 480Km and 360Km (1/2 way return, hail stormed out) [has] fueled my hunger for two-wheel traveling.
In 1993, I Canoe Guided for Voyageur Wilderness Program http://www.vwp.ca -leaving Windsor on a Greyhound bus from the downtown terminal, my father packed a full hockey-bag-sized duffel [full] of rations that would last the summer up north in Quetico Provincial Park, Ontario (near Atikokan/Thunder Bay) on boundary waters with northern Minnesota. I paddled open-waters, navigated using conventional maps, carried 60 pound backs, canoes on my shoulders, and guided groups of 18 students and 3 adults (some twice my age) on 70-90Km canoeing/portaging and camping expeditions, 10 days at a time. Tough adventure, great experience. I returned there again in 1999 as an accompanying Counselor and followed a guide, much easier trip!!!
I motorcycle toured the US (between 1994-1998) on five cross-country whirlwinds covering or crossing 24,000Km in a total of 60 days. On one return trip to Windsor in 1996, I rode one stretch of highway for 36 consecutive hours before taking a rest (4-hour powernap), riding from tank-to-tank, and hydrating with water and strong coffee. The States/Provinces I visited were (Windsor to Ohio, Pennsylvania as far east, to Arizona, California, Washington State, Oregon, and every state between across the northern, middle US States (Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakiota, South Dakota, Montana, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Kansas, Missouri, Ontario, and Western Canadian Rockies, Banff Alberta to Vancouver, British Columbia and Vancouver Island. On my last tour in 1998, I crashed broadside into a car that crossed into my right-of-way. I damaged my left cyatic nerve and took 4 months to reach full recovery. I had just completed a successful tour south to Phoenix, Arizona and north via California to Vancouver, B.C. The medics at the scene of this accident described me as "a wandering nomad."
After the motorcycle crash, I returned to Windsor on crutches in the summer (July/August, 1998) and restored a 1975 Jeep CJ-5 to full-restoration in 22 days (straight, often 10 hours on the build). Drove back to Vancouver, then Vancouver Island, and finally south to San Diego, California. Took up surfing, meditation, mountain biking, and Tour Guiding the Southwest US States as a Guide for a Camping tour company, example: 21 days, driving/camping/coordinating daily itinerary while managing to cover 5000 miles of driving myself, with paper maps for navigation. I changed to 2500 mile tours after my first burn across California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah, to save energy, touring jobs generally pay little, but the rewards are tremendous for character-building, teamwork, and expedition preparation, even if was only just driving a 12-passenger van with roof racks for camping gear and suit cases, it was an expedition and nothing less...^^
In late 2006, I returned to my wife's native South Korea, and in spring 2007 I began cycling again, purchasing a mountain bike for about $200 Canadian dollars, I pushed the bike to it's limits on and offroad, starting with small rides locally in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province (southwest of Seoul, the Capitol) and these rides became more frequent, daily and distances steadily increased, 30, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120Km...rides began happening by summer 2007. In the fall of 2007, I rode 455Km down the mountainous East Coast, dubbed "The Asian Highway 7" perhaps one day, post-Communist North Korea, linking South Korea with China and Russia to the North and west. I rode the entire 2007/08 winter season, which is relatively dry in Korea, with little precipitation and average temperatures hovering just below zero, it's ideal for cycling in Korea. In 2008, I continued to ride and tour the country, completing more ofthe East Coast again, from Gangneung to Busan, and Seoul to Daegu, and a lot of local pedaling on bike paths and along the rice fields surrounding many cities. This year, I pulled some heavy rides starting out on the East Coastal city of Gangneung, Gangwondo Province, and pedaling for 3 days across the mountainous regions into Gyeongsanbukdo (Uljin area) and Gyeongsannamdo Province where the second largest coastal city Busan lies. At the end of the summer I completed about 700Km of riding in 7 days of touring through central and southwestern Korea. I'm now exploring the northwest coast around Daebudo Island (recent Fb album for photos, plenty in all my albums Bob, take your pick, or I can send some high-res photos instead).
I'm active in several groups on Facebook: Cycling in Korea, Cycling International, Adventurers of the World. Everyone interested in cycling is welcome to join those groups!! My cycling expedition in 2012 has a Facebook group, http://www.facebook.com/brian.perich#/group.php?gid=49155647250&ref=ts dubbed,
ONE - Cycle, One Man (+Riders), One Charity, Global Bike from the Arctic
Until a new website is operational, these are my contact points and of course Email: tesol2000@gmail.com
Hope these notes help!! Let me know if you need more information.
Out cycling with local riders on Daebudo Island, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea 2009.
Good sign: When your planning a 32,000km Cycling Expedition to get Media Attention!
Korean countryside offers enough vistas and the farm roads stretch for many miles too!
Thumbs up, I have good health & great foundation to support (IDEAS Canada, GYGIG USA)
