March 31, 2022
The paperwork Olympics
I can't believe how easy we had it in the good ol' days. The first time I visited Korea in 1998, we simply handed over our passports to the immigration officer, they stamped it, and we were on our merry way. On the other hand, returning to the U.S. was a hassle -- an administrative error rivaling the Buttle/Tuttle Brazil typo had flagged us as suspicious characters -- and I still somewhat pity the customs officer who had the job of opening my mother-in-law's jars of kimchi to search for contraband. Slowly, the situation reversed itself. U.S. Customs finally fixed their mistake, but then Korea started scrutinizing me, wondering why I no longer keep a beard, why I looked thinner (thanks, cycling!), etc.
This time around, we have to submit a travel authorization form, apply for a vaccination Q code, and take a PCR test. We're not sure, but I think we'll have to take further COVID tests once we arrive in Korea. Then there'll be yet another test to return to the U.S. Really, a lot of hoops to jump through. But at least we can go. Plenty to be thankful for.
Of course, I haven't even mentioned the most vital piece of paperwork in this bureaucratic gauntlet: our bike passports! Yes, you read that correctly. And you may already be familiar with it. It's a fun incentive provided by the Korean government to promote long-distance cycling. I have probably done more research on this topic than on the actual entrance requirements above.
So we are going to the tourist information center, which is apparently in the lobby of this tower very close to the start of the Ara bike path:
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The passports are dispensed by a vending machine that only takes credit cards:
The passport contains an outline of the "certification centers" spaced regularly along each bike path:
The certification centers are mostly unmanned red phone booths equipped with a (unique) stamp and (not unique) ink pad. You see where this is going.
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Numerous travelers have warned eager stamp collectors that they should bring their own ink pad in case the booth's is dry. I will do a good turn and pass this advice along to you too, dear reader.
If the joy of filling one's passport isn't reward enough, you can later submit it at a manned certification center for various awards such as stickers, certificates, and even medals! Wow!
So yeah, that's what we're doing, and it's going to be a blast!
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