Travel 2010. 1. 10. 13:10

Moving from SLC to Auburn, AL <episode 2> New Mexico




We passed our first destination 'Mesa Verde' and headed towards 'White Sands National Monument' in New Mexico. After passing Colorado, the snow was getting disappeared, and even it was getting warmer. The day before we had been having hard time on icy and snowy roads, but I was in a different world when getting there.

  


First picture is when we left Colorado, and second picture is after a few hours in New Mexico. If you have ever driven in New Mexico, you probably know the fact that New Mexico is beginning and ending with wasteland. When I was seeing vast wasteland, I remembered Korean people who live in a very small land. We can't imagine that vast wasteland in Korea. 


The size of land is not the only important thing for a nation;however, it is true that the size of land affects the power of a nation. Thus, if only 'Gando(間島)' or 'Manju(滿洲)' were still our land. (Manju was a part of Korean territory long long time ago, and Gando is a part of Manju, but the people in Gando still preserve Korean language and culture. The lands belong to China now.)


Whereas I envy Americans, I can't just ignore their efforts to possess lands. Let's summarize American history of territory.


1. They took  Native-Americans' lands through various ways, such as friendship, conciliation, threat, or slaughter.


2. They purchased Louisiana from France. (1803) 


3. They took or bought Texas(1845), California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming(1848) from Mexico.


4. They purchased Alaska from Russia(1867). 


This is what I remember about American history of territory. They are amazing. They have really tried to broaden their territory. At that time, Koreans even were not able to protect their land. Another American culture shows their tendency to like land.



This is a typical american board game, Monopoly which is known as burumabul in Korea. The goal of this game is buying all lands. We can see their same tendency to like land with their sports. Their favorite sports is football. To explain about the role simply, this game also has same goal which is earning lands. Football players run to opponent's land with the ball and say that is their territory.




Because they have these thoughts, there is the U.S. Actually I drove all day at that time, so I don't have many things to say about my journey. Next story about White Sands National Monument is coming soon.

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Travel 2010. 1. 6. 11:55

Moving from SLC to Auburn, AL <episode 1> Slippery 491 road



 

I finished my six-day journey from Salt Lake City to Auburn, AL. Now, I am writing this at a small apartment in Auburn although I haven't finished unpacking my stuff. I can talk about my journey with a smile now, but my journey was not easy from very first day.


Because it had snowed a lot before we arrived there, the road between Utah and Colorado was very slippery. Even though I was driving very carefully, eventually slipped towards the right before we arrive at our destination. My car was going to the right shoulder of the road, so I steered to the left. Then, my car was heading towards other cars from the other side.  

 

Hurriedly I steered to the other side, and then my car spun towards the cars behind my car. After that, I lost control of myself and my car spun crazily. Finally my car showed triple turning on the road like the triple flip of Yuna Kim, a Korean figure skater, and descended into the snow.





Fortunately no one was injured, but I could have made a really big accident. I had joined AAA membership just to be sure, and it had been a great choice because I received towing service helpfully and very soon.





After towing, I drove about ten minutes. Suddenly a deer appeared in front of our car in this time. I couldn't steer to either side because I was afraid of the slippery road, and I tried to stop my car. However, it didn't work on the road like an ice rink.

Crossing the road, the deer found my car and stopped! It stared my car and did not move!  At last, the deer came up to the bonnet with a big sound and fell down to the right. Luckily the deer seemed not injured and ran away to the forest. Only my bonnet was a little dented. (Actually it was not a little, but I didn't know because it was dark.)

One American man had waited for us from the last accident and was going together. He stopped his car and laughed loudly. He said that he guaranteed that we would not forget that night. We couldn't go to our first destination, Mesa Verde, because the weather forecast said it would have snowed a lot at that time. Instead, we quickly headed to 'White Sands National Monument' in New Mexico which is warm.

I won't forget the 491 road between Moab, Utah and Cortez, Colorado as long as I live.

 

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여행 2010. 1. 6. 10:11

솔렉에서 아번까지 이사겸 여행하기 1 - 미끄러운 491도로편



유타주 솔트레이크씨티부터 알라배마주 아번까지 장장 6일간의 여행을 마쳤습니다. 
지금은 아번에 있는 한 조그마한 아파트에서 짐정리가 끝나지 않은 채로 글을 쓰고 있습니다. 지금이야 웃으면서 이야기할 수 있지만, 여행첫날부터 그리 순탄치는 않았습니다. 

여행전 계속 눈이 왔어서, 유타주에서 콜로라도로 넘어가는 도로가 엄청 미끄러웠습니다. 
살금살금 조심해서 갔지만, 결국 도착하기 직전에 차가 미끄러졌는데, 오른쪽옆으로 떨어지려고 해서 핸들을 한번 왼쪽으로 살짝 돌리니, 
반대편 차가 오는 방향으로 차가 돌더군요. 

황급히 다시 핸들을 돌리니 이번엔 제 뒤에 따라오던 차들쪽으로 차가 돌았습니다. 그 이후 저는 이성을 잃고, 핸들을 마구 이리돌렸다 저리돌렸다했고, 결국 차는 도로위에서 김연아 선수의 트리플 플립처럼 환상적인 세바퀴 턴을 보여주고 옆의 눈구덩이로 떨어졌습니다.


다행히 아무도 다치진 않았지만, 정말 대형사고가 날뻔 했습니다.
여행떠나기전 혹시나 해서 AAA멤버쉽을 가입하고 왔는데, 아주 요긴하게 견인서비스를 받았습니다.




차를 견인받고 다시 운전을 하고 한 10분쯤 지났을까, 이번엔 내리막길에서 갑자기 사슴이 나타났습니다. 또 미끄러질까봐 핸들은 도저히 꺽질못하고, 브레이크를 밟아보았지만, 아이스링크 같은 도로위에서 브레이크를 밟아봤자였죠.

사슴은 도로를 지나가다말고 제차를 발견하더니 
멀뚱멀뚱한 표정으로 달려오는 제차를 바라보며 움직이질 않았습니다. 결국 쿵하는 소리와 함께 사슴이 본네트위까지 올라왔다가 오른쪽 옆으로 굴러떨어졌습니다. 다행히 사슴은 그리 다치지 않았는지, 혼자 벌떡 일어서더니 숲속으로 사라졌습니다. 제차는 본네트가 좀 찌그러졌구요.

 

아까 사고가 났을때 한 미국인 아저씨가 견인차가 올때까지 같이 기다려주고 다시 같이 길을 가고 있었는데, 그 아저씨가 차에서 내려서 배꼽을 잡고 웃더군요. 제가 이 밤을 평생 잊지 못할거라며 호언장담 하신답니다.

 

첫날 목표로 했던 Mesa Verde는 결국 눈이 많이 온다는 일기예보에 가보지 못했습니다. 대신 따뜻한 뉴멕시코의 White Sands National Monument로 얼릉 이동했습니다.

유타 Moab에서 콜로라도 Cortez로 이어지는 491번 도로는 정말 평생 못잊을 것 같습니다.

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