The small village of Cheongho-dong became the home of many North Koreans and those of North Korean ancestry after the Korean War. Because a large number of elderly people fled here from the north, the town became known as Abai Village -- abai comes from the Hamgyeong-do dialect term for older folks. The town is almost like a time capsule from the 1970s, as older stores and its quaint charm have been undisturbed since then. My favorite part of a visit to Abai Village is taking the gaetbae (small boat) to get here from downtown Sokcho. The boat, which only holds about 35 people at a time, is powered by people using a rope tow.