More rain and no bridge

 Today's plan was to ride over a long bridge to an island just off the coast here.  But the weather here is still bleak...

After breakfast, I decided to give it a go, as it was just gloomy and not raining.  So Hennie was unlocked and away we went.  At about 5km out, the big drops began to fall.  No worries.  But another km saw those drops multiply quickly to a steady downpour and any hopes of riding over a long bridge with no shelter were quickly quashed.  So I decided to continue in a loop back to the Hotel.

Thankfully, there was a cycle path through a tunnel, when I had expected I would be going over a hill, but another disappointment when the trendy Cafe 601 was closed!  

Should have been easy but the old left instead of right turn had me doing a couple of circles before getting onto the right street back to the hotel.  By now, even with my rain coat on, Hennie and I were drenched.  At least, some of the mud had been washed off of Hennie!  

My timing was right out, as I arrived just in time to see the cleaner going into my room for its daily "make-up" - 30mins please!  I was drenched, so I grabbed a clean t-shirt, changed in the hallway, then went down to have a coffee to calm me down.  it worked!

I didn't take the camera out of my bag, so I've clipped a couple of stills from the Fly12 just to give a small idea of what I did today.  25kms mostly in the rain and along busy streets and footpaths.  Not ideal at all...  But the weather is out of my control... unfortunately for me!

Wet and Dreary

 Its the beginning of the wet season here in South Korea.  I was warned, but up until the past couple of days, its been hot rather than wet.  But here we are now!  

In fact there has been flooding and landslips and warnings, asking people to evacuate the hill regions.  Maybe there is someone missing, my interruption of a news item, but could be wrong.  So my timing hasn't been too bad.

Today was always going to be a rest day.  With all this wet weather around, the decision had already been made to catch the bus back to Seoul.  So top of the list was to find the bus station and buy a ticket and to try and ascertain that it was OK to bring a bike on the bus.  

Maps.Me is working again and it was just being lucky that the Bus station is only about 1.5km away.  It was pouring down, the canal outside was ripping along with murky brown water.  So I had a coffee until it eased up a bit.  I borrowed a brolley, put on my walking shoes and headed off to the bus station.

the street is lined with tiny shoebox-sized shops of all sorts, but specialised.  That is, if they are selling fans, that's all they're selling.  Or tyres, or cars - though those shops are a much bigger affair.  Most shops didn't really have window displays, maybe just posters, which gave me no idea what was inside.  But that's OK, cos I'm not here to shop!

A tad of panic once I arrived at the bus station.  No attendents and just two ticket machines.  Gad, what does it all mean?  I decided to go look for an attendent and just outside, a lady with a hi-vis vest was fast approaching.  Not sure if she was just returning to the office, or whether she had seen me entering and knew that I would need help.

So all good!  Ticket bought for Friday at 10:15 and yes, bikes are allowed, but am still not sure if that means in a bag, or just as is...  I've decided I will get there early and quickly bag Hennie up, just so there's no confusion!  fingers xd!!

I'd been keeping my eye open for a cafe, but the only thing I could see was Starbucks, which I've seen throughout my trip.  There's also a Burger King just across the road...  Real Korean food!  

I opted to go back to the supermarket and hopefully they would have some bakery items that I could buy there and eat with a coffee back here.  But no...  a large supermarket without bakery items!  In some ways that's good, as it must mean that people prefer to go to a bakery, so keeping a small business going.  But alas, not what I was hoping.  Ah well, Starbucks it is...  And yes, their coffee is so weak, its hard to even taste the coffee!  But the carrot cake was OK!

I may have mentioned it earlier, but an observation has been made!  Koreans don't like coloured cars.  There's white and black, and 50 shades of grey!  It is almost exciting to see a coloured car.  A dark red colour is occasionally seen and Wow! there was an orange one once.  i queried this on a FB site and was told that often, Execs are given a black car, while those down the line only get a white car...  not sure if that's a government policy, or wider company deals.  Also apparently "Koreans don't like to express their personalities through their cars"!  But I find that hard to believe, as the amount of flash big SUVs etc, especially the black ones, seem to be saying "look at me"!  anyways, its become a thing to spot a coloured car!  keep my brain alive!  :)

The rest of the day was spent just chilling out in my room, having a snooze as I had had an interrupted sleep with these blooming Extreme warnings, that come thru the phone, with a piercing sound like a fire alarm!!  

so no interesting photos - just dreary weather shots...  Oh and a guy out the back of a restaurant peeling onions and yes!  a red car!!

To the Coast at Gunsan

 A new day!  Bright sunshine, hardly a cloud to be seen.  I raided my tucker bag, not much there, but enough to get me on the road...  Peanut butter, banana and nutella sandwich is great food for a cyclist!

Soon we were on our way, tracking down to the wonderful blue line by the river and away we go.  About 65km ahead of us - so thankful I put in the extra kms yesterday.

I was in a little more cruisey mood today, it being the last day out on the bike path, trekking inland South Korea.  I had already used up a couple of my spare days in Plan F, so I was tossing up whether to continue riding back to Incheon (airport island) up along the west coast, with the hassles of 4 days cycling through smaller towns and finding a motel and the stress of departure day drawing closer... or to catch a bus back to Seoul, spend a day or 2 there, then cycle back to airport area.  

I had booked accommodation in Gunsan - Top Cloud Hotel - for 3 nights as I wanted to spend one day cycling out to an island off the coast via a bridge.  So I had the day to ponder my options as I rolled along, religiously following that blue line!  

Such a different day than yesterday.  hazy skies, its never a clear blue, but the sun was belting down and not much shade along the path.  Still it was enjoyable for a Queenslander to be out on the bikeway, though others might find it a little too hot.

The Geum river is massive and as we headed towards the coast it got wider and wider.  The gullies and smaller creeks and rivers were adding to its size also.  in places it must be more than 2km across.  Nothing on the river though... no fishing boats, no cruise ships.  An occasional fisherman, but it seemed to be ignored by the locals.  

At an early stage, we arrived at a barrier on the path and thankfully the sign had some English written on it.  Bikeway closed due to possible landslips, detour this way...  Was this sign new or old?  it looked like it had been there a while and there was an obvious well used track around the barrier.  But I had received (by some mysterious method) an emergency warning on my phone, warning of landslips and saying evacuate hillside areas.  These warnings arrive with the sound of a fire alarm going off, frightening the beejeesus out of me every time.  they are in Korean and the first one I received, I asked the 7/11 attendent to translate.  It was warning us of the heat wave, saying stay inside and drink lotsa water... I had just bought 2l!  So I have since learnt how to Google translate them.  But the mystery of their appearance remains.  I don't have any phone connectivity here as I haven't bothered buying a Korean sim card.  Even if wifi is turned off, these warnings arrive on my phone.  For example, last night starting at 11:28pm and continuing off and on (usually just as I got back to sleep!) till 2:35am, when I eventually turned my phone off.  strange and annoying.  I did translate one and it was just warning to be careful of crews cleaning out flood debris.  I ignored the rest as much as one can!  my phone will be turned off tonight!  Hopefully there's no tsunami warnings or such like!  

anyways, back to the trail...  The detour led me through a market garden area, small houses and lots of fields of vegies and well as rice paddies.  I stopped in at one tiny supermarket to buy more water.  But I was worrying about getting back to that wonderful blue line.  

Eventually, after dashing across a road leading thru extensive rice paddies, with the sound of explosions ringing in my ears (the cause of which remains unknown) we found the blue line and continued through more farmlands, acres of plastic covered "greenhouses".  The blue line then led up a small alley way and onto a narrow road snaking up a steep hill.  due to the greenery and general mud and dirt, the blue line disappeared as did my confidence that I was on the right track still.  But after a quick check on Maps.Me, it confirmed I was still on track.  

A really steep pitch led into a quiet shady pine forest, so we paused there until my heatbeat returned to somewhat normal.  This little spell reminded me so much of some of the pine forests I have travelled through in Japan.  Then a gentle tapping sound led my eye up to a small woodpecker, possibly cleaning out a nesting hole in the end of a broken branch.  Looking up with the bright sky behind, made it hard to get a good look at its details, but a woodpecker for sure!  Great Stuff!

Around the corner the Geum suddenly appeared way down below.  There was a wooden boardwalk stuck on the edge of the cliff, its boards clunking as we rode over them...  And then there was the perfect spot for a lunch break.  

After lunch, the path dipped back down to the river side, with its many ups and down along the top of the flood dyke down to the river side.  This section was quite exposed and I could feel my toes getting sunburnt, no matter how much sunscreen I applied.  Summer time!

Eventually we arrived at the end of the bike way on the edge of Gunsan.  This area is a migratory bird feeding spot, but its too late in the season to see any as they are now nesting in Siberia.  But I did see a spoonbill as well as a couple of species of sea gulls, a heron and an egret.  

Next thing was to track down the Top Cloud hotel, which thankfully. Maps.Me was still working and it easily led us to our destination.  Phew!  Hennie was unloaded and stored in a corner near the cleaners rooms and I caught the lift to the 7th floor.  Interesting though, there are no buttons in the lift for floors 1-4.  When I went for a walk, I looked back and counted the windows and sure enough, there are 7 floors, but the lift numbers are 5-11...  hmmm...

The room is small - smaller than last night's motel room, but it is very clean and modern and the bed looks comfy and its all that I need.  And next door is a proper supermarket.  Surely I can get some more fruit as I've run out.

So, the West Coast has been reached.  My ponderings over this day has led me to decide that I will check out the bus situation, I already know there's no train line here, and I will head back to Seoul, do the tourist thing there for a couple of days, before cycling back to the airport.  There are several hotel options there, but the island itself is worth a pedal around.  Decisions have been made.  Now to enjoy the couple of days I have in Gunsan.  

Just a few pics today...

Wet and Long day

up and early after a quick breakfast, Hennie was loaded up and we wobbled down via the lift and soon we were on our way.  Grey skies, wet streets all pointed to a correct weather forecast.  But it wasn't raining, tho the air was damp and cool.

Easily found the bike path and we headed south...  first stop was at lily ponds.  I had hoped to see these.  My last visit to Japan was in Oct 18, and the lily ponds were drained and only dead lilies on the ground.  So was wrapped to see these!  there were pink and white lilies.  So pretty.

But the day ahead was long, so after a few photos, we rolled on.  Eventually after 20km, we arrived at the expansive overpass into Sejong.  But we weren't stopping here, so after a couple of photos we moved on...  

Not long after, the rain started, only a few spits before turning into a bit of deluge for the next 20km.  It wasn't cold, so getting wet feet and legs weren't an issue and I had my raincoat on to keep my body warm.  So roll on!  Wearing glass is the worst thing about riding in rain, but without them, I'd end up in the river!  So I found the visor I bought at Daiso the other day.  My helmet fitted over it nicely and I was able to cycle onwards, with a pretty good view of the path ahead.  Unfortunately, it got a bit muddy, so I'll just have to go back to Daiso in Seoul!  

I'm loving the Blue Line!  so far since turning west, the blue line has been consistent and so I haven't become lost.  But other facilities have disappeared, so its always a welcome sight to come across a very nice clean toilet!

Once the rain cleared, the cycling was easy, with quite a few ups and downs, nothing major, just short steep exits when the path has to go up to the road for a bit, then plunge back down to the river side.  The might Geum river is much larger than I had expected it to be and with all the rain in the past 24 hours, was rippling along in a rush to get to the coast.

There is a secret here in Korea.  They are called Motels...  similar to the more elaborate form of Love Hotels in Japan.  No one speaks of them...  You can't book them online.  Motels are places where no questions are asked and can be paid in hourly segments or overnight.  They are cheap - 35,000 - 40,000km, about $30-50.  But the room is self-contained.  They are not necessarily that clean, but a cyclist can't be too fussy.  So my app Maps.Me usually shows them as a blue dot on the map.  Often these are closed or not even in existence!  so as the kms clocked over to 80km, I was pretty happy to be soon arriving in Buyeo.  There was a Holiday Villa Hotel, just by the path, so I was pretty sure my bed for the night was going to be easy to find.  And it was!  But it was closed!  Dang...  Ah well, a quick check on the phone, I could see there were other options within the town.  But the phone battery was almost gone, only 5% left.  But I headed off in the direction suggested.

It was starting to rain again... Great!  Got to an intersection, so pulled out the phone to check if I was near the next blue spot.  Panic???  Maps.me had totally disappeared...  uninstalled completely from my phone!  Shit creek springs to mind!  I asked a young woman walking a couple of little dogs.  But she said there were no hotels in town.  Only AirBnB...  What about a motel...  There was a look of panic flashed over her face - no no no....  Then she sort of waved her hand in a rough direction, then dashed off with her puppies... 

Great...  It was getting dark, it had been a long day!  Cranky Chris showed up as expected!  I headed into the town.  I saw a sign for an onsen, which often have a sleeping apartment - basically a foton in a large shared room.  So I parked Hennie out the front and went in to enquire...  Basil stood there, crossing his arms, shaking his head and turned his back on me.  I asked him where the police station was, as I've heard they will sometimes help.  "Taxi" was all Basil said.  

There was a little covered porch and as it was raining heavily now, I grabbed my power pack and ducked back into the porch.  I could feel Basil's eyes boring into me, but I ignored him.  Once the phone was getting charged, I checked again, looking for Maps.Me.  Nothing!  I checked if there was free wifi and thank goodness, there was.  I downloaded Maps.Me again, downloaded the SK map and eventually, I was able to see that there was a blue dot just down the street a bit...  By now the rain had stopped, so I left Basil to his mutterings, and headed off.  Sure enough, there was a sign for Sauna and Motel.  A lovely lady came out from the sauna and said the motel was around the back.  Sure enough!  

35,000kw paid up, and I was given the key to my room.  It was larger than most, even a bath in the bathroom, but on closer inspection, it was pretty grubby and there were spar bubblers... maybe not.  free wifi... tv, proper bed though the mattress was really hard...  But so thankful.  Hennie was allowed in the foyer, moved so that she was in view of the cctv!  It just does my head in, why these facilities are so secret.  I wonder how the people that run these motels - usually very welcoming to me and others - are treated in their communities.  Are their businesses just not mentioned?  Puzzling...  but at least hot showers and a bed, what more can one want!  

83km with 20km of heavy rain, so was a bit pooped, so was soon tucked up in bed and fast asleep.

due to the rain, not many photos taken, but here's a few.

Rest day near Sejong.

 I had hopes of going for a spin on the bikeway that runs between the 3 lanes of traffic going both ways between Sejong and Daejeon.  Unfortunately, I got muddled, when I booked a room for 2 nights at the H Hotel Sejong, which actually isn't in Sejong, but is 15km before Sejong.  So maybe tomorrow, there'll be some catching up to do.  Thankfully, I have had a really lazy day today.  Been out for a couple of walks, once to get coffee and a croissant, another time for a stroll in the park and thirdly, out to a supermarket to buy supplies for the road ahead.  

I have managed to get all my electrical toys fully charged, photos downloaded and am almost caught up on my blogs after the Google issue, this being a brief report on today.  

Hennie has remained locked outside my room door, so she will be ready to go in the morning too!  

so nothing exciting happened today, but I did take a few pics on my stroll to the gardens.

and I had a little puppy moment, when I managed to catch a photo of the cutest and most energetic pup ever!  I had seen it dragging its owners (a young couple) at top speed and with their consent, managed to get a mostly in focus photo.  so cute!

This town is similar to the usual mid-size towns here in Korea.  I don't think many people live in single homes, its seems to be all high rise apartments, with lots of families making use of the park facilities.

so am now almost packed up, just last minute things to do.  Have paid for breakfast as its buffet so surely I can get coffee and toast, maybe an egg or croissant...  for $15 I hope so.

Thunderstorms and high chance of rain tomorrow, which should keep things cool as I have a couple of long days ahead to get to the coast at Gunsan.  

Into Sejong or not to Sejong

 That wonderful blue line continued to lead me in the right direction.  The bike guide I had used to plan this trip, seemed to suggest this Ocheon bike way would run through Sejong, so last night I made a hotel booking for 2 nights at the slightly posh looking H Hotel Sejong, which was just a little way off the path.  It was only a short of 35km so I didn't rush off in the morning as I knew check-in wasn't till 3pm.  

It was an interesting ride, a little different from the past few days.  totally flat, apart for the little bumps going up and over roads and back to the river side again.  Some of these are so sharp, there were occasions when I had the push Hennie up the short but steep rise.

The farm lands had a different look today.  Not sure if I took photos, (I didn't) but there were big barns with cattle in small pens.  They were a pale brown cow, not sure if they were for dairy or meat.  Often there were 3 or 4 cows to a small pen.  The sheds were large and mostly looked new and the hum of fans could be heard.  But that didn't drown out the lonely bellows of the cows.  I felt so sorry for them, as they would have no way to really exercise.  I guess that is what makes wagu beef so marbled with fat...  From one large shed there was this really weird bleating sound - I couldn't figure it out and I couldn't really see into it...  But at the driveway, I saw a picture of a deer.  There are no empty paddocks nor fences, so I think these animals spend their whole life, penned up.  OK - this vego will shut up for now!

Apart from that, there was only one different experience today.  Usually the path runs along the edge of the river banks, but today it dipped down to roll through the towering reeds or something that looks really like tiger grass.  around a corner was a stretch of wet muddy track!  the blue line had disappeared but was it under the mud or was I lost again?  I decided there was no way I could be lost, so Hennie gingerly hit the mud and thankfully, the firm concrete path wasn't far below and we came out the other side totally unscathed - apart from Hennie adding another layer of dirt that I am going to have to scrub before returning back to Oz. 

I arrived at my destination at midday, so had a couple of hours to wait.  I found a nice little park, just across from the hotel, so made myself comfortable, made a plastic cheese and cucumber sandwich and chilled out until check-in.

It was pretty hot and having no breeze is great for cycling, but when you stop, then you can really feel the heat.  It was probably around 31-33.  A little pond was full of tall reeds and there was a little reed warbler of some variety, just a arm's length away - but do you think I could see it? no way!!  the reeds would move, binoculars trained on that spot, but of course it was already on its way.  It kept me busy for quite a while...  The Azure-winged magpies were also busy around here as was the Magpie.  such cheeky birds...

eventually, it was time to check in - catch the elevator to the 11th floor, with Hennie still loaded in the lift with me!  Nice!  There was even a space outside my door for her to stay, so a big plus.  Air con and a quick shower revived me no end, and after a little while, I went out for a stroll around the streets.  I saw a tiny shop selling fresh salads, so bought a egg and ricotta salad and it was really fresh and wonderful.  

back in my room, I at last got Google sorted and started on getting these blogs going again.

Rest day tomorrow and I think it will be a really lazy Sunday.  Apparently, most of the shops close on Sundays, but food shops are generally open, usually not till 9 or 10 though.

Today's pics are few, because I wasn't out on the road for long.

This scene seemed so mismatched.  The towering apartment blocks in the background, while in the foreground, this group of women, crouched on the ground, planting seeds (I guess), into the dry stony ground.  Reminds me of a painting by Van Gogh!

My hotel showing above the tree line - thankful I found it so easily and not far from the path.

I will try and find a clip of the muddy section, but am not really sure if I can easily upload video here.  we'll see!  PS - failed!  apparently the Fly12 format isn't just right for here... or something.  so here's a print screen from the video, just to give you an idea.