Tag Archives: four rivers

Night Ride

Tuesday, September 29. Gangjeong Goryeongbo to Jaesong, Busan. About 200 kms.

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goryeong-gun-rice-DSC_9394Goryeong-gun.

goryeong-gun-jangseung-DSC_9387Not a lot of time to take pictures.

nakdong-last-kms-DSC_9455The sun sets again.

changneyong-hammanbo-moon-DSC_9413The moon is rising over Hammanbo and I’m still about 70 or 80 kilometers from Busan.

changnyeong-bike-path-DSC_9448The bike path is lit by green lights for a few kilometers. Sometimes I pass bikers going the other way. Then is just me, my bike, the moon, the river and the eerie Korean countryside.   changnyeong-hammanbo-DSC_9423Hours later I reach Yangsan and buy water at the first vending machine I find. The city looks abandoned except for predatory taxis.  I leave the river path and head towards Nopo at the northern end of Busan. Near PNU I get on the Oncheoncheon creek bike path. Elly meets me in Dongrae with a cupcake and candles to celebrate. I keep biking southeast to Suyong and cross the river at Gwajeong gyo. I arrive in Jaesong at 2 or 2:30am the night of my fourth day.

The Sun Sets On The Nakdong 洛東江

Monday, September 28. Sangjubo to Gangjeong Goryeongbo.  ~100km.

bridge-DSC_9248Unfinished bridge pillar or brutalist Jangseung.

nakdanbo-DSC_9262Nakdanbo.

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nakdanbo-DSC_9252Fish ladders.

nakdanbo-songpyeon-DSC_9275The breakfast of songpyeon that Elly packed for me.

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gumibo-fish-water-DSC_9292

gumibo-DSC_9303Gumibo.

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toy-cars-gumi-lg-plant-DSC_9326Remote control cars in Gumi.

nakdong-near-daegu-DSC_9342Sundown as I near Daegu.

nakdong-near-daegu-DSC_9357A distant peak.

nakdong-DSC_9373The Nakdong from Gangjeong Goryeongbo.

gangjeong-daegu-DSC_9364 Gangjeong Goryeongbo and the end of my third day.

The River under the Harvest Moon

September 27.  Chungju to Sangjubo following the Saejae bike path.

light_on_the_bed-DSC_8963Light patterns on my bed.

budai-DSC_8986 Budai in the shade. Danhosa temple, Chungju. apples-DSC_8966 Apples along the path. tiger-DSC_9006Tigers in the grass. by-the-river-DSC_9013Campers by the river.

flowers-DSC_9019Flowers encircled by Korean honeybees.

crows-DSC_9023Crow scarecrows at an orchard.

crossroads-DSC_9029Crossroads.

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wall-carved-DSC_9041Carvings on a rock.

soju-for-deities-DSC_9033Soju for the deities.

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scare-crow-DSC_9048A more humane scarecrow.

red_peppers_DSC_9058Red peppers by the road.

bike-station-DSC_9062A bike station at Hengchun gyocharo.

pass-DSC_9068The mountain pass at Ihwaryeong.

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hills-DSC_9073

road-rice-road-DSC_9083

woman-in-the-river-DSC_9088

seeds-DSC_9098

seeds-DSC_9116

man-in-the-river-DSC_9127Fishing near Mungyeong Buljeong Station.

bridge-road-DSC_9134

river-road-DSC_9136

tree-road-rice-DSC_9144Tree and rice paddies.

waterway-road-DSC_9157Waterways.

scarecrow-DSC_9179A more reflective scarecrow.

road-rice-DSC_9181I near the end of the Saejae bike path. I meet the Nakdong as the Harvest Moon slowly begins to rise in the east.

chuseok-moon-over-nakdong-DSC_9205The Nakdong under the Chuseok moon.

weir-DSC_9206I reach the final weir of my second day at Sangju, eleven kilometers into the Nakdong river bike path and about one hundred kilometers from Chungju.

food-DSC_9232I meet Elly in Sangju city for pizza and wine, an assortment of snacky snacks.

Cities on the Han

Saturday, September 26. Seoul to Chunju along the Namhangang bike path.

I take the night Mugunghwa train to Seoul. I arrive at 4:30 am and begin biking south towards the Han. I pass the high walls of the American military base, and the Dragon Hill neighborhood.

jangseung-stone-seoul_DSC_8673I reach the river sometime after 5am.

haetae_seoul-DSC_8694A Haetae 獬豸near Hangang Bridge.
As I cross the bridge, I hear a siren and look back. A small convoy of emergency vehicles enter the bridge behind me. They drive slowly. I dismount my bike and walk to the edge of the bridge. The water below is an empty field of darkness framed by a constellation of hovering window lights kept on by an army of hardworking Koreans.
From around an island, an emergency response speedboat floats quickly in my direction. It scans the water with a searchlight. They seem to be looking for someone.
speedboat_DSC_8711I travel east. The sun begins to uncover the city.
seoul-morning-DSC_8737Twenty seven bridges cross the Han in Seoul.
seoul-lotte-tower_DSC_8743Up ahead the unfinished Lotte World Tower rises in the morning haze.
monsters_on_the_banks_of_the_hanDSC_8758Kilometers beyond the capital, camouflaged creatures meet me at the banks of the Han.
han-river_DSC_8776A city on the Han.
han-river-DSC_8782Gun emplacements guarding the waterway against possible northern aggression.
han-bike-path-DSC_8789bridge_han-river-DSC_8798bridge-iron-train-han-DSC_8803
cat-at-cafe_hanriver_DSC_8813Lunch time. A cat and bikers outside a cafe near Paldang Bridge 八堂大橋.
fliers-on-the-road-DSC_8836Plenty of small roadkill along the path.
tunnel_han_DSC_8845Railroad tunnels turned into bike tunnels.
camels_han-river_DSC_8851Camels in the Korean wilderness.
korean-flag-tree-DSC_8855Nationalist trees.
branch-han-river-DSC_8862Trees with tiny purple pumpkins.
sotdae-jangseung-han-river-DSC_8866Jangseung 長承 and Sotdae at Ipobo weir.

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jangseung-DSC_8888Jangseung in twisted anguish doing their best to keep demons at bay.
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river-tree-island-DSC_8938The day ends at Chungju Tangeumdae, about 120 km from Paldang Bridge.