Stage 1:
Although I’ve been bicycle touring the Korean peninsula on several occasions, there are always new routes to explore and “recycling” old routes bring back memories.
Since the Busan to Jeju Island ferry stopped operating, a new route had to be plotted and sailing with the Wando ferry, appeared to be a good option.
Leaving Seoul on one of the hundreds of kilometers of bicycle ways criss-crossing the city.
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| Bike path on both sides of the canal |
All around in the city, the bike paths never really get crowded as everybody spreads out.
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| Only few users to share the path with |
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| Distant Seoul City view |
Riding along the Han River bike path is always a pleasure.
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| Railway bridges across the Han River with Seoul Namsan Tower |
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| One of the places I utilized |
Resting places are along the routes and perfect for afternoon naps.
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| Under bridge crossing, just for bicycles & pedestrians |
While looking for accommodation, 3 Koreans started to take up a conversation in broken English and offered a bed for the night. Not before long, they introduced me to the game of croquet then followed by a BBQ.
It turned out. Mr. Kim studied law in Germany and spoke rather good German, which became the language of choice.
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| Croquet team |
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| Bicycle transport |
Couldn't keep up, so bike and rider got loaded up.
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| Backup bike... Just in case |
Saying goodbye to my new found friends.
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| Decided to skip the Swimming & Running |
Riding through Naejangsan National Park was a nice change from the previous days along the waterways.
The route wound through hilly forested roads with little traffic to compete for the road with.
Soon it was back to a straight and level bike path.
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| Bamboo forest |
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| One of many Dr. Who sights |
Whoever is familiar with Dr. Who, he seems to have been busy visiting Korea in the past…
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| Re-utilized Kimchi pots |
The Minions also made an appearance.
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| The Love Shack! |
Kristie took the bullet train from Seoul to Mokpo, where we met for a couple of days visiting some tourist spots.
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| The Cave Cafe |
Mokpo Wall Art
The Mokpo Cable Car presents a birdseye view of the city and harbor.
Mokpo, a City of some 200'000 plus residents.
All those sightseeing activities create a big appetite for a typical Korean meal.
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| Lookout and history tower |
Mokpo Laser and Water Canon show.
As Kristie boarded the train back to Seoul, I left Mokpo City in the rear view mirror and soon the old familiar roads winding through rice paddies and garlic fields became the daily landscape again.
The smell of garlic is in the air.
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| Rice paddies |
Arriving in Wando, the first task was to organize the ferry ticket to Jeju Island which I had purchased online. The language barrier at the counter was still a large issue, but eventually it got resolved.
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| Wando harbor |
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| Jeju Island ferry |
On a rainy day I sailed to Jeju City, perfect for not having to ride!
Leg #2 will start at the next port.
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