Geoff Jones

Biking Yeoju-Si to Suambo on Lifeday 25,447

Posted on March 30, 2017

Wednesday 29 March 2017

Another great day of biking this time with added sun!

I pedalled into town to get breakfast at Paris Baguette which was pretty busy. As I was munching away an American couple, Laura & Scott from Ohio, sat at the adjacent table nearly two hours later after a very interesting chat, they are a couple where its much simpler to ask where haven’t you been? I left 🙂 They are also biking to Busan but ride somewhat shorter days than me, but we exchanged numbers to keep in touch.

It was an excellent day for biking the temperature had risen and the sun was out. I was soon in my short sleeved shirt 🙂 To begin with it was following the rivers on an incredibly smooth path, the only problem was the short 20% circular descent from the barrier 🙁

Why don’t we use these on bridges in the UK? eg Elizabeth way in Cambridge

I tried taking some selfies for a header with the Canon but it proved difficult as all the fences all have slightly pointed tops on the posts 🙁 The miles of fences interestingly are made of some hard plastic.

The afternoon peace was broken frequently with all the F16’s flying around Jungwon AFB although I was amused with all the fishermen in their comfy chairs around the neighbouring ponds

After Chungju, where I probably should have stopped, the path deteriorated to a bumpy track as I guess lost folks would go through the town. I kept going enticed by the hot springs on the map. The hills soon started and I getting concerned in the fading light. Eventually after nearly 100km I arrived in Suanbo which is much bigger than maps.me shows – I need to stay and update the Open Street Map I think.

After some haggling, I splurged a little on the Suanbo Sangnok Hotel which has a thermal spa in the basement 🙂

Strava says I did 61.2 miles and 1920 feet of climbing most of which is in the last 10 miles!

All the pictures are here

Cycling Cheondong (Seoul) to Yeoju-Si on Lifeday 25,446

Geoff Jones with bike — Checking in at a stamp station

This was my first complete day on the 4 Rivers bike route and was it amazing! in fact stunning the perfect bike path. Although the weather was less than perfect with an ethereal mist over the views.

I decided to try my luck at the local bread shop again, a lot warier than yesterday when one of the innocent lucking rolls was full of ham 🙁 I succeeded with the balls full of some sweet goo. I really need a veggie guide to the bread shop.

The ride started along the river on a perfect path with racing teams bombing along and lots of folks on the outdoor apparatus. The path wends it way around with none of the right angle bends found in other countries. Always traffic free (some tiny sections in front of stations are on quiet roads). In fact, you could use the trains to skip sections 🙂

The Cafe Lounge was ideally placed and as I was told on The Camino a cafe passed is a cafe wasted 🙂 After coffee and cake I started on the old railway line section and felt sad about the deliberate act of vandalism in the UK that old lines were flogged of piecemeal, apparently deliberately so they could never bee used again.

The next surprise where the “art tunnels” totally stunning old railway tunnels converted into amazing lighting displays totally awesome. After the old railway line, I dropped down to the river again with an amazing boardwalk along the cliffs, full of folks walking. A short section went inland along a country road and up a Grade 4 hill whereI set new records for the slowest ride up 🙂

Later it was biking along the dams where I realised that one of my gloves had fallen out of my pocket 🙁 it was getting late so left it to its fate 🙁 This section has the amazing concrete bridges for bikes, apparently paid for by the water authorities! Such joined up thinking.

After just over 50 miles I decided to call it a day in Yeoju-Si eventually finding the I Love Feel motel not in the same class as previous nights, I was only offered a razer & toothbrush 🙂 plus I made the mistake about WiFi when paying, Im now typing this in the corridor at 2am

A totally fantastic day and just so great to see what a real first world country can do for cycling & personal fitness for the whole population, in fact, I kept thinking that it should be paid for from health budgets.

The Strava is here and photos here

Cycling Jeonkok to Cheondong (Seoul) on Lifeday 25,445

Monday 27th March 2017

What a foul weather day! I awoke to thick grey cloud and finished it in pouring icy rain 🙁

The going was also very varied from old broken roads which would compete with the worst in England to high-speed smooth very busy expressways with the cycle paths following a similar pattern.

I stayed on the old road out of Jeonkok for as long as possible before hitting the incredibly busy 3 highway 🙁 after a few miles I turned off along the river by Anheungdong this road was unbearable and I was getting hungry I finally found an open bread shop in Dongducheon, a town that will never feature in any tourist brochure 🙁 Leaving on the 3 road again I finally spotted a cycle path alongside the river so down I went. Very grateful to leave the traffic behind at last. This track finished in Deokgyedong a far more upmarket place with a decent coffee shop 🙂 Then it was pounding down another busy road until just after Yangu station I spotted a bike path, pulling the bike across the verge and through a carpark. I zoomed down shortly meeting up with a magnificent path that took me all the way down to the main river 🙂

I went through a small shower at the promised time of 2 pm but the 4 Rivers Path was on the other side of the main river so I had to do a huge U to find a bridge that cyclists could use. On the other side there were huge puddles 🙁 so I set off with a huge cloud following me. Near Bangi-Dong I checked the maps.me plugin (works offline) and discovered a nearby motel. I set it to find the route and set off. Too late the heavens opened, the iPhone7 is waterproof but the screen goes crazy with the rain drops 🙁 so I ended up all over the place, with much cursing, I was freezing.

I eventually found Hotel Murore a decent enough place the goodie bag is not as grand as the first night, obviously, folks here have shorter breaks. One disgusting feature is the heated toilet seat 🙁 I’ve unplugged it now.

Apart from the weather a good day although it has me thinking about the pros & cons of dedicated cycleways since down at the riverside you get to see so little of the city/country life.

Strava says I managed 55.6 miles the day’s pics are here

Cycling Munsan to Jeongok on lifeday25,444

Posted on March 26, 2017

The border river looking into DMZ

Well, Korean Love Hotels are not the best place for a good nights sleep 🙁

I was on the road at 9 am and headed up Highway 1 to the DMZ checkpoint where 1 finishes (at the moment), I tried to blag my way in but the guard soldiers and there superior weren’t having it.

I headed back, Last night I noticed a road went to a bend in the border river so I headed up on the 37, amazingly busy even today. I then came off at the first turning and was greeted by splendid river views and the hills in the DMZ. As a bonus I also visited a lovely, rebuilt, pagoda style platform ( whasookjeong) where Yi Sack meditated and wrote poetry, it still has a serene air to it even though Route 37 runs close to it.

I then followed the DMZ route which I found somewhere 🙂 amazing to see all the cemetries on the hillsides from the war plus all the tank traps on the road. No wonder the war was so long, the hilly terrain with deep valleys must have been hell to fight in.

I eventually got tired and and headed South to Jeongok to find a bed, no problem today as a motel had a huge 10-foot sign on its roof 🙂 The Mu Hotel is very pleasant and the goodie bag is far more conventional in its contents! The roof is ginormous with ultra-fast upload speeds.

A great day with the sort of hills I love, short & steep 🙂 The countryside is interesting. I find it astounding how rural and urban are so clearly separated like ancient & modern worlds.

Strava says I did 49.5 miles and 2300 feet of climbing (it felt a lot more)

The pics are here