Kevin's Walk 9: Day 15, Leg 10

Five more days to go, four more legs to go.

only 19 or 20K, not 25.4

not 23K, it seems

Today was a lot like yesterday: once the sun came up, it was bright and windy. But before I get ahead of myself, I should talk about what a foot examination revealed yesterday at Libertar Pension.

Everything takes a million years to do when you're tired, so it's important, while you're thinking sluggishly, to think logically, to put your upcoming actions together in rational order so you don't screw things up. Since I got to Libertar in the late afternoon, the first thing I needed to do was eat, so I did that while watching YouTube. Pooping came next (pungent but gratifying), followed by hand-washing clothes, then showering, which meant taking off my various bandages.

I immediately saw that I've started to form a blister under the thick skin of the ball of my left foot. I've had worse, so I wasn't worried. My right big toe, though, was looking beaten up and a bit misshapen. A blister had formed in that region, then popped, subjecting the area to a bit of a "wet bandage" effect, which is never good news.

So the next logical steps were: dry the feet, disinfect, re-dry, and re-dress everything. So I dragged out my first-aid kit and got to work, first drying everything, then swabbing the blister-popped areas (and elsewhere), drying everything again, then taking nearly thirty minutes to re-dress my feet in the proper order. The final result met my satisfaction, and today's walk, while somewhat abusive as all such walks are, was emergency-free.

But with several more and longer walks coming up before the end, I'm a little worried that burst blisters and minor wounds might become infected. Luckily, I did remember to bring along the remains of my antibiotic pills, so if I perceive any signs or smells of infection, I'll take the pills and hope for the best. At worst, I'll finish the walk and see the local doc about further treatment.

Those minor concerns aside, I enjoyed today's walk, which was shorter than expected at only 19K (Naver switched things up on me again, by 4 km this time). The walk started off energetically, and it was short enough that I arrived in the Nakdan Dam area a lot earlier than expected—just a little after noon. So I shrugged and went to a local Chinese restaurant that I'd been to years before. I remember that it had served okay food, but that I'd gotten the runs afterward—maybe because of the food or because of something else. I then took a slow tour of the dam, padding my step count and kind of hoping that the cute girl from last year would pop out, but as my rational mind had suspected, there was to be no pop-goes-the-cutie. So, I ambled into a convenience store, got some supplies, then wandered over to the Bonghwang Motel, which Naver insists on calling the Bonghwang Park (봉황파크) despite all evidence to the contrary, from the motel's name on the building's front to the stitched labels on my room's pillows to the printed names on the bathroom towels. Absolutely everything simply says "Bonghwang Motel," not "Bonghwang Park."

(You do remember that bonghwang/봉황 means "phoenix," ja? There will be a quiz later on all of this vocabulary. Stay frosty.)

My room is only W35,000 for the night. The manager gave me the password to be able to access router internet, but that didn't work. Not a problem: this sort of situation is precisely why I switched my phone policy to unlimited data.

25K walk to ~~eastern~~ upper Sangju tomorrow. I'm in southern Sangju now, and the day after tomorrow marks the definitive turn eastward to begin the final phase of this walk. I'll still be following the Nakdong River until I hit the Andong Dam, but it should be noted that the river's source is not in the area of the dam-created lake (안동호/Andong-ho/Andong Lake): I believe it's closer to the east coast.

After Tuesday's walk to ~~eastern~~ upper Sangju, Wednesday's walk will be 36K and will take me to Jibo-myeon, the town next to Andong City. I'll rest in Jibo one extra day, then push on to western Andong on Friday the 14th, a 30K trek. And finally, on the 15th, I'll amble 28K to the east side of Andong, where I'll climb the steps up to the top of Andong Dam. While I'll be very tempted to celebrate in town with something expensive and vulgar, I'll force myself to grab a cab, ride to the local intercity bus terminal, get myself a ticket for Seoul, then bus back to my place, where I hope I'll have enough time to pay my building's admin fee before midnight so as to avoid a late fee. I also need to get right back to work on Substack and other creative endeavors.

It's hard to believe that this walk is winding down. Barring a massive heart attack or stroke, I'm going to make it through this and redeem myself for last year's disaster. My face and hands have gotten a little sun (and wind); otherwise, I can't say that I look much different. I am, however, glad I'd taken along my resistance band and door mount: except for one day when I was too exhausted, I've been conscientious about doing my condensed routine as a way to keep from losing the strength I had developed through training multimodally at home with kettlebells, dumbbells, bodyweight, heavy clubs, resistance bands, etc. I've still got frozen shoulder, but it feels as though the training is helping with mobility. I know I've also recovered a measure of core strength: it used to be nearly impossible for me to do a single situp to get up off a bench after I'd been napping on it for half an hour; now, I can wrestle myself upright with little problem.

So: baby steps. Enjoy your ten images.

Gumi Dam (구미보) in the dark

the effects of sunrise on a mountainous river valley

Given its colors, I'd say this snake was poisonous... but it was also dead.

Even after sunrise, the sun takes time to peek over mountains.

massive complex tucked into a mountain's flank

straightaway

The moon watches an Orwellian watcher.

lots of farm/landscaping/family vehicles on the bike path

I did manage to see one shaman spider today.

Nakdan Dam, but no cute girl

I had only about four hours of sleep after walking 33K yesterday, arriving late at the pension, hand-washing my clothing, and re-dressing my feet. Tonight, I'm gonna turn in early. As in around 7 p.m. Today was only 19-20K, but I'm beat.

ADDENDUM: Local weather still looks great through the 15th for Sangju, Jibo-myeon, and Andong. Woo-hoo!

ADDENDUM 2: bonus selfie—

PHOTO ESSAY

bye-bye, Libertar Pension (5:47 a.m.)

This was a late start: I was out of the pension at a quarter to six.
(the old triumvirate of Jupiter [by the moon], Procyon, and Sirius)

Since I knew today's distance would be short, I chose to start late.

I have to cross back over the dam and go left (north) to continue on.

seems kind of stark in the morning... but no fog like on other walks

through King Arthur's coconuts

passing the sluice-gate towers

hints of dawn more visible in the camera than in real life

gentle lightening (not lightning)

The trail's faerie lights start up ahead.

into the dark

It was cold, so I waited until it was light before taking more pics.

more ripped-out plants

nice to have a walking lane

we start the day with another dead mom

I wonder how much of this wood gets chippered and stuffed into pillows or something. Or converted into smoker pellets.

7:06 a.m.

With the arrival of the sun, the air is only beginning to warm up.

"Gumi City, Dogae-myeon"

hay, ready to be baled

7:17 a.m.

Is the building still in use...?

Down and to the left I go.

A warning about using the trail during a flood.

Bridges provide a clear way to see perspective.

threading the needle

house on a hillside, with a porch

at a guess, a drainage facility

116K still ahead, 269K behind

국토종주

sign showing this is both the 4 Rivers and the Nakdong River path

drainage gate (baesumun/배수문)

"Dogae 2nd Drainage Gate"

Gotta cross over.

hard-to-read bridge specs

turning scrap plastic into decorations

back out to the river

dead snake (colorful... was it poisonous?)

There are some creatures that evolve to look like other, poisonous creatures. Nice if it works.

UPDATE: A bit of research suggests this is a Korean tiger keelback, which is indeed poisonous. Sorry, buddy, but as Nicholson's Joker cackled in 1989, I'm glad you're dead.

first comes the brightness, and later the warmth

cluster of buildings over yonder

7:51 a.m., faux sunrise

Yay! I've gone a kilometer since the previous distance marker!

the brown oil spots that look like negative-image meteors

I guess you need satellite to stay entertained if you're in that little building all day.

Too big to be a bucket... maybe "tub" is the right word...? For dunking babies that you think might be witches?

forward to Sangju

another unreachable market

The large building bills itself as the "Dogae Rest Area" (rest area = hyugeso/휴게소)

...and the meat seller right next door

Wait a minute. Is that...?

Of course. Park golf.

Sigh...

the town beyond the freeway

"Dogae Observation Tower"

under the bridge and through

exercise area

I've walked under enough bridges to have sussed out that "P1" is "Pylon 1."

In the old days, we might have called those bundles "faggots."

threshed and waiting to be baled

up the ramp

...and over another footbridge (they do start to run together in the mind)

looking one way while crossing

looking the other

me and my shadow

after the baler's been through

marshmallows

swerving right

The path I'm taking will not take me past Sangju Dam, but today's destination is Nakdan Dam.

Going left, as my trekking pole indicates.

another under-bridge couch filled with ten thousand spiders waiting to eat me

one of several shots, today, of the moon

This looks like another necropolis.

You meet Hades/Pluto if you go inside.

the return of the negative-image meteors

another footbridge

looking right

looking left/west and riverward

another spot for Shakespeare in the park

yet another thing to make me sigh

I'm more inclined to give this utilitarian vehicle (a flatbed) a pass.

Who watching whom?

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

nonstop cars in this area

neighborhood

with a splash of fall color

persimmons

I do not question your presence, good sir.

another home, with a very solid-looking porch

soon leaving this neighborhood

What sort of filthy air are those pipes venting so well away from the house?

If it's a hill, especially a low hill, it's going to be built upon.

by the riverside again

on the bike path instead of on the road

anti-avalanche netting

I spy a spi... spi... spider.

mudang geomi/무당거미/shaman spider

on the right path

cow house

ladies

The right-hand tractor is a hay baler.

a rather ambitious apiary

duck houses, apparently closed today

We're closing in on the psychologically significant 100K mark.

just another farm road

I'll be seeing a lot more decks like these when I head east from Sangju to Andong.

nice not to worry about random theft

more tempting trees

and their tempting fruit

a man-made pond on a farm

AI has this to say about man-made ponds on Korean farms (trust it or not):

Man-made ponds on Korean farms primarily serve as crucial water storage for irrigation and livestock, but also function as essential habitats for biodiversity (birds, amphibians, fish), contribute to aquaculture (fish farming), help with flood/erosion control, recharge groundwater, and provide cultural/recreational value, with historical examples like Jusanji Pond demonstrating their long-standing importance in managing water for agriculture in South Korea.

persimmons!

the house I almost want to live in

stone-mill sculpture and big, juicy persimmons

the heart-shaped kind

must be a nice view off that porch

the tiny moon in the upper-right corner

looking riverward

I'm giving the finger to this ad for the Havana Motel. Fuck the Havana Motel.

a household with something special

persimmons, drying

Persimmons are generically called gam/감 in Korean. When dried, they become got-gam/곶감. Think of how chilies change names when they dry. A jalapeño becomes a chipotle. A poblano becomes an ancho. A mirasol becomes a guajillo. See more here.

one of those annoying PA systems, interrupting the blessed silence even out in the farmland

Just how many miles of farm roads are there?

And as they asked (but no longer ask) about footwear: What are those?

AI suggests: "invasive brown seaweed known as Sargassum muticum or Japanese wireweed," but... can this be seaweed this far inland (a few hundred kilometers from the east coast)?

You will not face the farm when you squat down to poop, but you might face approaching bikers.

cow house gone solar

The brown sign says it's 4.4 km to the Nakdan Dam certification center. And it's only 10:39 a.m.

Normally, I don't check into a motel until after 2 p.m., and it appears I'll be in the Nakdan Dam neighborhood around noon. So I'll have to think of something to do. No, not that.

The middle sign cautions us to watch out for bikes and farm equipment.

Lord of the Cell Tower

I flipped the sign horizontally on my phone to make out the Korean better. I'm not sure, but I think it says, "Korean Rural Development Corporation Pumping Station." I could be very wrong, though. Experts?

solar farms, looking like sores on the mountainside

Ah, these two gloves... they were so close before the Chinese gunned them down.

poor Juliet

poor Romeo

and another glove later on

and another

And one more "farm vehicle" to blight my day... except it's too nice out to be annoyed.

so, so close

worker in the field

always with these abandoned scooters (hers, maybe?)

a building that doesn't seem to be used right now

Have at you!

VIDEO: Mantis Encounter! (nothing really happens)

the Lost Boys solution to South Korea's vampire problem

frog, killed mid-prayer

See what I mean about the decks?

I decide to take a bit of a rest here despite not having far to go. (11:37 a.m.)

past the fence and riverward

Oh, how the distance tantalizes me.

Nakdong River Bridge (we've had a few bridges with that name now, haven't we?)
Nakdonggang-daegyo/낙동강대교

an interestingly bricked-over slope

and another bridge to cross under soon

wild chrysanthemums—Chrysanthemum indicum or C. lavandulifolium

coming up: Nakdan Bridge (Nakdan-daegyo/낙단대교)

past the bridge and closing in on the dam

one more bridge

My chosen motel lies across the river, so in principle, I can cross at any time.

"screen golf" and "duck feast" restaurant

We have screen golf in the West if that's what it's called (I think we're more likely to say "indoor golf"). You whack a golf ball into a draped sheet (a screen) on which a golf course's hole is projected. A computer calculates your ball's trajectory based on force and other factors. It's a cheap way to "golf" for golf-obsessed people (I've never been one of them, thank God).

I was tempted to go here, to a resto selling soondae gukbap (soondae soup and rice), one of my favorite soups. (soondae = Korean-style blood sausage, but with fillers like cellophane noodles)

12:21 p.m. I've been walking slowly, dragging my feet these past few kilometers.

mural based on a photo—one of several images

"Uiseong Nakdan Dam Ferry"

I elect to hit my favorite Chinese resto on this side of the river to chow down on tangsuyuk (sweet-sour pork) and gun-mandu (fried dumplings, Chinese-style)—two dishes by which to judge how good a Chinese resto is. The lady running the resto warned me that there'd be a lot of tangsuyuk. I smiled and nodded confidently. This would be my only meal of the day.

Et voilà. And I didn't even get the runs afterward.

I did have to pluck out the onions, though. Can't stand those.

It's more of a texture thing than a taste thing.

I belatedly took a pic of the resto on my way out. "Old-style Jjajang! Jjambbong"

jjajang-myeon = chewy noodles in black-bean sauce
jjambbong = salty, spicy stew with seafood, veggies, and the same chewy pasta

Having left the resto, I wander around to kill time. I'm in town rather early despite my late start.

a nearby pavilion

wider shot

could be a marker for a teacher (read on)

From last year:

ChatGPT (which may need to be fact-checked) says:

九山村先生 (구산촌선생) refers to a Korean scholar named Seo Geo-jeong (서거정, 1420–1488), a prominent figure in the early Joseon Dynasty. His pen name, "구산촌" (Gusan Village), reflects his literary and scholarly identity. Seo Geo-jeong is best known for his contributions to Confucian scholarship, governance, and literature, as well as for his role in shaping Joseon-era culture and ideology.

Those dates meant he was contemporaneous with Great King Sejong, and thus alive for the invention (c. 1443) and promulgation (c. 1446) of the Korean alphabet.

moving toward the dam, hoping for a glimpse of the cute girl from last year

She would be sitting in that little, exterior office.

But, no. No girl made an appearance. Maybe she's moved on to another job.

another helpful route map

Nakdan Dam in all its glory

the town across the way, where my motel is (Nakdong-myeon/낙동면)

four sluice-gate towers—my, my

Koreans and abstract sculpture

Nakdan Dam Business Office

hydropower-station info

the temple I'd visited last year

See last year's entry for the corresponding segment to take a tour of the temple grounds. You have to scroll way down to see those photos.

a slightly zoomed-in shot of the temple

Across I go.

looking left/south

as always, a fish ladder

How much iron does a fish have to pump to go up this thing?

Nakdong-myeon, the township on the other side

I'll be walking by this area early tomorrow morning.

pointing to a gravesite, I think

"Welcome! This is Sangju City, Nakdan Dam." (It says "weir" in English. Small dam.)

Click to enlarge, then right-click and hit "open image in new tab" to see full size.

not quite American-suburban style

more classically Korean style

I had to wait until he passed.

the plastic floof

I see YouTubers who make awesome wood furniture and sculptures from pallet wood.

A now-empty resto called "The Goat Horn."

I will not be walking on this road.

the new Chinese resto replacing the one that got knocked down last year
name: Nakdong River Restaurant (Nakdonggang Banjeom/낙동강반점)

wider shot

By this point, my phone was getting low on power. I made my way over to the Bonghwang Motel, met the friendly owner out front (like ast year, he was out raking leaves), got myself a cheap room (W35,000) with no decent WiFi, and settled in.