Day 16, Leg 11

Four days, three more legs, and 93 km to go.

just 25K today, not 31.3K

following the Nakdong, then veering away

Another gorgeous day of walking, and the forecast through the 15th remains immaculate. This morning was cold but not freezing. I had prepped a pair of chemical-heat pads, but they turned out to be unnecessary. I had also gotten off to a late start for today's 25K trek, leaving the Bonghwang Motel at 5:40 a.m., which meant that my walk through the unlit woods, early on, wasn't nearly as dark as it had been last year since, this time, I benefitted from the dawn's early light and didn't have to use the flashlight function on my cell phone. I arrived at the Bobos Motel at around 4 p.m. My several breaks totaled about an hour, so my average speed was a typically slow-pokey 2.8 kph, probably because of all the shutterbugging.

I once again didn't see a single shaman spider. There were also three hills that left me gasping—something that hadn't happened last year. Not to worry: despite being steep, these three hills weren't that long, so I was able to recover after each one. While I didn't see spiders, I did see a lot of cows, and I again had to wonder how many were milchers and how many were beef cows.

Fortunately, I remembered from last year that there was a portion of today's path that required switching Naver from "cycle" mode to "walk" mode because, at a certain point, the cycling path led to a high-traffic artery that I could never have walked. Once I got past that section, I switched back to "cycle" mode.

As I was walking, I explored alternatives to my current chosen route, which is not ideal because it makes me veer off-piste. I think I found two alternatives, one of which is much better than the other. There is another pension that sits almost exactly halfway between the Bonghwang and the Gangnam Motel in Jibo-myeon. I would not need to go off-piste and could instead continue to hug the river. The problem, though, is that pensions are expensive and not my ideal option. I'm a "yeogwan and cheap-motel" kind of guy, and I don't mind a certain level of squalor. It might be different if I had a travel companion with sophisticated tastes, but I'm alone, so I prefer the lower price ranges (although lately, it seems that motels and other low-end lodging are getting increasingly expensive). Anyway, I'll look more deeply into the pension option, but I think my current route, despite the way it drags me a little off the official path, may be the best available alternative.

And I have to confess that I had imagined the shape of Sangju City and the Nakdong River rather poorly. Up to now, I've simplistically thought of Sangju as a perfectly circular city that I enter at the 6 o'clock point, then I walk around to the 3 o'clock point and stay a second night before shooting east to Andong. But I think Sangju might be better thought of as elliptical in shape, wider than it is tall. I still enter at around the 6 o'clock point, but because the Nakdong veers west right before it launches east to Andong, I spend my second night in Sangju at around 10 or 11 o'clock on the ellipse, northwest of where I'd been the previous night. From that point on the ellipse, I then throw myself more or less straight east, rejoining the official trail and heading straight to Andong via Jibo-myeon. So my apologies for my previously misleading description. I was right in my general outline of what was happening (I do indeed turn east toward Andong after Sangju), but I hadn't painted a very accurate picture of the geography, which you see quite plainly in the route map above.

Tomorrow's walk, then, is the second-longest of the whole journey: 36 km to Jibo-myeon (Gangnam Motel), the little town right next to Andong. I'll stay two nights there, then walk 30K to the west side of Andong (Songhak Motel), and on the final day, it'll be 28K to Andong Dam and the end. And my bus home.

As always, the imminent end of the walk brings with it mixed feelings. There's the happiness of accomplishment, but also the sadness that comes with the end of an experience. And there is also hope: hope that my health will hold out so I can do another walk next year. We'll see. I may have to postpone next year's walk to 2027 since I've promised several people, both Stateside and in France, that I'd be visiting them next year. I don't think my finances could take the hit of multiple international trips plus a long walk.

Much to think about. Enjoy the pics.

morning straightaway

land and the incredible sky

giant marshmallows (actually wrapped hay bales)

amazing reflection

"Steep slope, 17% grade for 300 m"

"Wall—No exit or entry"

view from a bridge

flower, worse for wear

"Ggoggami" (dried persimmon) and "Ho" (tiger)

unintentionally hilarious bridge

The above-pictured new bridge on North Creek (Bukcheon, 북천) is supposed to show a bicycle rolling over a symbolic Earth, but the unintended effect is that of a screaming cartoon frog holding its arms over its head after someone has commanded the frog to Stick 'em up.

BONUS VIDEOS:

1. Farmland

2. Water Wheel

PHOTO ESSAY

VIDEO: Farmland en route to Downtown Sangju.

moon

moon, closer

moon, CLOSER

A young lady greets me and pushes her way up the steep hill.

Holy Spirit Church in the background

VIDEO: Water Wheel in Downtown Sangju.

another chair being punished

"Sangju Terminal"