As winter weather made cycling difficult, padyatri retraced routes he used to ride by bicycle, this time by car. Although the water had not frozen, it was a chilly day, with temperatures around 1°C, and there were few people around and little traffic. The lush greenery of summer had turned brown, adding to the atmosphere of winter.
]Hyeonseo-myeon 현서면 township office and the Yeongdeok 영덕 County Sports Complex used to be his starting points when he cycled. Banghojeong 방호정 stands on rocks along the river. It was built in 1619, a pavilion erected by a Confucian scholar of the Jo 조 family, whose deep longing for his late mother led him to set it on a site overlooking her grave.
The Manan 만난 three-way intersection is a place one passes through when traveling from Banghojeong to Bunam-myeon 부남면. The area is known for red peppers and apples, which are symbolically represented in decorations at the entrance to the bridge.
Bunam-myeon is a quiet rural village located along the route to Yeongdeok and Cheongsong 청송. The township office, a police substation, restaurants, karaoke bars, coffeehouses, and a barbershop are visible along the road.
Naeryong-ri 내룡리 is a farming village situated at a three-way intersection on the road from Bunam-myeon toward Yeongdeok. From here, the valley road leading to Okgye 옥계 blends harmoniously with the surrounding rocks, offering a beautiful view.
Until 1981, Okgye was the end of the unpaved road coming from Yeongdeok. It is a well-known place that becomes crowded with vacationers in the summer. When he got out of the car, the chilly valley breeze made him shiver.
After leaving Okgye and driving along a typical country road, the closer he got to Yeongdeok, the more the mountains turned completely black. He recalled seeing news reports that the worst wildfire in history had broken out last March, reducing all the nearby mountains around Yeongdeok to ashes. The hills visible behind Yeongdeok County Sports Complex also burned out.
It was reported that the fire was caused by the carelessness of a grave visitor. With restoration expected to take at least 30 years, it is hard to put into words the sorrow felt by local residents and visitors alike. After having lunch in Yeongdeok, he set off at noon. On the way back, he took the newly opened Pohang 포항–Yeongdeok Expressway and returned more quickly than on the way there.
