cool breeze

It's been a while to drive to Geoncheon 건천 near Gyeongju to cycle around the idle rural areas. Parked SUV in the parking space of Geoncheon stadium and headed cycling westwards towards Ahwa 아화. The route passes through the peaceful paddy fields surrounding the rural countryside and two mountain saddles named Sukjae 숙재 and Ohjae 오재 each across two administrative areas. The cool breeze blew beneath the shade of the trees, though the strong sunlight remained hot and humid.

Not long after leaving Geoncheon, reached at Ahwa and faced the mountain range to the south. Sukjae 숙재 is at the lowest point along the ridgeline and a road runs through it. The road starting Ahwa follows a straight stretch with relatively gentle slope. At the end of the stretch, the road zigzags uphill steadily and at times up the steep slope.

A raw vegan community village nestled below the mountain ridge is near the top of Sukjae. In Korean lifestyle, the dominant meat-eating culture is still prevailing, so a lot of people outside the village are curious about how the villagers could survive eating only raw and uncooked, plant-based foods. Vegans and vegetarians as members of a unique minority group can sometimes be ignored and  misunderstood in Korea. On the way back, crossed the mountain saddle, Ohjae, the lowest point along the ridge behind. 

got around Daegu

Once again, took on a cycling challenge in a scorching hot day and got around Daegu. The paths along the bank of the Geumho 금호 river were partly submerged in floodwater last week during the heavy downpour. With the muddy water on the paths draining out and dried up, the paths were covered with dust and dirt patches. Dust to Dust.

Cycling path against the backdrop of Ansim 안심. The international athletics competition was held in Daegu, 2011. Daegu Stadium, a multi-purpose sports facility, was the host venue, while 4 matches were played here during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Weeds grow up covering the front entrance walkway of a college.

flat tire

Till late in the morning, couldn't decide whether to go out or stay home because the heat wave warning was issued. But thought it would be safer with a shorter distance than normal, and got started. Passed through the industrial complex in the southern Daegu and got closer to the Geumho 금호 river to cycle along the riverbank path.

The heat wave also made the cycling path along the park golf course empty. Upon returning home, padyatri was surprised to see that the tire on the back wheel had suddenly gone flat. The extreme heat was likely to cause a puncture.

fell off a bike

On the way to Sindong 신동, lost balance when mounting a bike in front of the crosswalk and fell off a bike and experienced some mechanical problems in rear derailleur soon. Had no alternative but to give up cycling further. On the return home, dropped by a familiar bicycle shop and found that the derailleur hanger got badly bent. Realized yet again great care should be taken to prevent accidents every moment while biking.

The above photo shows the site where a cyclist fell off a bike before entering the crosswalk when the traffic light changed from red to a green. On the way home, passed by a crosswalk around Sangin 상인 junction and through a high school and its playground. 

intense rainfall

It was good enough to resume cycling after two-week absence. Last weekend, it rained so heavily that couldn't go outdoors. The weather forecast said it is unlikely to rain, but got caught in a sudden shower of rain for half an hour around Beolji 벌지 village.

This month torrential rains also pounded parts of Daegu. The Nakdong riverside is still covered with mud and the nearby playgrounds are partly cleaned up. An artificial wooden cycle bridge over the shore of the Nakdong river could be seen around Dasan 다산. The last photo shows that it rained at the hill pass named Beolji-jae 벌지재.

into the deep valley

Perched on the northeastern side of Mt. Gasan 가산 at an altitude of 901m, two mountain villages, Gasan and Eungchu 응추 offer natural beauty plus views of the vibrant rural communities. Mt. Gasan is 23 km north of Daegu, whose peak, 10 km to the east, is connected to the summit of Mt. Palgongsan 팔공산 by ridge. The cycling route is all paved, a good mix of some steep uphill and downhill sections.

Handeum 한듬 is a mountain hamlet in Gasan. The highest ridge at the backdrop runs up to the very summit of Mt. Gasan not too far away to the south. Buddhist temples used to grant the temple-owned lands to tenant farmers, who had paid the landowners certain percentages of harvested crops. This village is thought to have been formed by a group of tenants living here. Actually, a Buddhist temple named Daedunsa 대둔사 stands on a hillside behind the village, which is believed to have been built during Shilla dynasty(57 BC ~ AD 935).

On the way to Gasan from Hyoryeong 효령, looked around the rural views. Cycled across the western side of the valley and reached at Daeyul 대율, aka Hanbam 한밤 village where stone wall alley has been well conserved. Traditional stone walls had usually been built without using any mortar in the rural areas, but it is getting even harder to see them in the countryside these days.

rainy season

The rainy season has come back again. Sunny and partly cloudy for the weekend. A scorching heat wave continued to sweep through the country. Contaminants adhering to camera lens caused blurry photos on the phone.

Mt. Geummu 금무산 in the middle is 4.8 km southeast of Waegwan 왜관. US army named that Hill 268, after its height in meter, also known as Triangulation Hill during the Korean war. Back then, it saw fierce fighting between US army 1st cavalry division and the 7th regiment of North Korean army 3d division on August 9 to 10, 1950. The NK army division had been the first to enter Seoul at the beginning of the war, but later its attempted crossing of the Nakdong river from south of Waegwan had ended in failure, suffering around 700 casualties including up to 400 killed. About 1,000 men of the 7th Regiment had crossed earlier the river to Hill 268. An estimated 300 survivors recrossed the river to the west side the night of August 10 to 11.

The Nakdong river had turned muddy after a couple of days of heavy rain. Crossed a bridge around the Waegwan's south side and then reached a junction where they can continue onward into downtown.

loop path via weir

Could hardly see them pedalling during the hottest hours of the day and would have cycled farther, if it had been less hot. Circled around where the Nakdong river 낙동강 flows from the nearby Hwawon 화원 to Dalseong weir 달성보 and then continued south.

Headed out on this 52.7km loop path, which goes by cycling path along the Nakdong river and on Dalseong weir.

The road on the way to Daegu 대구 from Nongong 논공. Always feel cool under street trees absorbing the sun's rays, which provide shade from the sun, cooling down the asphalt and cement.

flaming June

Braved the scorching heat and took on the challenge of cycling in the area around the northeastern border of Gayasan national park 가야산 국립공원. About a decade ago, drove to mountain hamlets near Seongju 성주, which caused somebody to go cycling there the other day. Jageun-ri 작은리 is one of the names of the hamlets scattered along the road, whose name Jageun means a magpie hidden.   

Headed uphill to Jageun-ri which is nestled below the mountain tops. Accessible via a single and partly two-lane road with some steep uphill sections. It was both mentally and physically demanding.

Some distance away from where he started going uphill, a three-story stone stupa can be seen on the left side of the road, which is thought to have been constructed in the late 8th century and remained on the site of ruined Buddhist temple built during Shilla dynasty(57 BC~935 AD). Relieved to finally see Gachon 가촌 village, the final destination, and Mt. Gaya 가야산 at the backdrop

back to the place

Circuit from Cheongtong 청통 has become a favorite cycling route on its own through familiar rural scenery. Came back here after almost one year and cycled along the roads and riverbank paths around Yeongcheon 영천, starting off from Cheongtong township office. Passed through small towns like Geumho 금호, Imgo 임고 and Hwanam 화남. 

On the way to Geumho, passed by Pungrakji 풍락지 reservoir constructed in 1933 in the north of Geumho. Water sports like water skiing and wakeboarding has been operating here and national competitions also took place.

The cycling path runs around Geumho on the way to Yeongcheon, which is seen in the distance under the blazing hot sun. 

a baking hot day

In a hot weather, tried to maintain adequate hydration to prevent heat exhaustion while cycling. Ssang Ssang ro 쌍쌍로 was on the cycling route. Two villages, Ssangrim 쌍림 and Ssangchaek 쌍책 are connected by a road called Ssang Ssang ro. Ssang 쌍 means a pair or twins. Ssangchaek is said to derive its name from the names of two villages, Ichaek 이책 and Chochaek 초책, which were incorporated in 1914 under Japanese occupation. Chaek 책 means a book literally.

A park golf course along a cycling and walking path around Goryeong 고령, which was located on the way to Ssangrim 쌍림. An eye-catching wall mural of a rice cake mill in Ssangchaek 쌍책, a typical farming village in Hapcheon 합천 county

Arrived at Chogye 초계 where the meteorite impact crater was produced 50-thousand years ago, and took a rest at the township office, and then headed up the path along the Nakdong river on the way back.

on a rainy day

It's been raining on and off all day. Planned to go cycling in spite of the rain, drove to Ugok 우곡 village, parked at the township office and started cycling southwards in the clockwise direction. 

Ugok primary school opened in 1933 has 33 students and 10 teachers now. Out of all the students, only one is in the 6th grade(12 years old). The number of students has dropped significantly, as it decreased in other schools across the nation. The image on the right shows the Nakdong river and riverside village. The rain started picking up after arriving at the river bank. Looking back southwards, a bridge across the river spanned the cycling route.

On the way to Goryeong 고령 from Deokgok 덕곡, approached the 3-way intersection. Goryeong is straight ahead, and proceeded northwards uphill along the road and crossed a mountain pass down to Goryeong. Haeinsa 해인사 Buddhist temple lies around 39km away to the west.

heating up

Sunny sky and hot temperature are making it feel like summer already. The asphalted paved surface is heated up more by solar radiation. It's been about one year to go cycling around the rural areas in Gunwi 군위 and Uiseong 의성 county. Ubo 우보 and Uiheung 의흥 are in Gunwi, Gaum 가음 Uiseong.

On the way to Uiheung from Ubo, turned left for Gaum, headed up north and then crossed a hill pass down to Gaum with towering mountains in the background. An uphill stretch southwards to Gunwi dam awaits after your passing through the village of Nakjeon-ri 낙전리. Riding uphill is always a challenge. 

Gunwi dam. A lack of rainfall persists long enough and has brought water levels down to less than half its average level.

just after the main pollen season ended

The pollen season is nearly over. Cycled leisurely around the countryside and along the riverside path after a month's absence. It was tough to start riding again after a month absence, but managed to cover a distance longer than 90 km.  

Gaejin 개진 village and the road to Goryeong 고령 and Ugok 우곡, which runs up the hill pass in the distance. A river flows near Ugok village. A traditional pavilion is nestled into the edge of a cliff on the opposite side of the river, which flows into the Nakdong river. You shall discover the peaceful landscape from the riverside between Ugok 우곡 and Gaekgi 객기.

The approximate location of Gaekgi river dock 객기 나루터 by the Nakdong river and a Buddhist temple, Musimsa 무심사 in the middle of the hill on the other side of the river. This river dock had been one of the nodes within transportation and logistics networks along the Nakdong river since ancient times. Historically, the Japanese army landed here and pushed on towards Goryeong during the Japanese invasion by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1592. Until the early 1990's, this river dock is said to have been used, but now can't find any trace of the pier as the construction of new riverbanks altered the waterway.

around rural areas

Pollen season has begun and typically reaches its peak in late April and early May. Cycled along the riverside path and through the scenic and peaceful countryside of Goryreong 고령 last weekend.

Gaegyeongpo 개경포 in Gaejin township 개진면 was once one of the public docks for transporting grains and salt along the Nakdong River, which had been the major traffic route since Shilla dynasty(57~935). Gaejin area is one of the leading potato producers nationwide.

Reached the junction where three roads diverge; one branching off westwards to Goryeong and northwards to Gaejin; and the other proceeding southwards to 우곡 Ugok. Cycled past a sports park with baseball fields and crossed the suspension bridge dedicated to pedestrians and cyclists on the way to downtown Goryeong. It sits leisurely against the backdrop of Goryeong.

brainless idiots everywhere

Litter left on a subway ventilator, Daegu, South Korea. Disposable cups discarded by brainless idiots are the main culprit of street garbage.

Who's ultimately to blame for problems with single-use cups?

after one-year hiatus

It feels as if autumn is growing deeper. Returned to Jeokjung-Chogye 적중-초계 Basin once again after a one-year hiatus. The area seemed unchanged recently. However, the road running southward over the southern pass around the basin is under construction, having been widened and straightened.

It was a beautiful day for cycling. Began heading uphill to cross the mountain pass in the southern part of the basin, with the winding road leading to the pass.  Nabuti-Jae 나부티재 hill pass, located between Gungryu 궁류 and Bongsu 봉수 areas, awaits ahead. Took a picture of the inner basin from the winding uphill road heading south.

Gungryu is a typical country village with a peaceful landscape. Back in 1982, however, a tragic massacre took place in that remote mountain village. A drunken policeman killed about 62 villagers before committing suicide with a grenade. He carried out the worst recorded shooting rampage in history until 2011, when Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people in Norway.

On the way back, the autumn rural landscape was peaceful and the riverside cycling path also felt calm and quiet just as it was one year ago.