Let's quickly review how the walk is, ideally, supposed to finish up.
Today (Sunday, 5/14): walk to Mireupia Auto Campground (미르피아 오토 캠핑장), passing by Changnyeong Haman Dam Certification Center (창녕함안보 자저거길 인증센터), the place where I was originally supposed to finish Leg 18. The revised walk is now five miles longer at 20.6 miles (33.23 km). Today's walk is the hilliest of the three upcoming walks, but it won't be as bad as the hell I experienced this past Friday.
Tomorrow (Monday, 5/15): walk to Yangsan City Certification Center (양산시 자전거길 인증센터, which may come out as "양산물문화관 자전거길 인증센터" on Naver Map). This will be my longest walk this trip, I think (unless we count the painful snafu that was Day 2, a day for which I'm still suffering consequences, including a severely sunburned neck and that long, purple foot blister), at 23.2 miles (37.37 km). I'm sure to be exhausted, so I've scheduled myself for another two-night stay.
Tuesday (5/16): rest day. Do nothing except wander about town, scaring the natives.
Wednesday (5/17): final leg! From Yangsan to the Nakdong River Estuary Certification Center (낙동간 하구둑 자전거길 인증센터). I'll be meeting my boss there, and possibly also a colleague. This walk is supposed to be only 16.94 miles long (27.26 km). I smiled when I saw the map: the very final stretch of the walk takes you across a bridge to the cert center for a dramatic finish. Nicely planned. I'll get my stamp, walk over to the water, and touch the point where the river meets the ocean. After that, I'll likely take my smelly self to a hotel. The boss has indicated that he'd like to stay overnight in Busan since he'll have driven all the way down there. I'm going to insist on separate rooms. And hey, if we can find a place serving a huge American breakfast buffet in the morning, then we'll chow down on that.
And that, folks, will be the almost-end of this adventure. The following weekend, I'll be back at Sangju Sangpoong Bridge to walk the partially walked section of the trail that I'd missed because of that guest-house fuck-up. In theory, I'll meet that cute little puppy again, and there will be frolicking. Then that will be the official end of this adventure.
My third and fourth dragons today and tomorrow. Wish me luck.
Best of luck, Big Ho!
ReplyDeleteI've read every walk-thoughts post and looked at every photo. My first few comments seemed to be inclusive and I didn't want to comment, "Good work!" or "Well done!" every day as that would be annoying for both of us - and your other readers. Still, now that we are near the end, Good Work! and Well Done!
I may yet ride my bike on the trail and will use your photos as a nearly mile-by-mile guide to the route.
Brian,
ReplyDeleteSincere thanks for your support and readership. I hope you do get the chance to explore the Korean riverlands; they're unspeakably beautiful.