tonight's walk

I was self-isolating when the severe rains came to Korea. It's been a few days since the flooding, so the water has had a chance to recede. That said, the waterways are all still looking a little bit swollen, but every path I chose this evening was walkable. Nothing was blocked off.

From my office in Daechi, I walked over to the Yangjae-cheon:

The creek seen from street level (it's a 3-tiered walk).

As you see, the bike and walking paths aren't submerged. The dirt seems to indicate that they were.

Jinggeom-dari/징검다리, or stone footbridge. Not submerged.

Jinggeom-dari/징검다리 closeup.

Near the confluence of the Yangjae-cheon and the Tan-cheon, looking toward Daechi.

As I walked along the Tan-cheon, I saw the walk-detour signs had been taken down. Finally.

Like a naughty lady hiking up her skirt, the construction-site barriers are now rolled up to reveal... not much.

In fact, a lot of barriers have come down.

I still think this is a support pillar for some sort of future ramp.

This site is open now, so I skipped over to get off the narrow, uncomfortable creekside path.

There are still signs of some sort of construction, but it's hard to know what's being built.

No change to the parking lots despite months of being walled off.

The Tan-cheon is a bit swollen, but it's now behaving itself.

Blocked off because of slippery mud.

The point where I normally cross over if I plan to hit the Han River and walk east toward Jamshil.

A look south along the Tan-cheon in the direction of Seongnam City, of which Bundang is a district.

A look north along the Tan-cheon toward the Han River.

Having crossed the Tan-cheon, I walk toward the Han. The ground is covered in creek silt from flooding.

Plant matter caught on railings.

Almost at the confluence of the Tan and Han.

At the confluence (hamnyubu/합류부/合流部—together-flow-part, i.e., confluence).

This was most telling re: the creek's height. Normally, this cascade is much more evident, with the Tan-cheon's water sluicing down it quite visibly. Because the creek is so swollen, the rocks are barely discernible.

Bohaeng-no/보행로 (step-travel-way) = pedestrian way (no bikes!—a rule that's often ignored)

Lots of interesting mud patterns. This photo doesn't do the real thing any justice.

Brave Argent Rabbit holds back the world-destroying power of the Red Crystal.

Prepare for the fisting of your life.

Korea's answer to Miss Marvel?

Joe Biden warned they'd put y'all back in chains.

Commander Salamander

Apple with hypertrophic stem.

My buddy JW says this Chinese-run resto, Dongbang Myeongju (Eastern Bright Jewel?), is actually one of those Chinese "police stations" for spying on Chinese citizens who live abroad.

Once again, the Korean obsession with abstract sculpture.

One of several biker assholes who thought nothing of riding on the walking path. I hate these fuckers.

Getting close to Jamshil Bridge.

It's after 8 p.m., and the bridge's lights haven't come on yet.

Final approach. The bridge is my U-turn point for a walk totaling about 17K.

That cathedral-like geometry.

Finally! Right before I turned around, the lights came on. (This shot was taken at 8:18 p.m.)

Cheongdam Bridge (for subway Line 7) in the distance.

Walking back along the Han.

The Tan-cheon is to my left.

Signs of construction, but no clear sign of what's being built or repaired.

The quiet stretch just before I take the ramp that leads away from the creek and to my neighborhood.

Ramp up ahead.

RAMP UP AHEAD!!

The eldritch, faerie footbridge that crosses the freeway and leads to my neighborhood.

Final shot for the night.

Upshot: all the local waterways are walkable; nothing's off limits. Had I not been self-isolating, I might have gone out sooner and discovered everything closed, chained off, etc. We're enjoying a series of rainless days right now, so the creeks and the river will all subside even more over the coming couple of days. But the jangma (monsoon) normally runs through part of August, so I don't think we're out of the woods quite yet. Mother Nature has already claimed some 40 lives; more deaths may yet be in store. We'll see.