14K today

I taped up my feet and did another practice walk today, 14K out to the Jamshil Bridge and back. The tape proved to be a good move, but I still felt some chafing on my left Achilles tendon—something I'll have to keep in mind for my next walk. Because I'd eaten late yesterday (leftovers from Monday), light angina was a near-constant companion during today's walk, so I took things extremely slowly. Not counting breaks, the 14K took me a turtle-ish 4.5 hours, which is a glacial pace of only 3.1 kph. I walked like a 100-year-old man the entire time. And this is why I walk alone: my pace would drive most normal people crazy (Mike, take heed—if I'm still around for the Camino in 2029, I could end up driving you crazy, too).

Otherwise, it was a great day for a daytime walk despite—and sometimes because of—all the people. Bikers, bikers everywhere. Some walkers, too. Construction along the Tan Creek continues apace; there were a lot of on-duty construction people with flashy batons, waving us past knots of construction or bidding us stop and wait before motioning us to go on. 

This is the perfect time of year, it seems, to be outside.

looking up the ramp for once

on the berm, with a freeway to my left and the Tan Creek (with bike path) to my right

another travel companion... these guys/gals come out at this time of year (Korea's answer to woolly bears?)

I pass by this boardwalk and tree and rarely take a shot of either.

bike path (paved, two lanes) and walking path (green), with the Yangjae Creek flowing into the Tan

a familiar scene as I look upstream along the Yangjae Creek toward Daechi-dong, where I used to work

Danger Guy!

These boardwalks were put into place a year or so ago.

a rare sight along this path

different Jersey barriers from last time

stadium in the distance; earth-moving construction scraper close to some dirt/gravel piles, dude asleep inside

one last bit of aeration as the Tan flows into the Han

The above scene is approximately where I normally turn around for my 9.4K walk, but today, I continued on another couple of kilometers to the Jamshil Bridge.

the actual confluence of the Tan Creek and the Han River

looking back at where I used to be able to walk

low bridges under construction

the aeration zone again

a look across at approximately Ddukseom (Dduk Island)—which, based on maps, isn't much of an island

en avant!

an old man pushing his electric bike

a shell of its former self, this used to be a Chinese resto as well as a Chinese police station*

sad hulk

looking forward (east), Lotte World Tower and the Jamshil Bridge in the distance

a different, thriving offshore venue

invasion of the bougie, pink umbrellas

tuning fork of the dark side

Hangang Bus, a huge sort of river taxi, docked

put-putting along

I don't know where things stand now, but when Seoul launched this river-taxi/bus service to replace the smaller river taxis, technical problems sprung up right away, and the service was put on hold. I saw two of these river taxis moving along the water today, but they didn't look as though they had any passengers. Maybe the crews are still working out the kinks, still in shakedown mode.

getting closer to the Jamshil Bridge

The new convenience store is finally open. It replaces an older store.

Almost there. Just beyond the bridge is my U-turn point. 7 km to get here, 14K total walking distance.

Right there, where those metal bars are (what the French call a garde-fou), is where I turn around.

I saw this view and knew I had to snap a shot. Namsan Tower in the distance.

Even if you can't read Korean, you can guess the sign is saying not to feed the pigeons.

the cathedral-like géométricité of the bridge's underside

a more classically cathedral-like view (sorry for the slight tilt)

By this point, I've turned around and started back.

where boats can enter and exit the river

heading west toward the Tan Creek

no shortage of parkland along the Han

no shortage of flowering plants, either

hydrangea... lots of these close to Yeoju City as well

AI says: "The plant shown is a type of stonecrop, commonly known as sedum or Hylotelephium. These are succulent plants known for their clusters of star-shaped flowers that bloom in late summer and fall."

Another river taxi going too slowly to be carrying passengers... I think this is a shakedown cruise.

the other side of the empty, ex-Chinese hulk

Lanternflies are an invasive species. Let's figure out a way to eat 'em.

I like the play of light and shadow here.

Bikes go left; walkers go right; we all meet up eventually. Old men on motorized chairs are everywhere.

walking back along the Tan Creek

the frustrating return of that tongue of packed earth

the other "gang tag" I'd failed to photograph during the previous walk (plus new graffiti)

Maybe someone likes Rekha Sharma from "Battlestar Galactica."

After the footbridge: ramp or stairs? I finally chose the stairs today.

going down (at least there are no bikes)

In the end, the stairs face more or less toward my apartment, too.

I was happy to catch this shaman spider (mudang geomi/무당거미). See it?

blurry

clearer

When I leaned in close, I think one of my fingers touched the web, which sent the spider scurrying. I rarely get pictures of the tops of these spiders, so this accident was fortunate.

My park has a name, but I'd rather the English said Maru Park.

AI: "The flower in the image appears to be a Japanese anemone, also known as a windflower."

also a windflower

windflower in context

AI: "The flower in the image is a pink gaura, also known as Lindheimer's beeblossom (Oenothera lindheimeri). It is a perennial wildflower native to Texas and Louisiana."

And finally...

home sweet home since 2015, just me and my shoebox studio

So—lots of interesting sights from today's walk. Except for the lanternfly, which I should've killed in a most un-Buddhist fashion. I've got one more walk I want to do before leaving for Busan; that ought to happen this Friday. Not sure of the route yet.

__________

*Chinese police stations exist everywhere, including in the States. Their primary purpose is to spy on Chinese citizens living in foreign countries. Why any foreign government allows these abominations inside their borders boggles my mind. By monitoring Chinese citizens' activities, the CCP can, if necessary, catch its people more easily, ostensibly preventing sedition and treason. As restos went, this establishment (Dong Bang Myeong Ju, it was called) was a bit strange and off-putting according to my Korean friend JW, who predicted the place would go out of business. His prediction came true, but only after nearly five years had passed. And I assume the police office got cleared out, too. Korea really needs to get out from under China's thumb. Historically, Korea used to be one of China's vassal states, so in a sense, Korea is used to its place in the world as China's bitch. I'd much rather that Korea pivot fully over to the States, but I understand the hesitancy: America under Trump can be very demanding (of trade fairness), and the sheer cost of shipping supplies across the Pacific makes closer ties with the US difficult at best. That said, the US is connected to Korea by a so-far unbreakable military bond, which could be something to build on in terms of economics... but from my understanding of how reality works, nothing is forever. Bonds break or dissolve.