Bugok – Hot Spring Spa Town
South Korea Stage 10 – Wed 11th Nov 2015 – Daegu to Bugok (100 Km)
Weather: 9⁰C min – 18⁰C max, fine but cloudy
Accommodation: A cheapie motel in Bugok-myeon, Changyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do
“If you’re not hurting, you’re not riding hard enough. If you’re not hungry, you’ve eaten too much. If you’re not cold, you’re carrying too many clothes. If you know you will succeed, it’s too easy” ~ Alastair Humphreys
Up at the crack of dawn I had breakfast in my room (bread and pastries that I bought at Paris Baguette last night) and was on the road by 7:30 am. The traffic on the road was already quite heavy, so for most of the 16 Km getting out of Daegu I rode on the roughly-paved, zig-zag brick, shared footpath. There is quite an art to weaving in and out to dodge pedestrians, hand-hauled two-wheeled barrows, motor bikes and cars parked on the footpath. Every now and then when my small, helmet-mounted, rear vision mirror showed a break in the traffic I would slip over onto the road in order to get a smoother and less congested ride (only cars to worry about). I have made a practice of crossing intersections at pedestrian crossings and only when the lights are green, not that this guarantees a safe passage because South Korean motorists seem to treat traffic lights as guidelines and they always presume they have the right of way.
Creeping along in this manner it took me more than two hours to travel the 16 Km to get out of Daegu, but the upside was that I got to see a wonderful cross-section of life as it really is in Daegu. My route took me past the bustling Seoman market, as well as another market where I captured a video of an animated fruit auction in progress. There were lots of poor folk laying out their simple wares and produce on the footpath (just another thing for me to dodge). I was amazed to see two streets of shops selling nothing but doonas and futons, a reminder that winter here is just around the corner.
At an outdoor roller skating rink I stopped to take a video of a skater swaying gracefully from side to side, hands behind her back, gliding quickly around in circles. Not much further along I came across a beautiful park with spectacular autumn trees and a magnificent temple in the middle of the lake.
What I enjoy about the cities in South Korea is the riot of colour, with big, brightly coloured, hanguel characters spattered over all the buildings like graffiti. I also like the interesting junk metal yards, particularly a couple I saw today that would rival Steptoe and Son.
Getting a little low on ready cash, I kept my eye out for an ATM that would accept my Australian Visa Debit Card. The most commonly found bank, NH (Nong Hyup), definitely doesn’t recognise foreign cards, but I found a Daegu Bank that had one ATM that handles foreign cards. This was quite a relief because most hotels (except the larger ones) accept only cash on arrival.
Finally I reached the outskirts and the Nakdonggang Bicycle Path. At first it was a nice change of pace to be sailing along the beautiful smooth path beside the river, but after a while it became a bit monotonous so I did what many local riders do – played music while I cycled along. The only difference is that I used earplugs rather than sharing my taste in music with everyone around … I am sure they would not have enjoyed the melodic tunes of Phil Coulter or the bouncy jazz of Pete Fountain as much as I do.
After about 20 Km of cycleway I turned off onto a tertiary road that took me through some charming villages and the delightful town of Hyeonpung. I was just thinking how enjoyable the ride was, when I rounded a bend and came to a massive road construction that had completely destroyed my plotted route. Now what do I do? Garmin helped me out by finding a wide diversion around the problem, re-joining my original route about 8 Km further on. So my ride today ended up exactly 100 Km instead of the 92 Km originally planned.
Onions were the predominant crop today, literally millions (or billions?) of them all planted in plastic through holes about 10 cm apart. The onion patches extended for about 50Km of the today’s ride, and the amazing thing is that some were being planted and tended to by hand. What with all the kimchi and onions here I think the ozone layer is in jeopardy!
Lunch consisted of a Paris Baguette pastry left over from breakfast and another Snickers bar, enjoyed under a clump of vivid, red and gold, maple trees. I never tire of the maples in South Korea, so I apologise if you are getting bored with all the photos of them.
A bottle of white wine always helped when I had a hard day at the office. Tonight my indulgence for riding 100 Km was going to be a relaxing spa at the Samsung Spa Hotel. However, when I arrived in Bugok around 4 pm I rode around and around looking for such a place to no avail, so I checked into a cheap motel where you give them the cash and they give you the key (no name taken or passport viewed). It has everything I need, even a massive spa bath … minus the jets (just an enormous bath really).
Bugok Hot Springs takes its name from the land’s uniquely shaped rocks, having been discovered 73 years ago and still maintaining a maximum temperature of 78⁰C. Rich with over twenty kinds of minerals including silicon, and chlorine, it is said to be good for respiratory conditions, skin illnesses, and stomach disorders. What a pity I can’t find a hot spring spa to soothe my aching body. But I am sure I am going to sleep well tonight anyway.
Once again it seems you had another interesting day of riding. I love the markets and looking at the poor souls trying to sell their little provisions is sad, and those shacks. We don’t know how lucky we are!!
terrific effort today Kevin!