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Ibike
Korea People-to-People Program
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 Photo essay: Taebaek to
Ulchin
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(53mi, 85km) After the last of the mountains, head down valleys to the
coast road – but there still will be hills.
Points of Interest: coal mines, narrow canyons, garlic and pepper farms, Nuclear
power plant |
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After climbing out of the valley that
Taebaek is in it is largely downhill to the sea. The panoramic view would
have been better on a cloudless day, but we could still enjoy the view of the
road ahead. |
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 Coffee machines are almost
ubiquitous. They can be on almost every block in a city, inside business,
at any kind of roadside attraction and stand alone in a gravel parking lot.
This one is outside of a very small store at the junction of two lightly
traveled road, but it is just enough to keep a cyclist going. |
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The road and river share the same
gorge. A year earlier torrential rains and floods had ripped out dozens of
miles of roads in this canyon. They are now all rebuilt -- better than
they were before. |
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The accompanying sign says: "Min
Sun-ho and his wife, Mme. Park from a Juksan family, lived at Ojeo-ri during the
reign of King Gojong. When Min's parents were sick in bed, the couple
scoured the mountains and rivers to collect herbs to use as medicine.
Their great care worked and the parents were able to recover their health.
Mme. Park was celebrated for her hospitality in welcoming guests. When her
husband, was once close to death with illness, Mme. Park cut her finger and
saved him by feeding him her blood. In 1885, the 22nd year of King
Gonjong's reign, the King ordered the magistrate of Samcheok to honor Min Sun-ho
as a devoted son and Mme. Park as a faithful woman. The hyoyeolmun was
built to honor their filial piety." |
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Besides the general scenery the
picture shows the nature of the river bank work, bridging and channelization
that common on South Korea rivers. It is not unusual to see large bridges
within a kilometer of each other, some serving a single farm. Massive
reworking of rivers is not usually good for the ecology of the river, but there
is no indication that this is an issue yet in South Korea. |
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 Cycling may get even
better on rural roads: Throughout the country there is a huge amount of
construction on express ways. These roads tunnel in onside of a hill and
pop out the other and then float above the valleys in between the mountains.
As they get completed they pull long distance traffic off the old highways
leaving more spaces for cyclists. |
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Monument to technological advance at
Ulchin Nuclear Power Plant. On the transportation panel, also feature an
antique car and jet airplane, there is a high wheeler bike. |
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Ulchin Nuclear Power Plant, one of
twenty nuclear power plants in South Korea that account for 40% of the country's
electric output. The gateway sculpture is an
oversize model of atoms. The reactor vessel and cooling towers are on the
right side of the picture. |
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Fish nets drying on the highway.
Coincidentally this highway is straight enough, long enough (3 km) and marked to
be a landing strip for jet aircraft. |
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The fishing boat fleet in Chukpyeon
harbor, one of the nicest harbors on the east coast of Korea. |
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Squid boats Chukpyeon harbor.
Squid boats are characterized by their long row of high powered light bulbs.
The boats fish at night and the lights attract the squid. |
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The water front street of Chukpyeon
(and most other coastal towns and villages) is lined with "Hoe" (fresh fish)
restaurants. The restaurants are identifiable by the array of fish tanks
in front. |
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Most of the coast is quite rocky so
sandy beaches are the exception. This is a nice sandy beach south of
Chukpyeon, but the weather wasn't nice enough to make you want to feel like
throwing yourself into the surf. |
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Mangyangjeong (pavilion) was
originally built during the Goryeo period (918-1392) at the foot of Hyeonjongsan
(mountain). It was moved to the present location in 1858. It was rebuilt
in 1958 and repaired in 1979. |
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Mangyangjeong is considered one
of the eight most scenic spots of the east coast of Gangwon-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do.
Note: The country has it eight most scenic spots, provinces have their eight
most scenic spots, rivers have their eight most scenic spots, etc. |
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This is a fairly typical minbak
(lodging) in a fishing village along the coast. The big building to the
left is the family house and the small building to the right has several rooms
for guests (typically 2-4). The bathroom is separate again. Sleeping
is "ondol" and they have no accessories, but they generally cost the same or
more than a room in a yeogwan (small hotel). |
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Scores of squid boats line the
horizon from shortly after sundown to sunrise and light the night sky. |
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Coffee machines are almost
ubiquitous. They can be on almost every block in a city, inside business,
at any kind of roadside attraction and stand alone in a gravel parking lot.
This one is outside of a very small store at the junction of two lightly
traveled road, but it is just enough to keep a cyclist going.
Cycling may get even
better on rural roads: Throughout the country there is a huge amount of
construction on express ways. These roads tunnel in onside of a hill and
pop out the other and then float above the valleys in between the mountains.
As they get completed they pull long distance traffic off the old highways
leaving more spaces for cyclists.
