Not North Korea!
North Korean Border (almost!) 5 days 225km 669m climbed (Grand Total 2213km 8309m climb) Once a month the South Koreans allow cyclists to cycle along the DMZ which is as close as you’re likely to get to North Korea on a bike. We’d signed up for this tour when we arrived in Seoul in October and had thought it would be for a dozen or so people. There were in fact hundreds of us, all in yellow Jerkins, hard hats and electronic ID cards cross checked against your passport before the trip. You only get to cycle 17km, but it’s an experience cycling next to a...
Read MoreGeumgang – our last river
Mokpo to Dejou 3 days 219km climb 797m (1985km total) We got the bus from Mokpo to the start of our final river The Geumgang arriving in Gunsan just after lunch. A short cycle later and we were sitting in the tent enjoying the fabulous late afternoon sunshine which, by morning had turned into a thick wet mist. Not the best thing to find when you wake up in a tent. By the time we’d got packed up the mist was thinning, we’d set off almost needing our fog lights but minutes later the sunshine burst through for another lovely day. We’ve been...
Read MoreJeju
Jeju island 272km 6 days Climb 1296m (1765km total) Our ferry trip was an experience in itself. We couldn’t buy a ticket in advance but had to make a reservation and then turn up on the day early to pay. Tilly always causes problems at ferrys. What do you charge a tandem? Two bikes, one and a half or one? So what usually happens is our phone with a picture of a tandem on, gets passed from staff member to staff member until one of them is prepared to make a decision. Two bikes this time. Next you have to wheel the bike into the baggage hall and then get waved out of a...
Read MoreUp and down stream
Seomjingang and Yeongsangang Rivers440km 9 days 1386m climb (1525km total) Getting the bus proved easy. We turned up and asked for tickets at the booth and the lady immediately called a man over who took us out to the coach parkijg with our bike, showed us where the bus parked, checked with other drivers we’d get Tilly on and then bought our tickets for us at an automated machine. Very helpful. The ride through the countryside was a lovely change from cycling too. Sitting back and watching the world go by in air-conditioned luxury instead of peddling away in sweat conditioned...
Read MoreBusan
2 Days, No Cycling! Imagine a flat peice of clay that someone then punches widely spaced random indentations into with their fingers, well Busan clings to the flatter bits of land on this tableau and ignores all the mountains. It means the city is separated into districts on various sides of these ridges and each district has its own character. The district we stayed in was along the river that we’d cycled, it was the industrial supplies area but was bustling and livley and our hotel was a gorgeous boutique hotel where we managed to get a deluxe room for less than a...
Read MoreThe end of the line…
Hyeonpung to Busan 3 nights 179km 590m climb (1095km total) Our first wine in 4 weeks and it’s sparkling too Our final stamp on the cross country route The end of the Cross country route with Hugo and Bego A bit damp We arrived in Busan in a gale (for once behind us) following Hugo and Bego, a lovely Spanish couple who are half way into a round the world cycle. At the final checkpoint on the Nakdongang a Singaporean couple and a Korean man arrived at the same time and it was a great celebration for us all having completed the trip – though it’s more like a simple day...
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