Day 12, Course 15

15.65 km, 20,319 steps, 214 minutes, 4.4 kph. Such were my stats for today's relatively short walk. I'm still in a bit of pain; the pain is being shared differently but equally by both of my feet. My left foot has the heel pain, which has grown into a sort of whole-foot pain. My right foot has that blister (which I popped—a thing I almost never do), and there's still something festering under all that big-toe callus; I picked at the callus and inadvertently caused a bleed. Luckily, I've got disinfectant first-aid cream, hydrogen peroxide, and bandages to deal with open wounds, so I'm still able to walk, but I'm thinking I should visit a podiatrist once I'm back in Seoul. And maybe a pedicurist and a foot-massage specialist while I'm at it. Meanwhile, it was entertaining to pour a few drops of hydrogen peroxide into my open toe wound—all that bubbling and frothing. 

Knowing that today's walk would be somewhat short, I didn't leave until 8:30 a.m. But the walk was definitely a mixed bag, mainly thanks to the weather. My route hugged the coast, and the day was at times windy, cloudy, sunny, drizzly, and stormy—or some combination. At one point, the rain and wind were so intense that I wasn't even able to put my rain jacket on: it kept flapping around like a torn sail in a hurricane while I struggled. I had to move a bit inland to get away from the sea breeze; that was the only way to get my jacket on, and by that point, I was thoroughly drenched.

Weather has been one of the most annoying aspects of this Jeju trip. On the mainland, the mountains can cause chaotic weather patterns, too, but nothing like the ever-shifting moods of Jeju weather. JW had mentioned that Jeju is an awful spot for golfers: the wind carries your ball in unpredictable directions, and the weather throughout the day is constantly changing. I felt pretty battered and beaten by the end of today's walk, and as a result of the weather, my ability to take photos was severely curtailed. You know how so many cities say some version of If you don't like the weather, just wait ten minutes? That is literally true on Jeju Island. 

They're forecasting more rain for tomorrow, then it's supposed to be clear all the way through the end of my trip here, but if I've learned anything, it's that when it comes to Jeju, the weather forecast is always a lie, and nothing is ever guaranteed. This truly has been the rainiest long walk I've done thus far. I'm reminded of being doused in 2008 while walking in the Pacific Northwest—before hitting the Cascades and the high desert, anyway.

Looking forward, I see that Course 16 turns inland, so per my mantra, Fuck that. Course 17 ends on the coast at Yongdam Pogu (용담포구, Yongdam Port). If I walk straight to Yongdam tomorrow, I'll skip Course 16 entirely, and it's only 18K to the port. Another 3K takes me to the official end of Course 17, for a total of 21K, which isn't too bad. By skipping Course 16, though, I will once again be a day ahead of schedule. Maybe I need that, though, to really give my feet a full day to recuperate since there'll be no JW to insist on doing a mountain hike.

I don't sense that I've lost much weight over the course of this trip. I've undoubtedly indulged too much and too often. Maybe I should buckle down over these last few days of my time in Jeju, and maybe I should continue to buckle down during the Andong Dam hike as well. Things to think about.

For what it's worth, here's the photo essay.

myo next to hotel

blustery, cloudy, drizzly weather

Crazy Black Pig

one of several rigs offshore

temple guardian and (left) haetae

Haeun-sa, I think

That leaning stone pagoda makes me nervous.

long murals depicting idealized folk life

a cross between an octopus and an abalone

Whitecaps give you an idea how windy it is.

This has sacrificial pit written all over it.

Below are two pics of some real heroes: older folks who are scouring the shore and collecting garbage. It's a thankless task, but I'm glad that at least some effort is being made. I'm frankly sick of all the litter I see everywhere.

I follow the Olle left.

shag rug

See the rain?

animal assholes

I wonder what the story is.

The swastika is an ancient symbol dating back centuries or even millennia. In Korea, it normally connotes Buddhism, but it is also used by fortune-tellers and the like. So this isn't some kind of white-power convention hall.

more animal assholes

Bidan Bridge

The day suddenly turns bright.

Kudos to whoever thought to do this.

the preferred scooter of Jeju grannies

Before I forget: I've learned the word bomal, which translates to "top shell"—a term I had to look up. A top shell is a type of snail that's popular for eating here.

bottles

I'd normally spell it "Wassup."

Mary Jane motif in a country that cracks down hard on drugs.

This pup came begging, then slunk away.

quirky shwimteo

too young for my blood

ladder-like object being tossed about by the waves

rare find

There's a Shinseol-dong stop in Seoul, too.

official labeling for the coastal bike path

KoGas, Tanks 1 and 2

big, old, abandoned

another bright, sunny moment

These bikers all waved as they rolled past.

Is this rock laughing?

Is this one screaming or singing?

Happy dolphin doesn't realize it's a slave.

my destination for today

more bottles displayed outside

end of Course 15, beginning of Course 16

I saw that the motel I had selected was another 3K away. I didn't want to walk that, and in the meantime, I decided to sit down and eat lunch while contemplating a closer place to find lodging. I found a place called the Rich Hotel—only 1.3K away as opposed to 3K. Another expensive spot at W100,000 per night, but when you're tired, you're more willing to shell out for decent accommodations.

The restaurant was called Jeongjik Han Don, the latter two syllables meaning "Korean pig/pork." All in all, the restaurant proved to be so-so, staffed by guys who basically loafed around and acted like twerps. The black-pig kimchi-jjigae was okay, I guess—nothing special. I still don't see how the Jeju black pig is any big shakes. 

Following are some pics of the ambiance and the food.

after lunch, up a modest hill

cert center for bikers

Gimli, son of Gloin

When you live right, the future is visible. More naturally, it's probably something like Living right opens up the future or Living right puts the future within reach. 

I ignored the Olle arrow here.

back to rain again

Thai food

donggaseu, pasta, seafood jjambbong, pizza, octopus bibimbap

my hotel for the night

weathered the storm

More shenanigans tomorrow.