Day 19, quest for the missing stamps

No rain despite the forecast's calling for it. Tomorrow is still supposed to be bright and beautiful as well.

Maybe it's the completist in me, but I felt compelled to go back and get photos of the stamps for the end of Courses 13 and 16—the two courses I wound up leapfrogging by hugging the coast. So today, I went all the way across the island, honing my bus-route-navigation skills via Naver Map in the process (navigation of the bus routes by using Naver turns out to be pretty easy; I need to see whether my new skills work just as well on the mean streets of Seoul). I did have to catch a cab at one point: it was around lunchtime when I found myself at a particular bus station, and when I looked at the chart, I saw the next bus wouldn't arrive until after 2 p.m. Fuck that, I said to myself, repeating my Jeju mantra. So I flagged down the first free cab to roll by and made my way from the end of Course 13 to the end of Course 16. Got all my stamps, then began thinking about what to eat for an early dinner. 

I ended up having the lamest dinner ever: corn dogs from a local corndoggery by my hotel, plus a convenience-store salad. I'd had the loftiest of intentions, but many of the restaurants I wanted to try ended up being closed for whatever reason. It was almost as if the local divinities were pushing me toward fast food (how's that for not taking responsibility for your own choices?). So: no abalone, no local snails. Next time, maybe.

Speaking of next time: while I was waiting at the Jeju Bus Terminal for the bus back to my hotel, I saw an interesting picture. It showed an aerial view of Seong-san (the mountain where I am)—a view not available to you if you don't climb the mountain. And what I saw made me wish I'd taken the time to climb the mountain: Seong-san is actually a huge volcanic crater. I took a picture of the picture, so you'll see what I mean below.

My back finally decided that today would be the day to protest, so I've spent today walking slowly thanks to back pain. I'll be spending part of the evening with my right knee up against my chest to stretch out my back. My body probably thinks it can rest, now, but in a couple days, I'll be back on the trail, walking from Sangju City to Andong City to see the vaunted Andong Dam and enjoy what I hope will be some fall colors. Pain pills will likely play a major role in keeping me walking. 

Regarding fall colors: it's definitely cooling off, now, but the foliage here remains resolutely verdant. Some dead leaves can be seen scattered over the ground here and there, but for the most part, the look of the place is still very summery. I wonder what a true Jeju fall might look like, but I won't be around to see it. Maybe next time: I now know not to come here before mid-October.

No walk stats for today even though I did do a bit of walking. Here are some photos, though, for your delectation:

morning bus stop near my hotel as I head out to Course 13

I ended up getting dawgs here.

Nope. Oyster resto, and I hate oysters.

transfer at Jeju Bus Terminal

white girls!

taken from out the bus's window

end of Course 13, beginning of Course 14

a weirdly shaped shwimteo

taking the taxi to Course 16's end

nice property

effect ruined by the garbage in his hole

end of Course 16, beginning of Course 17

This may be my only clear shot of Halla-san.

looking for 2 missing dogs

horses in a field by a bus stop

the massive crater that is Seong-san

closer look; the urban cluster to the right is where I am

burd

in all my peeling splendor

Okay, the white couple in the pic above deserve mention for doing that weird thing some white people do when they walk: as they passed me, they both had dead-serious looks frozen on their faces, and they walked in that strange, floaty manner of some white people who seem to lock their torsos in place while barely swinging their arms and moving only their legs. This isn't something I notice back in the States, where white folks are in their natural environment, so to speak. But here in Korea, it just looks bizarre. I realize I have no room to talk: I lumber/waddle in an unnatural way that sticks out here, too. But this couple, well, I can almost understand why many Koreans are in the habit of staring at foreigners, especially the gawky, Caucasian ones. Fine, call me a racist for thinking all this, but remember I'm half-white, and according to PC logic, you can never be racist against your own peeps.

I think I photographed this on Day 1, in the early morning.

I would have loved to eat at this fish-and-chips place, but despite having a sign saying it closed at 6 p.m., the place was closed at 5. Bastards. And who closes before dinnertime?

le sigh...

So I came back to Hot Doggy.

And here's one video:

What's interesting to note in the vid—and it may be hard to see—is that the wind turbines in the distance aren't turning at all. There was certainly plenty of wind at ground level; you'd think that it would be even windier at the top of a wind turbine, but it seems there wasn't enough wind to get the things moving. Before coming to Jeju, I would have described my attitude toward wind energy as somewhere between neutral and skeptical, but now, I think wind energy is pretty much a waste of time, space, and human effort that could be used doing something more constructive. I'll have more to say about this issue in my wrap-up post. For the nonce, it's enough to say that I am now actively against wind energy. 

I leave Jeju tomorrow (where did the time go?), but my flight isn't until nearly 8 p.m., so I'll have plenty of time to check out of my hotel, visit the National Museum, and hit that bakery—all of which will involve hours of gallivanting across the island as I did today. It's definitely bittersweet to be leaving: there’s so much to explore here. But coming back is cheap and easy, so who knows? I might be back here before winter arrives this year. If not, a trip here early next year may be possible. 

That's it for tonight. Expect more tomorrow. This walk project isn't over until Andong is finished, so stay tuned.