Day 12, Leg 8

My usual thing to do on my second day at the Lee Motel is to stroll across the way and up the nearby hill to see that Buddhist observation deck, then to go down to the local Holly's Coffee to enjoy a way-overpriced meal, then to swing by the local convenience store for any supplies I might need. Here, in pictures, is how that went.

how things looked when I stepped out at noon

where I'd end up, but not yet

the tunnel under the freeway to cross over

in and through

up the stairs

My balance really is shot these days. Thank Cthulhu for handrails.

Chilgok Dam, with its Muslim motif

looking upriver

looking downriver

Danger Man returns!

Asalaam aleikum...

You can see my hilltop destination at a distance.

closer... (3X digital zoom)

closer... (10X digital zoom)

distant rail bridge

more distant regular bridge

and the waters come a-tumbling down

Gwanho Fortress Park

up we go

a brief pause to catch my breath and look back

The stairs turn into a woven-twine path.

higher

observation deck halfway up (it's a short hill)

seeing a bullet train on the rail bridge

The summit beckons.

paths down

Two older guys came up the path behind me. In a hand-of-God moment, one of them held up my right glove, which must have fallen out of my jacket's pocket. I'd have lost another glove had this guy not been there.

The "remove your shoes" sign is now gone.

custodian's equipment

imagine dragons

bullet train

a different path down

The glove now returned, the two old friends walk heroically away, their job done.

I see three birds.

four birds?

persimmons?

a final corner view, half-zoom

back at the dam

roiling waters

It never occurred to me that the sluice gates could operate separately, letting river water through at different rates. I've come to realize that I know almost nothing about dams.

"Did you eat? Are you okay? Is the wind nice? How was your day?" An anti-suicide message for potential dam jumpers.

Huge flag. I don't wanna hear another damn word about "flag-waving Americans."

Chilgok Dam certification center

Then I went to Holly's Coffee and got nothing but carbs. Awful. But delicious.

some sort of honey-buttered "baguette," an Oreo crumble, and a strawberry smoothie

The quality's gone down since last year.

And that's how this afternoon went. The rest of the day will be spent watching YouTube, napping, reapplying one bandage, taking meds, prepping for tomorrow's long walk, and sleeping. I've had worse Mondays.