27 October 2024
Sometimes Olle walks are organised through work and this, my sixth Olle was one of those. Walking alone, I can take lots of photographs and make little diversions to investigate something of interest. However it is also great to be part of a group.
I had walked the second half of the route before on a day that started hot and ended very wet. The forecast this time was for rain all day. I am glad to say that all those that signed up turned up, despite the weather.
I had walked the second half of the route before on a day that started hot and ended very wet. The forecast this time was for rain all day. I am glad to say that all those that signed up turned up, despite the weather.
The first place of interest was Yakcheonsa Temple. It is said to be the largest Buddhist Temple in east Asia. Inside is a large wooden Buddha statue, which is claimed to be the largest wooden statue of Buddha in South Korea. The wood used to make the statue is sourced from Paektu Mountain, The highest mountain in Korea (North or South).
The route continues along the coast before joining a road and then heading steeply up some wooded steps to the top of Berinnae Oreum, a small extinct volcano. The way down was also steep with a combination of wet leaves and algae making the boards slippery. Among the group, there were a few near slips but we all arrived at the bottle without injury. I didn't take any photographs at the top as the it was not very clear and I could not see any kind of reasonable composition.
There are kilometre markers at some points along the way that act as a progress check. We continued before stopping at The Cliff for lunch. It is the first Olle where I have stopped at a bar for lunch. This is where I had picked up the route before. I had put the wrong drop-off point into the taxi app! It was all familiar terrain from here on. The route goes around a golf course and down through Yerae Ecological Park, passing an unfinished housing development along the way. I gather the money ran out before it finished. I wonder about those who lost their dream home as a result.
The route continues to Nonjitmul Freshwater Beach. I have no idea why anyone would choose to bathe in freshwater rather than saltwater.
The route continues to Nonjitmul Freshwater Beach. I have no idea why anyone would choose to bathe in freshwater rather than saltwater.
I commented on how the weather seemed to be brightening up, but nobody else shared my optimism, perhaps because I was the only one who still had dry feet? Hooray for Zamberlan!
I suggested a group photo at the Haye Jinhwang Lighthouse. I got the settings wrong the first couple of times with it set to "mirror up" (equals tits up!) before finally setting the camera to a twelve second delay. This was definitely better than doing so at the end though we still did a phone shot for posterity.
I suggested a group photo at the Haye Jinhwang Lighthouse. I got the settings wrong the first couple of times with it set to "mirror up" (equals tits up!) before finally setting the camera to a twelve second delay. This was definitely better than doing so at the end though we still did a phone shot for posterity.