Four Rivers Path and Beyond

Photo timeline of a bike tour in Korea in spring 2023.

All times are in Seoul time (UTC +9).

Sun, Mar 19
Helsinki
1. Packed and ready to go! Next stop Helsinki airport and then onwards to Seoul.
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  Photo taken at23:14
  Photo taken inHelsinki
Mon, Mar 20
Incheon Airport - Seoul
1. We spot land just before landing to Incheon airport, after an almost 12-hour flight. Everything went smoothly at the airport, but I have to rethink my bike packing strategy as I had to pay double rate due to excess weight. The flight itself has been easy going as well, except they had to reboot the in-flight entertainment system which resulted in only 7 movies being available 😅 Didn't really matter to me since I spent most of the flight asleep. Now onwards to immigration control and eventually via metro to the hotel.
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  Photo taken at12:07
  Photo taken inIncheon Airport
2. After 20 hours of travel we've finally arrived at our first pitstop, the Shilla Stay Seodaemun hotel in the Seoul city center. We will spend a couple of days here assembling our bikes and doing a bit of sightseeing. Getting all of our gear here via public transport wasn't too bad, as the Seoul metro had great elevator access and wasn't too crowded during this time of day. It's going to be a bit more difficult once we've assembled our bikes because they are not allowed on most metro lines, but we'll deal with that when we get there.
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  Photo taken at15:56
  Photo taken inSeoul
3. Shabu shabu is a do-it-yourself kind of dish where the restaurant provides a stove, broth, sauces, vegetables and some meat you can then grill and cook into your own hot pot meal. This small place near our hotel was the perfect place to get some proper food after a long flight. For ~15€ / person we got almost too much food (even some free extras) and a bottle of soju. They also had some of the best kimchi I've ever tasted, although that bar isn't too high 😅
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  Photo taken at19:10
  Photo taken inSeoul
4. Gate to the royal palace. Came across this on a quick walk around the city center.
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  Photo taken at21:23
  Photo taken inSeoul
Tue, Mar 21
Seoul
1. American chain restaurants like Starbucks and shops like 7/11 are really common in South Korea (apparently Seoul has the most Starbucks locations in the world). We woke up quite late due to jetlag, so coffee at a nearby Starbucks and noodles from a 7/11 was the easiest option for breakfast.
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  Photo taken at13:23
  Photo taken inSeoul
2. First sign of spring 🌞 Otherwise no leaves yet in the trees, though.
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  Photo taken at13:27
  Photo taken inSeoul
3. Assembling the bikes
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  Photo taken at17:00
  Photo taken inSeoul
4. Train crossing a pedestrian walkway in downtown Seoul.
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  Photo taken at18:32
  Photo taken inSeoul
5. Oskar's saddle clamp was missing after the journey here, so we stopped by a local bikeshop to fit a new one. Also bought some minor gear like water bottles and a ding-a-ling 🛎️
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  Photo taken at19:09
  Photo taken inSeoul
6. Namsan is a mountain and a park in the middle of Seoul, with an iconic broadcast tower on top of it (not pictured but sort of similar to Yle's radio tower in Pasila). We decided to climb it after a rather heavy dinner, which wasn't the best idea, but we eventually got to the summit even with full stomachs 😵 This is a picture from the descent, showing some of the city lights in the background.
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  Photo taken at22:52
  Photo taken inSeoul
Wed, Mar 22
Seoul
1. Xylitol seems big in Korea and this is the first "Finnish" product I've come across here. The guy in the top-right corner is saying 휘바 which is pronounced "hyvä". He's probably supposed to be some sort of tonttu character 😄
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  Photo taken at00:55
  Photo taken inSeoul
2. We did a short 5km test drive from the Finnish embassy to the Bugak pavilion on top of a nearby mountain. Got to try out the low gears on our bikes on the way up and the brakes on the way down. Smooth riding both ways and the views from there were definitely special 👌
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  Photo taken at15:25
  Photo taken inSeoul
3. Obligatory selfie from the Bugak pavilion mountaintop
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  Photo taken at16:25
  Photo taken inSeoul
4. Oskar's old colleague was kind enough to take my bike transport box into storage for the duration of the trip. This picture is taken from a neighborhood near her apartment. The area had a lot of street food vendors, PC cafes, karaokes and was generally bustling. We had dinner in a nearby Korean-Italian fusion restaurant which was definitely something new and tasty! Pasta with local chili sauce was a top dish.
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  Photo taken at22:43
  Photo taken inSeoul
5. Evening snack with various pig parts: blood sausage in intestine, liver slices and pieces of lung. I guess this is how foreigners feel when Finns give them salmiakki 😄
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  Photo taken at22:46
  Photo taken inSeoul
Thu, Mar 23
Seoul - Incheon
1. Since we're away until May, we're going to miss the parliamentary election in Finland. Luckily the Finnish embassy in Seoul offers pre-voting this week! Also a nice opportunity to see what an embassy actually looks like. They said that even though this is a mid-sized embassy, they only have 13 people working there, including drivers and the ambassador's personal chef 😄 Quite an efficient operation.
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  Photo taken at14:53
  Photo taken inSeoul
2. First night out in the open, at the starting point of our bike tour looking over towards Incheon airport. Behind the fence is the seabed, which might be in the process of being dried into new land (not sure). That's how the Incheon airport island was built, anyway.
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  Photo taken at22:17
  Photo taken inIncheon
Fri, Mar 24
Incheon - Hanam
1. Here starts the 4 Rivers bike path! This 633km bike route will take us all the way to Busan in the southern tip of Korea. On the way we'll collect stamps to our bike passports, and once completed we get medals from the government🏅
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  Photo taken at11:59
  Photo taken inIncheon
2. Surprisingly few bikepackers on the route thus far. This nice Frenchman was the only one we've met in the first few days. He flew in from Bangkok where he had biked to from France over the span of two years. Quite the adventurer!
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  Photo taken at12:30
  Photo taken inIncheon
3. Frog alert 🆘
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  Photo taken at13:30
  Photo taken inIncheon
4. We stamp our bike passports in these kiosks that look like phone booths. Three down, 29 to go
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  Photo taken at14:45
  Photo taken inSeoul
5. Floating Starbucks on the Han river.
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  Photo taken at17:13
  Photo taken inSeoul
6. More signs of spring
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  Photo taken at17:37
  Photo taken inSeoul
7. Lotte Tower has quite the imposing profile. No wonder it's the 6th tallest building in the world.
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  Photo taken at17:38
  Photo taken inSeoul
8. After a day of cycling, we're now leaving Seoul and entering Hanam, the next city over to the east. The terrain is getting mountainous really fast, but the bike paths have been easy going thus far. It's also getting dark, so soon it's time to find a place to stay.
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  Photo taken at19:01
  Photo taken inHanam
9. Public toilets are everywhere in populated areas in Korea (lucky us). Apparently one of the biggest complaints Koreans have about European cities is the lack of public bathrooms.
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  Photo taken at19:32
  Photo taken inHanam
Sat, Mar 25
Hanam - Gangcheon
1. Last night we camped right next to the bike path. It was a bit noisy due to nearby roads, but otherwise good. Around 7am the first cyclists passed us. Perhaps they had started out in Seoul around sunrise? Early risers anyway.
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  Photo taken at09:05
  Photo taken inHanam
2. Locals take good use of their excellent bike paths. Since early morning we've been passed by groups of cyclists in fast gear on fast bikes. It's almost funny how crowded the bike paths are in this area and how pro everyone looks 😄
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  Photo taken at09:30
  Photo taken inHanam
3. Today we've traveled from Hanam to Yangpyong for lunch, and then onwards to the Ipobo Dam (pictured here). We're already comfortably inland and stamps are racking up fast.
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  Photo taken at18:18
  Photo taken inIpobo
4. It's been a long day and there's still a few tens of kilometers to go, which shows 😅 Here's the Yeoju weir/dam bridge.
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  Photo taken at19:15
  Photo taken inYeoju
5. Some churches here look mildly satanic at night.
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  Photo taken at21:18
  Photo taken inGangcheon
Sun, Mar 26
Gangcheon - Chungju
1. Last night was the third night outdoors, this time at a camping site under a highway bridge. We totaled ~85km yesterday even though we spent most of the afternoon at a Starbucks. All thanks to excellent bike paths and signage here 👌
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  Photo taken at10:59
  Photo taken inGangcheon
2. Onwards to Wonju for lunch 🍜
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  Photo taken at12:02
  Photo taken inGangcheon
3. First actual grocery store I've seen here, in a small village in the Wonju province. We actually didn't find any in Seoul although Oskar says they do exist 😄 The locals probably mostly use market streets to buy their fresh groceries since it's much cheaper there. But we haven't found any markets either, except in Seoul. We've basically survived on restaurant food and noodle packets thus far, it's nice to finally make some real food ourselves.
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  Photo taken at12:56
  Photo taken inWonju
4. These small family cemeteries are everywhere. Would be interesting to know if the cemetery is passed along from generation to generation automatically or if they have to own / rent the land.
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  Photo taken at16:02
  Photo taken inChungju
5. Nice sunset behind the mountains
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  Photo taken at18:09
  Photo taken inChungju
6. Tonight we're staying indoors at a small hotel in Chungju city (peeking behind the bridge). It's nice to take a shower and do some laundry after a few days outdoors. We're now at least one-third of the way to Busan!
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  Photo taken at18:54
  Photo taken inChungju
Mon, Mar 27
Chungju - Ihwaryong
1. This buddhist temple near Chungju had a cool soundscape, including a gong and this huge bell as well as lots of small chimes. They should make a Spotify playlist out of these sounds.
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  Photo taken at13:52
  Photo taken inChungju
2. Onwards to the mountains The next part of the bike path passes over the highest point of the route and includes a 5km climb at 10% steepness 😵
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  Photo taken at16:12
  Photo taken inChungju
3. Dog soup 😧 Apparently still somewhat popular among older folks in rural areas.
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  Photo taken at18:13
  Photo taken inSuanbo
4. The views here make the climb worthwhile.
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  Photo taken at18:42
  Photo taken inSuanbo
5. Nighttime view from the highest part of the route after 5km of zigzagging uphill on the lowest gear. Thankfully the morning ride will be easy since it's a similar 5km downhill 😄
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  Photo taken at19:59
  Photo taken inIhwaryong
Tue, Mar 28
Ihwaryong - Sangju
1. Rice and seaweed soup for breakfast 👌 Nice to have something other than noodles for a change.
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  Photo taken at08:45
  Photo taken inIhwaryong
2. It's all downhill from here
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  Photo taken at11:08
  Photo taken inIhwaryong
3. 5km in 10 minutes 😎
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  Photo taken at11:10
  Photo taken inIhwaryong
4. Guess we'll continue straight
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  Photo taken at13:40
  Photo taken inMungyeong
5. Cherry blossoms are suddenly everywhere
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  Photo taken at16:45
  Photo taken inSangju
6. Tonight we are at a camping site next to the Sangju dam's monumental pillars.
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  Photo taken at20:24
  Photo taken inSangju
Wed, Mar 29
Sangju - Gumi
1. We've now left the mountains behind and are following the Nakdang river all the way to Busan on the south coast.
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  Photo taken at10:57
  Photo taken inSangju
2. Passing through the city of Gumi
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  Photo taken at16:13
  Photo taken inGumi
3. Crazy how many things one company can do. Everything from phones and TVs to hotels and food (including the majority of Starbucks Korea). And apparently apartments as well.
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  Photo taken at19:26
  Photo taken inGumi
Thu, Mar 30
Gumi - Daegu
1. More cherry blossoms
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  Photo taken at10:36
  Photo taken inGumi
2. Short break at a river dam near Daegu, the biggest city in central Korea.
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  Photo taken at11:02
  Photo taken inDaegu
3. We've been passing through a more agricultural region recently, with rice paddies (I assume) and other fields surrounding the river banks. Interestingly there are high houses right next to the fields here in the suburbs of Daegu.
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  Photo taken at11:45
  Photo taken inDaegu
4. Bike paths continue to be in excellent condition. In the mountainous areas we had to share roads with cars in some sections, but ever since we started on the Nakdang river path leading to Busan, there has been a dedicated bike path almost all the time.
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  Photo taken at15:11
  Photo taken inDaegu
5. These wooden bike paths are the best
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  Photo taken at17:03
  Photo taken inDaegu
6. A more traditional looking church in a small farming village
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  Photo taken at17:08
  Photo taken inDaegu
Fri, Mar 31
Daegu - Busan
1. We've stayed on these pedestrian rest stops and other non-camping areas a few times now, since actual camping grounds are a bit harder to find. Initially we were a bit worried that the police would come and tell us to pack up our tent and go elsewhere, but there hasn't been any problems. Quite the opposite, as usually in the mornings elderly people will stop by and say hello.
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  Photo taken at07:59
  Photo taken inDaegu
2. These fields could almost be in Finland
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  Photo taken at13:03
  Photo taken inHaman
3. Buddhist temple on a riverbank
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  Photo taken at13:17
  Photo taken inHaman
4. Tonight should be the last night camping before reaching the end of the bike path in Busan.
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  Photo taken at17:59
  Photo taken inBusan
5. It gets really chilly once the sun sets behind the mountains
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  Photo taken at18:08
  Photo taken inBusan
Sat, Apr 1
Busan
1. Last 30km to the finish line! It's Saturday and there's a lot of other cyclists on the road again (some sort of organized spring cycling day). Close to the end the route passes through one of Busan's walking streets full of people enjoying the cherry blossoms. We tried to navigate through them but there were just too many people 😅 We got past them by going a bit off from the walkway.
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  Photo taken at11:45
  Photo taken inBusan
2. Korea cross-country route done! The 633km route went by really smoothly thanks to the excellent bike paths everywhere. It was great to see some of the parts of the country that tourists don't normally visit, like Chungju in central Korea or the many small farming villages we passed through. For me this was a week of constant culture shock, which might also explain a bit why it feels like time passed so quickly. Now a day or two of rest here in Busan, and then hopefully onwards to Fukuoka in Japan via ferry.
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  Photo taken at14:09
  Photo taken inBusan
Sun, Apr 2
Busan
1. Busan is applying to host the 2030 World Expo, but their slogan could be a bit more confident 😄
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  Photo taken at11:19
  Photo taken inBusan
2. Touring Busan it is easy to see why it is the world's 6th busiest port. The sea around the city is full of container ships.
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  Photo taken at15:58
  Photo taken inBusan
3. There are these nice rocky beaches easily reachable by bike from the Busan city center. There are also normal sandy beaches, but they are a bit further (easier to get there via metro). In the summer, Busan is a busy beach holiday destination.
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  Photo taken at16:24
  Photo taken inBusan
Mon, Apr 3
Busan
1. Lots of Swedish products (Oatly, Arla,...) at a bigger supermarket, but no Finnish products in sight :( However, 5 euros for a carton of Oatly oatmilk is crazy. Cheese, butter and other milk products are definitely not everyday items, as they cost double or more compared to Finland.
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  Photo taken at14:48
  Photo taken inBusan
2. Tonight we leave Busan and go to Shimonoseki in Japan via ferry. Let's see if this resembles a cruise to Sweden in any way.
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  Photo taken at17:33
  Photo taken inBusan
3. A bit different from a Swedish cruise 😅 Rooms had sleeping mats for 6 people, but as the ferry was nearly empty, there was no one else in our room. The ferry had one convenience store but no other restaurants. There was also a nice small bath with two warm pools.
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  Photo taken at18:43
  Photo taken inBusan
4. We met these nice Japanese gentlemen at the empty ferry restaurant. They had visited Korea to do some trainspotting, going all the way to Seoul and back with a high-speed train. We got some great tips for what food to try in Japan!
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  Photo taken at21:00
  Photo taken inBusan
Tue, Apr 4
Shimonoseki - Mine
1. We're starting our Japan route from Shimonoseki, a small city on the northwestern side of the country. We arrived here early in the morning from Busan, so we can still get some distance into the countryside today. Unlike Korea, there is no managed bike route, so we have to make our own. Luckily there is a great readymade route on japancycling.org that should take us all the way to Osaka.
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  Photo taken at12:58
  Photo taken inShimonoseki
2. Every town seems to have at least one Shinto shrine. This one is in Mine, a small city near Shimonoseki. Inside, there is a small temple and the Japanese flag flying high. The religion is somewhat mixed with government, as the Emperor is a direct descendant of the Shinto sun god.
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  Photo taken at17:30
  Photo taken inMine
Wed, Apr 5
Mine
1. Last night we camped on this empty parking lot near Mine. There seems to be more wildlife activity compared to Korea, and the forests look more lush, too. Some animal, maybe a boar, was rummaging around our camp in the night. There are also a few mosquitoes around, and lots of birds.
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  Photo taken at10:27
  Photo taken inMine
2. First rainy day on the trip
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  Photo taken at12:11
  Photo taken inMine
Thu, Apr 6
Hagi - Yoshika
1. Yesterday it rained the whole day and as evening fell, we got a bit desperate to find a dry place to put our tent in. We took a risk and camped at this covered market area in a small town near the city of Hagi. It wasn't the most peaceful of sleeps I've had, as cars stopped by to use the vending machines and each time I was sure it's the police 😅 To be sure, we woke up at 6:00 to take down the tent. Nevertheless, a good place to camp considering the weather!
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  Photo taken at06:21
  Photo taken inHagi
2. Small bamboo forest with lots of bird sounds coming from it
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  Photo taken at08:56
  Photo taken inHagi
3. We've had to climb a bit today, but the scenery makes it worth it. I saw a billboard nicknaming this area as "little Germany", referring to the Alpine landscapes.
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  Photo taken at11:34
  Photo taken inTsuwano
4. Entrance to the Tsuwano Shinto shrine with some of the cherry blossom remnants still visible around it.
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  Photo taken at11:53
  Photo taken inTsuwano
5. Ramen with udon noodles + some rice for extra carbs
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  Photo taken at12:24
  Photo taken inTsuwano
6. Churches don't seem to be as common in Japan as they are in Korea. At least there aren't as many crosses visible outside. This is from a Catholic church in Tsuwano we happened to pass by. This is the first time we visited one, and we were surprised to see it doesn't have any benches.
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  Photo taken at13:45
  Photo taken inTsuwano
7. The koi fish here are definitely well fed
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  Photo taken at13:54
  Photo taken inTsuwano
8. Views down to the city from the shrine
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  Photo taken at14:13
  Photo taken inTsuwano
9. Nice to have a small break from the rain. Everything looks so lush and green now.
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  Photo taken at15:34
  Photo taken inTsuwano
10. Imagine a nice river / rapids just outside this picture (left-handed selfies are hard)
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  Photo taken at16:42
  Photo taken inTsuwano
11. Japanese drive on the left side of the road, just like Britons and New Zealanders. Something about living on an island?
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  Photo taken at16:43
  Photo taken inTsuwano
12. Second night camping in the rain. To avoid another restless night and a 6am wakeup, we rode high up a mountain road and found a small parking area with great views down the mountain.
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  Photo taken at18:52
  Photo taken inYoshika
Fri, Apr 7
Yoshika - Iwakuni
1. The rain has brought out all kinds of creatures, including crabs, on the road 🦀
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  Photo taken at11:32
  Photo taken inYoshika
2. Last night's campsite surroundings with some misty mountains and rice paddies. Perhaps I could appreciate the views even more if all my cycling clothes weren't soaking wet 🥶 Today we're riding down to the city of Iwakuni on the coast and hopefully find a hotel to dry our stuff in.
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  Photo taken at11:36
  Photo taken inYoshika
3. Frogs, bears, what's next?
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  Photo taken at12:41
  Photo taken inYoshika
4. The sun is shining again! And the road is all downhill to Iwakuni. This should be an easy afternoon.
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  Photo taken at16:02
  Photo taken inYoshika
5. Thankfully the road signs are also in English, as they were also in Korea.
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  Photo taken at16:35
  Photo taken inIwakuni
6. Japan hasn't been kind on my tires, as this is the third puncture this week. The issue is most likely with the tires themselves (WTB Riddler), they seem to be optimized for easy gravel roads, not asphalt.
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  Photo taken at17:16
  Photo taken inIwakuni
7. ... It wasn't an easy afternoon 😅 Two flat tires, including my third in Japan (none in Korea btw) and Oskar's first, in addition to some brake and lights issues, slowed us down at least an extra hour. It's gonna be quite late when we reach the hotel.
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  Photo taken at19:32
  Photo taken inIwakuni
8. Too tired for anything unfamiliar, today we feast at McDonald's.
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  Photo taken at22:11
  Photo taken inIwakuni
Sat, Apr 8
Iwakuni - Hiroshima
1. Yesterday we were wondering why the Iwakuni city center was so full of rowdy Americans, and today we found out why: there's a US military base in the city with over 5000 personnel.
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  Photo taken at13:09
  Photo taken inIwakuni
2. Japanese roads are really testing my patience, since this is already my 4th flat tire this week. The road to Hiroshima has lots of traffic and no bike lane, forcing us to use the badly maintained and narrow pedestrian sidewalk. Hopefully road conditions improve closer to Hiroshima.
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  Photo taken at15:56
  Photo taken inIwakuni
3. The first atomic bomb used against Japan in WW2 exploded here about 600 meters up in the air. The structure of this office building, now called the Atomic Bomb Dome, stayed mostly intact due to being right under the explosion. Crazy to think we have already cycled from Seoul to Hiroshima. We made it here just before sunset and sadly don't have a chance to visit the Peace Memorial museum close by. We are camping again tonight and need to get further away from the city.
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  Photo taken at18:42
  Photo taken inHiroshima
4. Hiroshima castle, reconstructed based on the original in 1958.
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  Photo taken at18:55
  Photo taken inHiroshima
5. A really long day behind in traffic. Now climbing back up to the (relative) countryside, looking back at Hiroshima.
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  Photo taken at22:49
  Photo taken inHiroshima
Sun, Apr 9
Hiroshima - Akitsu
1. Last night we camped again on a neighborhood baseball field. A dad and his son came to play catch in the morning but they didn't seem to mind us.
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  Photo taken at10:20
  Photo taken inHiroshima
2. Lamia's Japan office
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  Photo taken at11:05
  Photo taken inHiroshima
3. Local elections in some prefectures this Sunday. Can't help but notice that all the candidates are men. In this area there is at least one female candidate, which is rare based on the lists we've seen.
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  Photo taken at16:31
  Photo taken inYasuura
4. Clam shells in industrial packaging. Not sure what these could be used for 🤔
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  Photo taken at16:45
  Photo taken inYasuura
5. Just one example of the wonders of Japanese toilets. This is from an ordinary convenience store. It even has a "flushing sound" button.
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  Photo taken at18:20
  Photo taken inAkitsu
6. Short day of riding today after yesterday's long struggle in the city. Time to climb up again a bit to find a nice campground. Wilderness camping is not allowed, but we haven't had any problems yet, partly because parking lots and baseball fields rarely have users during the night or early morning.
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  Photo taken at18:59
  Photo taken inAkitsu
7. This time we are camping at a local park, which we just noticed is filled with hundreds of lanterns. Surprisingly, no one else is here.
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  Photo taken at19:13
  Photo taken inAkitsu
Mon, Apr 10
Akitsu - Ikuchi Island
1. Nice waking up under some cherry trees. Once again no police in sight 🤞
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  Photo taken at08:47
  Photo taken inAkitsu
2. Frogs, bears, boars, what's next?
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  Photo taken at10:16
  Photo taken inAkitsu
3. Yesterday's easy going paid off, as we have been able to get some fast kms under our belt this morning. Roads are in good condition and traffic is light now that it's a weekday again.
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  Photo taken at11:59
  Photo taken inTakehara
4. The Shimanami bike path goes from the big "main" Honshu island of Japan to the smaller Shikoku island, crossing over seven smaller islands on the way. This is the first time we've seen any Western tourists, and no wonder, as the sceneries here are once again something else.
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  Photo taken at16:21
  Photo taken inMukaishima Island
5. When cycling, one of the biggest differences between Japan and Korea is how dark it gets once the sun sets. Japan has virtually no streetlights anywhere, except maybe in some intersections. We can't really cycle after sunset, as finding a camping spot is really difficult in complete darkness.
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  Photo taken at18:13
  Photo taken inIkuchi Island
6. Found a pizzeria with a real pizza oven here on Ikuchi island. Haven't seen many pizzerias otherwise.
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  Photo taken at18:26
  Photo taken inIkuchi Island
Tue, Apr 11
Ikuchi Island - Imabari
1. A camping spot can't get much better than this. Maybe if it had free Wi-Fi?
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  Photo taken at08:15
  Photo taken inIkuchi Island
2. Since we camped at a beach, we couldn't give up the chance of taking a dip in the ocean, although the Japanese were laughing at us for swimming in April.
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  Photo taken at10:51
  Photo taken inIkuchi Island
3. Today's lunch is okonomiyaki, a hefty omelette / pancake dish.
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  Photo taken at14:12
  Photo taken inHakata Island
4. We are soon leaving the Shimanami island bike path and getting back to normal traffic in Imabari city. Gonna miss this.
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  Photo taken at15:55
  Photo taken inOshima Island
5. Japan sure knows how to build bridges.
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  Photo taken at16:45
  Photo taken inOshima Island
6. Today we are staying in Imabari city with Peter through the Warm Showers cycling community. This is also our first chance to eat some real Japanese sushi, coming to us via conveyor belt.
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  Photo taken at19:41
  Photo taken inImabari
Wed, Apr 12
Imabari - Niihama
1. Stopped by the local castle before leaving Imabari. This is one of only three seawater-moat castles in Japan. The next leg of our trip is expected to be a bit less spectacular, passing through industrial areas towards Takamatsu, where we'll take a ferry towards the main island again.
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  Photo taken at12:45
  Photo taken inImabari
2. Oskar's gear cable snapped but luckily he has a spare.
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  Photo taken at15:18
  Photo taken inSaijo
3. Stressful but uneventful day in traffic. Most of the time the bike path has been just a narrow shoulder like this, with trucks passing by regularly.
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  Photo taken at17:21
  Photo taken inNiihama
Thu, Apr 13
Niihama - Marugame
1. Last night we camped in a neighborhood park near the road. We have gotten a bit bolder with campsite choices, since the locals don't seem to care (they see that we are foreigners and will leave in the morning).
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  Photo taken at07:42
  Photo taken inNiihama
2. Buddhist pilgrims traversing the 88 temples of Shikoku island.
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  Photo taken at10:04
  Photo taken inShikokuchuo
3. Picturesque Shinto shrine on a small island near Marugame.
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  Photo taken at16:14
  Photo taken inMarugame
Fri, Apr 14
Marugame - Himeji
1. Last night's campsite on an unused road between Marugame and Takamatsu. Today should be a slightly easier day, as we are taking a ferry to Himeji on the main island.
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  Photo taken at08:28
  Photo taken inMarugame
2. The first ferry takes us from Takamatsu to Shodoshima island. The ferry to Himeji leaves from the other side of the island, so we'll cycle through it. The ferry workers were very helpful 🙏
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  Photo taken at11:29
  Photo taken inTakamatsu
3. There's again some climbing to do on this island (up to 775 meters). Makes for some good pictures.
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  Photo taken at14:13
  Photo taken inShodoshima Island
4. Wild monkeys of Shodoshima 🐒
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  Photo taken at14:29
  Photo taken inShodoshima Island
5. Rolling back down to the other side of the island.
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  Photo taken at16:49
  Photo taken inShodoshima Island
6. We basically rolled straight to the ferry. Perfect timing. The first ferry to Shodoshima took 1 hour and cost 7,5€ per person with the bike. This one takes 2 hours to Himeji and costs 15€. Not bad, especially since it's supposed to start raining soon.
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  Photo taken at17:05
  Photo taken inShodoshima Island
7. Well-deserved downtime on the ferry
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  Photo taken at17:44
  Photo taken inHimeji
Sat, Apr 15
Himeji
1. Today we're taking a rest day in Himeji. Nice to stay indoors since it's supposed to rain the whole day. The main attraction in Himeji is the city's castle, which somehow survived the bombings in WW2. Apart from renovations the castle is still in it's original form, dating from the 1600's.
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  Photo taken at12:19
  Photo taken inHimeji
2. The castle frame is built out of wood with thick wooden pillars in the center. The outside is covered with white plaster that needs to be replaced every 50 years. The castle has six floors with various functions for deterring attackers trying to claim the castle.
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  Photo taken at12:57
  Photo taken inHimeji
3. Adjacent to the castle there is a Japanese garden with various areas with different themes. This picture is from the garden's koi pond. I was hoping there would be a bonsai garden, but seems like there isn't one here. Perhaps there will be one in Kyoto.
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  Photo taken at14:08
  Photo taken inHimeji
4. Incredible to find a Finnish boardgame, Eclipse, in a local card game store.
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  Photo taken at15:37
  Photo taken inHimeji
Sun, Apr 16
Himeji - Kobe
1. Today we continue on towards Osaka via Kobe. The route is getting more urban by every passing kilometer, and we have to pass over train tracks multiple times. Train tracks, both public and private, seem to be everywhere and in active use.
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  Photo taken at13:47
  Photo taken inHimeji
2. This beach road is nice variation for the more urban roads we've used today.
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  Photo taken at15:33
  Photo taken inAkashi
3. Kobe by night, with Osaka in the distance on the opposite shore
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  Photo taken at19:18
  Photo taken inKobe
4. Since we're in Kobe, we have to try the famous high-quality beef of the region. And since we're camping, we'll of course be cooking it on the Trangia. All in all a good idea, but horrible execution. The pan wasn't hot enough and we didn't have any spices, so we ended up with overcooked, tasteless bits of meat 😄 Probably should've gone to a real restaurant to try it.
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  Photo taken at20:37
  Photo taken inKobe
Mon, Apr 17
Kobe - Osaka
1. Last night's campsite was a local high school parking lot, although we didn't realize what it was last night in the dark. In the morning the lot slowly filled with teachers' cars, but they didn't seem to mind us. Luckily we packed up the tent before the principal arrived, since the first thing he said was "no bicycles". I wonder what he would've said if he had seen the tent on his parking lot.
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  Photo taken at08:57
  Photo taken inKobe
2. This morning we're visiting the Kobe Herb Gardens up in the hills. As the name suggests, the garden is home to many herb and spice plants, but also flowers, vegetables and more. It is a big tourist attraction since you can ride a gondola up there and see the city from high up.
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  Photo taken at10:37
  Photo taken inKobe
3. Views down to Kobe
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  Photo taken at11:31
  Photo taken inKobe
4. Many familiar plants here, including pelargonias.
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  Photo taken at11:38
  Photo taken inKobe
5. Continuing onwards from Kobe, we're now getting into neighboring Osaka, our final city in Japan. From here we will be taking a ferry back to Busan.
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  Photo taken at17:34
  Photo taken inOsaka
Tue, Apr 18
Osaka - Kyoto
1. In Osaka we are staying with the most hospitable family through the Warm Showers cycling community. Last night they offered us delicious Japanese curry, and today morning this comprehensive breakfast. We will be going to Kyoto for today and tomorrow, but they offered to host us also later this week before we leave for our Busan ferry. Unbelievably kind from them, and also a nice opportunity for us to experience what a Japanese household looks like.
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  Photo taken at09:51
  Photo taken inOsaka
2. The Shinkansen bullet train from Osaka to Kyoto takes only 13 minutes. There's also a normal (cheaper) train connection between these two major cities, but this is a convenient opportunity to try the famous Japanese high speed trains.
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  Photo taken at16:58
  Photo taken inOsaka
3. The 13-minute train ride from Osaka to Kyoto (sped up 10x). Top speed was 270km/h, but apparently the trains can reach speeds of 500km/h on some sections.
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  Photo taken at17:00
  Photo taken inOsaka
4. Entrance to Kyoto's famous Mt. Inari shrine.
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  Photo taken at18:08
  Photo taken inKyoto
5. Some of the consecutive red torii gates this shrine is famous (and often photographed) for.
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  Photo taken at18:34
  Photo taken inKyoto
Wed, Apr 19
Kyoto - Osaka
1. We took the tent with us to Kyoto and decided to camp out near Mt. Inari on a quiet parking lot. Can't get cheaper lodging this close to the city.
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  Photo taken at09:59
  Photo taken inKyoto
2. The garden surrounding Kyoto's Imperial Palace is impressive in it's own right, with wide gravel paths encircling the palace and other buildings.
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  Photo taken at13:38
  Photo taken inKyoto
3. Couldn't refuse when an eager palace employee offered to take a picture 😄 This is in front of the Hall of State Ceremonies, where enthronement ceremonies of some emperors were held.
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  Photo taken at14:30
  Photo taken inKyoto
4. Strolling garden in the imperial palace grounds.
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  Photo taken at14:43
  Photo taken inKyoto
5. Back in Osaka, there's one of two official Nintendo stores in Japan (the other one is in Tokyo). Didn't find anything worth carrying back all the way to Seoul, but interesting to visit nonetheless.
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  Photo taken at18:10
  Photo taken inOsaka
Thu, Apr 20
Osaka
1. Today we're leaving Osaka and start our way back to Korea. We were planning to take a direct ferry to Busan, but due to maintenance it's canceled for the whole month. Luckily there's a ferry that goes close to Shimonoseki, from where we can take another ferry to Korea.
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  Photo taken at16:00
  Photo taken inOsaka
2. This time bikes are laid on the floor, gently on blankets.
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  Photo taken at16:19
  Photo taken inOsaka
3. No sleeping on floors this time.
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  Photo taken at16:29
  Photo taken inOsaka
4. Bye bye Osaka
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  Photo taken at17:26
  Photo taken inOsaka
Fri, Apr 21
Moji - Shimonoseki
1. 300 yen (~2 euros) breakfast on the ferry. Not much variety but good value.
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  Photo taken at04:45
  Photo taken inMoji
2. 7th puncture in Japan...
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  Photo taken at06:41
  Photo taken inMoji
3. The city of Moji next to Shimonoseki is an old international port from the era when Japan first started to open up to the outside world in the 1800s. It's port architecture is a mix of beautiful old buildings and newer construction.
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  Photo taken at07:52
  Photo taken inMoji
4. Looking back from the Kyushu side to Shimonoseki, from where we started our Japan leg. Due to this small ferry detour we have now technically cycled on all of Japan's main islands except Hokkaido in the north.
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  Photo taken at08:18
  Photo taken inMoji
5. A pedestrian tunnel takes us from Moji (Kyushu side) to Shimonoseki (Honshu side).
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  Photo taken at08:43
  Photo taken inMoji
6. Camping in a local park for the day. The ferry to Busan leaves late in the evening, so there's some time to kill.
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  Photo taken at15:05
  Photo taken inShimonoseki
7. Back to sleeping on the floor... But again, nobody else in the room. I think they deliberately place foreigners to their own rooms.
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  Photo taken at18:44
  Photo taken inShimonoseki
Sat, Apr 22
Busan
1. Back in Busan
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  Photo taken at09:39
  Photo taken inBusan
2. Oskar's bike got a bit damaged during the boat ride (broken spokes), luckily an easy fix at a Busan bike mechanic.
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  Photo taken at11:45
  Photo taken inBusan
3. For some reason Koreans love to wear TV channel branded clothing when camping or outdoors. This mall has separate sections for Nat Geo, BBC Earth and Discovery.
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  Photo taken at13:57
  Photo taken inBusan
4. The trek back to Seoul starts now! This time we're following the east coast up to the border (or close to it). The schedule is a bit tight, so we might take a bus from there back to Seoul instead of cycling the whole distance. Let's see how it goes. The air quality right now is worse than ever before during the trip, so masks are a must-have outside.
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  Photo taken at14:45
  Photo taken inBusan
5. The side of Busan we didn't see last time. Big skyscrapers in the distance.
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  Photo taken at16:56
  Photo taken inBusan
6. Busan beaches at sunset
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  Photo taken at18:14
  Photo taken inBusan
7. Came across this oddity in the outskirts of Busan. As far as I can tell, there's no other connection to Finland but the name.
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  Photo taken at18:27
  Photo taken inBusan
Sun, Apr 23
Busan - Ulsan
1. Last night's campsite at the edge of a parking lot. Already took the tent down before remembering to take a picture 🙈
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  Photo taken at11:16
  Photo taken inBusan
2. To our relief the urban area seems to thin out and we're getting back more into nature.
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  Photo taken at12:24
  Photo taken inBusan
3. Korean bike paths are unquestionably better than Japan's, at least on the routes we've followed. Again there's a dedicated bike path in the countryside even though this isn't part of the national bike path network (yet?)
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  Photo taken at16:04
  Photo taken inUlsan
Mon, Apr 24
Ulsan - Gyeongju
1. Last night's campsite in a small forest near Ulsan.
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  Photo taken at09:14
  Photo taken inUlsan
2. A few Hyundais being loaded for export. Saw a lot of electric Ioniq 5's being loaded as well.
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  Photo taken at10:38
  Photo taken inUlsan
3. Hyundai seems important to Ulsan
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  Photo taken at12:39
  Photo taken inUlsan
4. The sea looks stormy and cold today.
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  Photo taken at13:21
  Photo taken inUlsan
5. Interesting solution for a steep uphill on a bike path
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  Photo taken at16:02
  Photo taken inGyeongju
6. Fukushima vibes at this nuclear power plant right on the coast of the Pacific. Although I'm sure they've prepared for the odd tsunami.
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  Photo taken at16:39
  Photo taken inGyeongju
7. Bikes by the sea
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  Photo taken at18:00
  Photo taken inGyeongju
8. 16000 wons per person (~11 euros) for this huge meal
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  Photo taken at18:54
  Photo taken inGyeongju
Tue, Apr 25
Gyeongju - Pohang
1. A rainy day for a change, the first one in Korea in fact. Could've done without it, but at least the air quality is improving.
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  Photo taken at11:29
  Photo taken inGyeongju
2. Wonder what they have on the menu?
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  Photo taken at12:51
  Photo taken inGuryong
3. A radar outpost on the coast. Similar outposts and barbed wire in some places are a subtle reminder that the Korean war never really ended.
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  Photo taken at13:32
  Photo taken inGuryong
4. Getting close to the "horn of Korea", a small peninsula jutting out from the main Korean peninsula.
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  Photo taken at13:42
  Photo taken inHomigot
5. At the tip of the horn
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  Photo taken at13:52
  Photo taken inHomigot
6. Some nice walkways down at the beach
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  Photo taken at15:16
  Photo taken inPohang
7. Not really happy to drudge though wet sand with the bike, but due to construction work this is the only way forward unless we'd go back a few kilometers.
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  Photo taken at15:43
  Photo taken inPohang
8. Coming into Pohang one can't help but notice the giant plumes rising from the city and the massive factory complexes surrounding the main roads. Many of these facilities belong to Posco (Pohang steel company), one of the world's largest steel producers.
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  Photo taken at18:19
  Photo taken inPohang
9. Tonight's campsite is under a bridge, which seems to be a good place to be when it's raining. Unfortunately the sounds of traffic passing overhead are really loud, so it's not looking to be a very peaceful night.
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  Photo taken at18:27
  Photo taken inPohang
Wed, Apr 26
Pohang - Yeongdeok
1. Today our goal is to get from Pohang to the starting location of the East Coast bike trail some 65km further north. The bike trail then continues all the way to the border.
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  Photo taken at11:02
  Photo taken inPohang
2. Seaside scenery near Pohang
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  Photo taken at16:25
  Photo taken inPohang
3. This is not a shopping mall, but a humble cafe on the beach 😅 Hard to understand how it can be profitable to operate large cafes like this in the middle of nowhere, similar places occur every few kilometers. Perhaps city people make the drive out here on the weekends.
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  Photo taken at17:38
  Photo taken inPohang
4. Kelp drying outside by the road. Stings a bit in the nose.
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  Photo taken at18:45
  Photo taken inPohang
5. 🦀
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  Photo taken at19:58
  Photo taken inYeongdeok
Thu, Apr 27
Yeongdeok - Uljin
1. Back to collecting stamps! Last night we made it to the first stamping location and camped out next to it at a rest stop. Today is looking to be a clear day, got to remember to wear sunscreen.
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  Photo taken at10:06
  Photo taken inYeongdeok
2. A bit hard to see in the picture, but there are three divers collecting something out of the water, probably oysters?
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  Photo taken at10:58
  Photo taken inYeongdeok
3. Now there's also fish drying outside right by the road. No strong smells with these ones.
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  Photo taken at11:24
  Photo taken inYeongdeok
4. Another 🦀
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  Photo taken at13:26
  Photo taken inUljin
5. More seaside scenery
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  Photo taken at17:00
  Photo taken inUljin
Fri, Apr 28
Uljin - Samcheok
1. Our breakfast menu has slowly settled on coffee + peanut butter & honey sandwiches, mostly to avoid washing any dishes in the mornings.
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  Photo taken at08:12
  Photo taken inUljin
2. Ocean dip on a hot day. The water's no longer cold, but I wouldn't call it warm either.
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  Photo taken at12:46
  Photo taken inSamcheok
3. The further north we go the more there are these closed coastal areas with barbed wire fence surroundings. Sometimes the route takes a considerable detour due to these military bases / areas.
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  Photo taken at14:34
  Photo taken inSamcheok
4. There's a famous park in Samcheok with various phallic-shaped sculptures. The brochure describes it as a 'place for good-humored laughter'. The pensioner groups touring it with us certainly seemed to get the best laugh out of it.
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  Photo taken at17:20
  Photo taken inSamcheok
Sat, Apr 29
Samcheok - Gangneung
1. Reconstruction of last night's campsite
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  Photo taken at10:33
  Photo taken inSamcheok
2. Today's lunch is fish intestine stew. Only fully realized what it was afterwards. While eating, I chose to believe the intestine bits are noodles, although the fish head in there should've been a giveaway. Still, it tasted good.
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  Photo taken at12:50
  Photo taken inSamcheok
3. Vibrant colors and smells in these lilac bushes ("syreeni" in Finnish)
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  Photo taken at14:18
  Photo taken inSamcheok
4. Another stamping location reached 🎉 This one's right by the beach. Not pictured here, but there's lots of people outside enjoying the weekend.
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  Photo taken at14:37
  Photo taken inSamcheok
5. Only Koreans would build a full-scale cruise ship on dry land 😄 This is a popular hotel / tourist destination near the city of Gangneung.
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  Photo taken at17:45
  Photo taken inGangneung
6. The last 20km of the day have been really tough because of strong headwinds and gusts. For motivation, there's supposed to be a nice camping ground and a well-liked burger restaurant at the end of this struggle.
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  Photo taken at19:07
  Photo taken inGangneung
Sun, Apr 30
Gangneung - Sokcho
1. This morning we're up early gathering stamps. It's still really windy but otherwise warm and sunny. The goal for today is to get to Sokcho and stay there for a couple of days, hopefully indoors.
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  Photo taken at10:55
  Photo taken inGangneung
2. Pine trees growing on the sandy beach. This could almost be in Åland or somewhere on the Finnish coast.
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  Photo taken at11:11
  Photo taken inGangneung
3. Today's culinary experience is tofu ice cream. I tried the plain tofu flavor, Oskar had pistachio. Really smooth texture and taste, would definitely try this again.
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  Photo taken at11:59
  Photo taken inGangneung
4. The barbed wire fencing is starting to get pretty close to the bike path
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  Photo taken at15:48
  Photo taken inYangyang
5. Arriving in Sokcho We'll be staying in a guesthouse for a few nights. The plan is to make a day trip to the border with the bikes and collect the last three stamps up there. We ought to also visit the nearby Seoraksan national park, home of South Korea's third-highest mountain. After Sokcho, we'll start our way back towards Seoul, probably at least partly by bus due to the high mountains in between.
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  Photo taken at17:36
  Photo taken inSokcho
6. Queuing for some famous Sokcho chicken
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  Photo taken at18:55
  Photo taken inSokcho
7. We bought 1kg of chicken each. Probably can't finish it all today, but the leftovers are a good snack tomorrow if we go to the mountains.
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  Photo taken at19:14
  Photo taken inSokcho
Mon, May 1
Sokcho
1. Today we're visiting the Seoraksan national park near Sokcho. Unlike usual, we took a bus to get here. We're going to take a short but steep hike up to a famous rock called Ulsanbawi. Nice to walk for a change 😄
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  Photo taken at13:59
  Photo taken inSokcho
2. Squirrels look a bit different than at home
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  Photo taken at14:17
  Photo taken inSokcho
3. The last part of the route is a bit steep, as it goes on top of the Ulsanbawi rock.
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  Photo taken at15:20
  Photo taken inSokcho
4. Looking back to where the route started. Only around 4km distance in total, but lots of elevation gain.
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  Photo taken at15:28
  Photo taken inSokcho
5. Now going down and looking back at Ulsanbawi
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  Photo taken at15:59
  Photo taken inSokcho
6. Now back down, going through a Buddhist temple near the park entrance. We'll take a bus back to Sokcho to prepare for tomorrow's cycling trip to the border.
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  Photo taken at17:26
  Photo taken inSokcho
Tue, May 2
Sokcho
1. Today we are going north to collect the three remaining stamps for the east coast bike path. We left our usual baggage behind since we will be returning to Sokcho tonight. It's going to be a bit of a longer day, around 120km.
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  Photo taken at10:18
  Photo taken inSokcho
2. First time seeing birches growing here
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  Photo taken at11:36
  Photo taken inGoseong
3. Turns out we can't get to the Unification Observatory by bike, they only allow visitors to pass this checkpoint by car. This here will be the northest point of our trip and seeing the DMZ will have to wait for another time. Still cool to get even this far, just by bike.
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  Photo taken at13:59
  Photo taken inGoseong
4. There are roadblocks prepared along major roads leading to the north, just in case. They even look like they are armed with explosives (orange plastic visible), but that seems a bit risky unattended like this, so probably not.
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  Photo taken at14:24
  Photo taken inGoseong
5. Last stamp of the east coast bike path 🥳 (we missed this one earlier)
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  Photo taken at17:57
  Photo taken inSokcho
Wed, May 3
Sokcho - Gapyeong
1. Today we're taking a bus from Sokcho to Chuncheon (about halfway across to Seoul) and continue cycling from there. We could technically cycle all the way to Seoul from here, but there is a large mountain range in between so it probably wouldn't be very fun with all our baggage.
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  Photo taken at12:12
  Photo taken inSokcho
2. There's yet another well-maintained bike route from Chuncheon to Seoul. Some more stamping to do!
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  Photo taken at16:12
  Photo taken inChuncheon
3. This bike route follows a smaller river that merges to the larger Han river flowing through Seoul.
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  Photo taken at17:25
  Photo taken inChuncheon
4. Obvious we're getting back to the big city when there's a dedicated tunnel for bikes. We'll camp at a rest stop at the end of the tunnel.
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  Photo taken at19:33
  Photo taken inGapyeong
Thu, May 4
Gapyeong - Seoul
1. Didn't expect to get to Paris today
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  Photo taken at10:38
  Photo taken inGapyeong
2. Closing in on the end of the Chuncheon segment of the bike path and getting back on familiar routes. The rest of the route is the same one we used going from Seoul to Busan.
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  Photo taken at13:07
  Photo taken inHanam
3. Our first campground out of Seoul 😄 Looking a bit greener compared to when we were here last time in March.
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  Photo taken at14:15
  Photo taken inHanam
4. Lotte Tower rising out of the horizon. Looks like we're back in Seoul, after nearly 2500km of cycling 🥳
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  Photo taken at18:13
  Photo taken inSeoul
5. Here was the first cherry tree in full bloom I saw when we started out. Not so pink anymore 😄
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  Photo taken at18:29
  Photo taken inSeoul
6. Bit of trouble finding a place to sleep. All hotels are booked due to a national holiday weekend, and all campgrounds are reservation only. There's still one place we haven't tried, let's hope they let us in.
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  Photo taken at20:06
  Photo taken inSeoul
Fri, May 5
Seoul
1. The last place we tried was also reservation only, but they took pity on us since it was so late and they saw we were on bikes. Thanks to them we got to camp for free on a reserved spot for which no one had shown up. Today it's going to rain the whole day. We have to camp all the way to Sunday due to the holiday weekend (no room availability anywhere). Let's see what we figure out for the next two nights 😅
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  Photo taken at09:33
  Photo taken inSeoul
2. We decided to use this rainy day to visit the National Museum of Korea. Interesting walkthrough of the Korean peninsula's history. This golden crown is from the opulent Silla kingdom in the first millenium AD.
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  Photo taken at13:34
  Photo taken inSeoul
3. Since it's going to be a rainy night, we'll try to stay in a 24/7 Korean sauna (jjimjilbang) tonight. Based on online reviews many of the saunas closed down during covid, but we found one that's still supposed to be open all night.
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  Photo taken at18:13
  Photo taken inSeoul
4. We got into the jjimjilbang 👍 This place is like a small family resort, with a spa area (pools and a sauna), dry saunas (where you go with pyjamas), an arcade, restaurant, lounge area etc. There's also a sleeping area where we will spend the night.
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  Photo taken at20:43
  Photo taken inSeoul
Sat, May 6
Seoul
1. Well, turns out the sauna wasn't open 24 hours, even though all their info screen said so. We stayed in the sleeping room until 22:30 but scared the owner who came by and thought everyone had left. He got a bit flustered since apparently the place had closed at 22:00, and we quickly left the place. We had been a bit worried when no one else had stayed in the sleeping room past ~21:30, but we thought it's just a slow night. Apparently not 😅 Back in the rain, we grabbed the tent and pitched it to a nearby park. Got a good night's sleep anyway, but feeling a bit disappointed since we didn't get to try all the saunas (planned to go in the morning). Maybe we will get another chance yet.
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  Photo taken at10:24
  Photo taken inSeoul
Sun, May 7
Seoul
1. Yesterday we spent most of the day in a Starbucks waiting for the rain to end in the late afternoon. In the evening we cycled a bit more north close to the Bukhansan national park. We camped out here for the last time this trip, as tonight we will finally get to sleep inside again 😄
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  Photo taken at09:50
  Photo taken inSeoul
2. Today we're visiting the Bukhansan national park and hiking on top of it's highest peak, Baegundae.
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  Photo taken at14:12
  Photo taken inSeoul
3. The path up the mountain is quite rocky and difficult
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  Photo taken at15:32
  Photo taken inSeoul
4. Made it to the top! Cool views down to the city around the park
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  Photo taken at16:03
  Photo taken inSeoul
5. Going back down feels a bit treacherous in this terrain. Thankfully there are guardrails in place in the difficult spots.
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  Photo taken at16:23
  Photo taken inSeoul
6. Views to the west side of the mountain
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  Photo taken at16:32
  Photo taken inSeoul
7. Made it to the guesthouse were staying at for the next few days. Nice to sleep indoors again for a change. This also concludes the cycling portion of the trip 🥲 Total cycling distance was 2374km, give or take a few kms that I forgot to track. Goes to show that long cycling trips are no problem even for amateurs, as long as you take it day by day.
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  Photo taken at20:29
  Photo taken inSeoul
Mon, May 8
Seoul
1. Today's been a (rare) rest day. Went to a short bike ride along the Cheonggyecheon stream, looks to be popular among commuter cyclists.
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  Photo taken at18:34
  Photo taken inSeoul
Tue, May 9
Seoul
1. Some more rest and touristing today. This boat is in the King Sejong & Admiral Yi museum in the city center. It's a smaller replica of the famous turtleship that was used to beat the Japanese navy in key battles during their invasion in the 16th century. It is covered with spikes to prevent enemies from jumping on the ship.
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  Photo taken at13:03
  Photo taken inSeoul
2. John Wick 4 in a cinema near Dongdaemun Design Plaza
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  Photo taken at20:04
  Photo taken inSeoul
3. Some more riding around with the bikes before packing them up. We'll be flying home on Thursday.
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  Photo taken at23:25
  Photo taken inSeoul
Wed, May 10
Seoul
1. Last rest day in Seoul before packing up and going home. Walked by the royal palace just in time to see the guard change.
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  Photo taken at14:11
  Photo taken inSeoul
2. This kid is having fun 😄
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  Photo taken at15:35
  Photo taken inSeoul
3. Met up with Oskar's old co-workers for dinner and got to taste some more Korean dishes we hadn't tried yet. This here is silkworm soup. Looks dubious, but the worms were crunchy and tasty 👌
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  Photo taken at19:38
  Photo taken inSeoul
Thu, May 11
Seoul
1. Packing up the bikes 🥲
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  Photo taken at09:57
  Photo taken inSeoul
2. For our last meal in Seoul we got to try a dumpling place with an impressive track record. Open since 1966, the place has been recognized by Michelin Bib Gourmand every year since 2017.
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  Photo taken at13:23
  Photo taken inSeoul
3. The menu has just a few, maybe five, items. We had noodle soup and dumplings. Needless to say it was delicious. Proper send-off from Korea 🍜
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  Photo taken at13:30
  Photo taken inSeoul
4. All packed up and ready to go home 🇫🇮
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  Photo taken at16:06
  Photo taken inSeoul
Fri, May 12
Finland
1. After a 13-hour flight over the North Pole we're now flying over central Finland and will be landing soon. Thanks for following us on this trip! It was fun sharing daily highlights (and lows) with everyone. Now onto planning the next adventure 🫡
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  Photo taken at10:32
  Photo taken inFinland