Day #11 - 12: End of the line...North Korea!

Well, this trip has just gone by too darn fast. We're passing through the great metropolis of Seoul-Incheon but it doesn't feel like it because we're riding along the river and out of the traffic and worse, traffic lights.

The number of other cyclists has increased similarly how when we started the trip there were a ton of them due to the holiday weekend. 

I wake up to the children staring at me like this.

Holly is riding down to get the next stamp in our telephone booth hunt!

This bridge's purpose is only for pedestrians. Isn't that wild they'd build something this grandiose and not intend to have a single car on it?

✅✅✅

We only got a few more telephone booths to find to get that 100 grand!

Look at that neat bridge. They're like the Japan of bridges.

Time to take a breather at this nice park!

Sweetest children ever. And I'm biased, too.

I was coming back from The Can when I heard Holly shout, "Kimball, help!!!" And when I got there she said, "Wait, take a picture, first!" Joaquim had a huge blowout. Again? you're thinking. That's how you live for the future. My motto is I have to preserve this moment.

I love to match. And I love conquering a tough uphill like we just did here. Even if I have to push my heavy +150 lb load.

Stamp, stamp, stamp!

There were several tunnels in the Seoul region, which was nice because it was starting to get hot (like 75 degrees F) and the tunnels were 20 degrees cooler.

We stopped by this local restaurant to enjoy dinner. A mom and son were working together and she offered to hold him while we ate! I love that about Korea.

"Joaquim, let's go wake up Mama!"
"Yes!"

Our campsite by the river. They were playing a bunch of old 70s American music and it felt like I was back in the Deep South again.

Aren't these telephone booths fun? Yes.

The Korean kids were practicing their English with the Bean.

This park had a 7/11 next to it which was a relief because that chocolate milk we got tasted so good! Sometimes I wonder what biking would have been like in the 80s and then I realize it wasn't as good in some ways. Case in point.

Why does it feel like they are stacking these telephone booths all at the end?

These recumbents are getting out of control. Look how low to the ground he is. Does he want to die?

I love the tall buildings. But you already know that.

I hope we didn't forget one...

They even got rock climbing walls set up at these parks. "wOw [insert country name] rEaLlY hAs EvErYtHiNg!"

Sometimes the ink is a too dry for the stamp, so I told Holly to add a bit of water to it. Can't take any chances these days.

Uh oh! A flat less than 10 miles before the end! Dagnabbit!

Yesterday, I noticed the threads were showing on our trailer tires. We just bought them new a year ago for the same issue and they're already wearing out. Holly said it's because of the weight that's causing them to not last a long time. Hopefully, these new ones will be better. There was a bike shop a mile away from where the flat occured, so I hightailed it there for a replacement.

When I see a windmill, I get so excited because there's nothing better than seeing one of these giants in the sky just working it.

"We beat it!"

There's our route we just did.

Last telephone booth! Let's make sure we got all the stamps so we can become filthy rich!

Stupid metric system. Why would you measure the length of a country in meters? Idiots.

Sleeping good after a succesful trip done well.

The kids like to play with the rocks. I will be sending them into the mines soon enough.

It's been a struggle to find bike boxes so we can pack up our bikes for the flight home but this shop finally had them.

Across the river is North Korea. Something wild that they do is play the eeriest, creepiest sounds from huge speakers directed towards South Koreans just to get under their skin. I read about it several months back and made an oath I would hear it for myself. It's like something from a horror film.

Had to be there!