Day 34 - Gyeongju Bike Tour - July 28

Today’s mission was simple: bike around Bomun Lake, out in the newer part of Gyeongju. The clerk at the hotel looked at me like I’d announced I was cycling into the sun. Apparently only a madman goes outside in this heat, let alone for “fun.”

Ava agreed with him and boycotted the plan entirely.

  

I parked her at Cafe Aden — fittingly sharing a name with my boy — and let her enjoy the air‑conditioning while I enjoyed the privilege of paying for it. The desserts were excellent, the Wi‑Fi was strong, and the only thing that truly suffered was my wallet.

Bomun Lake

The bike rental was 5,000 won — cheaper than Ava’s latte — so expectations were already modest. My trusty steed did his best, but the poor lad was in rough shape: a rusty chain, cranks sized for a child, gear ratios chosen by a prankster. And, of course, no brakes. Fortunately, I’ve still got enough rubber on my shoes to handle that particular oversight..

There wasn’t a soul around. The only signs of life were the cicadas, chirping loud enough to be deafening, and the occasional distant scream drifting over from Gyeongju World, the local amusement park.

     

Geoncheon-eup

We packed our bag and headed out to the coastal town of Donghae. From there we took a bus to the nearby township of Geoncheon-eup  to catch a train. The station had bullet trains, but unfortunately none of them stopped in the direction we needed.

I tried to film one, but they’re so ridiculously fast that by the time I blinked, it was halfway to Seoul.. They’re incredibly loud too — the first one roared past with enough force to make me jump.

Donghae

  

From the train station we took the inner city bus to Donghae to stay at Every Six (베리식스 호텔). 

Hard place to find as the entrance was cleverly hidden behind a dark corridor. Can you spot Ava?

  

It was late and all the restaurants were already closed except for, you guessed it, BBQ and fried chicken.

The table had a buzzer. Need something? Just give it a press. It’s surprisingly convenient, especially when the entire staff has vanished into the kitchen to watch Korean soap operas!