Leg 1 (more or less): Oryukdo to Haeundae Beach

Mid-January in Seosan brought some cool weather. People here always complain about the weather. It never seems to be just right for anyone. Actually that seems to be somewhat universal. But the temperature went down to minus 10 Celsius, or something like that. And it was my vacation from work. I don't know why I didn't choose somewhere warm to spend my time. Actually I do know. I would have had to put my cat in distress. I found her on the street as a kitten and she had apparently already had a fairly traumatic time in her first month of life. She is mortally afraid of being outside. She protests loudly when I to take her out. If I need to take her to the vet, she will hide in my clothes where she can't see the world and she feels safe.

I went home to Canada last summer for a visit and had to make arrangements for her. I found a vet who puts up animals while owners are away. I was told he loves cats. And he did seem to be very good to cats. I left her with him. When I got back two weeks later, she was in a darkened cage because she had been going wild. She had even bit the vet so that he required some kind of medical treatment. She had not been eating her food and I got back about two-thirds of the cat I had originally taken. Poor thing. I felt very bad and decided I couldn't do that to her (or to a vet) again. It kind of limits the choices I have for vacation time.

Since I haven't really mixed too much with the expat community in Seosan, I didn't really have anyone who might come and mind her while I took a break from Korea. So I found a programmable feeder and set it up so I could be away for a few days without worrying that she would starve. I filled up bowls and bowls of water for her and headed off for a Korean vacation.

Since I wasn't completely sure how well things would be marked on this trail, I went down to the start point on the evening I arrived. The start was well marked and there was an information booth for the trail. I got a map and I saw the amazing sunset for the area as well.

I set off the next morning, destination Haeundae Beach, about 20 kilometres away. It was a chill, brisk morning. But that meant clear air and a nice view of the islands. Oryuk means 5 or 6 in Korean. There are five islands here at high tide (or is it low tide), and 6 at the other tide.

These people have a great view over the islands. Of course there is not much else. There is a school nearby, but no other services. Those are around the corner and down the hill from here. I couldn't decide if they would be expensive apartments because of the view or inexpensive because of the lack of anything nearby. Probably exclusiveness wins and it's expensive to live here.

After the start, the trail winds around the hillside towards the Gwangalli area and one of the beaches. There is also a big-ass bridge that curves around the bay.

Then it follows into the Haeundae district where it goes past a yacht club and then the Busan movie area.

It finally goes around a park on a point and into the Haeundae Beach area. The end of the first leg of the is somewhere near the end of the beach. Or maybe it's up the hill a bit. Or maybe it's along the hillside somewhere. I couldn't find the sign marking the end of the first leg, so I ended up into the first part of the second leg before I found I was too tired to continue. Besides I was meeting a friend and so I just stopped after a while at what seemed a convenient sort of place to stop

Hence the title of this: The first leg (more or less).