Leg 9: Ilsan Beach to Jeongja Harbour

Once again there was no sign indicating the end of leg 8 and the beginning of leg 9. So I guessed. I decided that outside this grocery store would be a fine place to say, “And here is where the previous leg ends and the next one begins.” I thought it was a reasonable sort of spot...

The end of leg 8 had brought me to the looming shadow of a large Hyundai plant. I didn't want to stay in that shadow overnight, so I started off on the next leg, a long-ish 19 or so kilometres. But I figured it would be worth it. First though, I had to get past that plant. It went on.

And on...

And on...

This sign made me laugh, being in the virtual shadow of that plant. Ulsan the Ecopolis. I think they need to look up what ecological might mean. I don't think the environs of a large industrial plant, located only a few kilometres from another industrial wasteland, is in that definition.

But it did come to an end, and I was back into the natural areas that are so much nicer. There was a lot more of the crashing waves on rocks along the coast.

And views down on the shore...

And walks through the trees on hills...

And viewpoints that actually made sense.

There was also a historical site at a temple on a hilltop. In times long ago, the best way to send messages about marauding Japanese fleets (and presumably more terrestrial threats like marauding Mongol hordes, but they don't get talked about much in favour of those dastardly Japanese) was to set up signal fires. They would send up smoke signals. The next station would see the signal and make there own, and a warning about those marauders would travel far and fast. The signal spots were usually some kind of rock tower on a prominent hilltop. I assume the trees were not there during its times of service.

There were also a lot of murals on walls in villages I would walk through.  They seemed to want to beautify their areas.  They were nice.

After that, I passed through another mountain area, but quickly and without time for photos. The time was passing quickly and I was in a bit of a race so I wouldn't be trying to navigate a forest area on a hillside trail in too much darkness. I made it to Jeongja Harbour as darkness fell. I was so tired and sore that I settled for a motel that was quite expensive but had an ocean view (that I was able to appreciate the next morning).

I searched long and hard through the harbour area for a sign showing the end of the leg, but I couldn't find it. I was beginning to think they had given up alerting hikers to the terminal points of the legs. But it was also dark and I wasn't sure. Maybe I just couldn't see it in the dark and in my exhausted state.