나홀로 국토종주, 동해안 355km 완주했습니다 [마지막 편]

나홀로 국토종주, 동해안 355km 완주했습니다 [마지막 편]

It’s sunrise right now, so of course I can’t skip filming it. Starting the day watching the sunrise— Day 3 of the East Coast ride. Let’s get started now. Let’s go~ First, I’m heading to the Gyeongpodae stamping center right ahead. It’s literally right there. Like one minute away? For today too, no accidents, no flats—fingers crossed. Let’s make it safe and fun. By the way, it’s super warm today. So warm that— it’s going to be pretty hot. Because all I brought is thermal tops. My bib tights aren’t thermal, so I wore those yesterday and today. But for tops I only have thermal. So yeah… It’s going to be hot. The place I stayed at last night was really kind. They let me keep my bike safely in the basement storage room. They even let me use the washing machine, and lent me a drying rack. And when they saw me walking around in cleats without slippers, the front desk noticed and lent me slippers too. You don’t see that often. So kind. Highly recommend. 📍Gyeongpodae Stamping Center
It’s literally right in front of Gyeongpo Beach. Nice~ Ah, it’s cold. The ink pad is completely hardened. Ink pads are essential on long-distance routes! I take back what I said. It *is* cold. Yep, cold. Jumunjin Beach. Seriously? Even the bike path turned into sand? Let’s walk the bike here. Ooh, the sound of the waves is so nice. I’ve seen enough of the ocean for three days to get tired of it, but it’s still beautiful. How about you guys— mountains or the ocean? As for me, apparently my four pillars say I lack the “water” element. So I’ve been told many times that living near water would be good for me. My mouth is freezing. Maybe that’s why, but riding the East Coast while looking at the ocean nonstop— the views are gorgeous, and even though the climbs were tough, the scenery saved me. So pretty. The road from Gyeongpodae to Yangyang— totally flat, not a single climb. So I was very, very happy. Oh, there it is! Arrived at the Yangyang Jigyeong stamping center! 📍Jigyeong Park Stamping Center
This ink pad is probably dry too. Yeah, the ink here is pretty dried out. So here’s the first page, and the second page completed. Now I’ll stamp the final page of the East Coast bike route. Ugh, it didn’t stamp nicely! Now I’m heading to the restaurant I found. I was checking the map yesterday, and it had that “good food” vibe. So I’m going there. Jigyeong Park → Dongho Beach
It’s about 11 km from here. The place I’m going to serves cheonggukjang and kimchi stew as their main dishes. So depending on what I crave more, I’ll have one for breakfast. Yesterday when I had a proper meal for breakfast— compared to the days I just grabbed something from a convenience store— having a real meal makes such a difference for long-distance rides. Your condition is just totally different. So breakfast today is rice again. Koreans need rice! But did you know? I brought extra cycling socks to give to people if I met anyone doing the East Coast ride. But I haven’t met a single person. Was it yesterday? I did see someone cutting across the road, but I haven’t met anyone actually doing the full route. How is that even possible? I’m starving so I’m eating one now. I thought it’d be closer, but it’s farther than expected. I still have a total of 120 km to ride today. Riding 30km on an empty stomach? Yeah… that was reckless. But the crazy part is— the restaurant was literally right across the street. Right there. It’s right there, see? How do I even get over there? Well… Let’s just go where the map tells me to. Feels like I’ll have to go back and forth. (Forced positivity)
If I go the long way, breakfast might taste even better. How do I cross over there? I don’t see a crosswalk. Seriously? To get there, you really have to go all the way around. You *can* use the overpass if you want, but with a heavy bike and wearing cleats, going over an overpass feels a bit dangerous. So I’ll just take the long way, even if it takes time. Sadly… I wanted to eat cheonggukjang. But they only serve soondubu for single orders. So soondubu it is. Still, it looks delicious. I’m excited. I went the long way around… and it was freezing. Mmm~ So good. I think they make the tofu themselves here. Mmm~ It’s really good. If you prefer something lightly seasoned and healthier, I recommend the HyuHyuAm Rest Stop where I’m eating right now. Meow~ It climbed onto my bike. So cute. It even followed me to the restroom earlier. Want some pats on the bum? Cats always recognize their human servants. Come here. Sorry, I don’t have any treats today. I’ve been chosen again… Bye~ Bye bye~ I have to go now! Is it eyeing my bike…? Bye now! Bye~ There’s actually one thing that really annoyed me. When I went to the restaurant earlier, I didn’t have to take the long way around at all. There was a crosswalk right before the restaurant. But guess what— Kakao Maps sent me on a weird route again. But the food was amazing! Super healthy and super delicious. Even the rice was so good I honestly wanted to eat two bowls. But then I thought I might need the restroom… so I stuck to one bowl. Alright, now let’s head back to the certification center. What the— Push the bike? If you insist, I’ll push it! Wow… This is insane. What’s the gradient? I really want to know the percentage. This is wild. (Heave-ho, heave-ho) There’s an event going on, so the bike path is blocked. This *is* a bike path though… Is this real? Guess I’ll take the road. What is this, a swamp? They said Donghae got a lot of rain last week. Maybe that’s why. (Scary main road appears) Can I even go through here? (Thankfully, it’s quiet) I have to basically find my own path. The road is terrible. I’m just checking the map and heading in the right general direction. Still, I think this… this might actually be a bike route. It says it here! East Coast Bike Path. Found it, found it! Dongho Beach. 📍Dongho Beach
I’ve arrived at Dongho Beach. The stamp was a bit hard to see, so I took two photos. Now I’ll head toward Yeonggeumjeong. Heading up to Sokcho now. On the way to the next certification center, I’m gonna stop by this café for a quick caffeine shot. I usually drink two coffees a day, but since I cut down while cycling, I’ve been craving it like crazy. Let me go grab some coffee. Arrived at the cafe I bookmarked. First coffee of the day! Cappuccino. Looks so good. Wow, this place knows coffee. That woke me right up. Dongho Beach → Yeonggeumjeong Now from Yangyang, I’m heading up toward Sokcho. When I looked it up earlier, it said that Daejin Bus Terminal doesn’t accept reservations. But after digging more, turns out you *can* reserve. The bus I want is at 4:30pm. 4:30pm. There are 17 seats left right now. I didn’t book it though, because you never know— too many variables. But on the Goseong Bus Terminal website, you can make a reservation too. So if you need it, just search “Goseong Bus Terminal” on Naver and book your ticket there. It gets confusing here, so I’d better follow the blue line. This is a bit confusing. The blue line runs between the houses like this. Just keep tracking that line. But if you zone out for a second, you’ll completely lose it. I actually came from Yangyang to Sokcho before on my minivelo. That time I had some dakgangjeong and stuff. Feels different on a road bike, right? Oh right, this road existed! Oh! The deck here is maintained so well. Nice, nice. Oh, and this path is not only a bike path but also part of the East Coast trekking trail. So you can cycle like me, or you can run or walk it like a trekking route. It’s so well made, right? You can tell it’s really well maintained. Uphill! Let’s go! This section felt tough on the minivelo, but it’s way easier on the road bike! Yep, this is the bike path. It’s covered in sand though. Careful, careful. Both sides show the bike path sign, so it’s a bit confusing. Thankfully the one I chose is the correct route. The bike lane is really narrow here. But since pedestrians use it too, there were actually quite a lot of people. So I had to slow down and ride more carefully. Just one of those sections. So if you come through here, please be mindful of pedestrians and enjoy the ride a bit slower. This spot might be a bit tricky to find. It’s kind of hidden. And I’ve arrived. 📍Yeonggeumjeong Certification Center (Don’t forget to close the ink pad!) It’s only 5 km to Bongpo Beach Certification Center. Let’s head there. Finally Goseong-gun! Sokcho is behind me now. I’ve officially entered Goseong. Will I stop seeing the ocean in Goseong? Not sure. This is the bike path, right? The paint is all peeling off. But the blue line here is super bold and clear. They must’ve repainted it. Last stretch— not much left until the Unification Observatory Certification Center. Let’s go! Whoa, that startled me. Good thing the detour is clearly marked like this. For a second I thought I had to ride on the main road—scared me. It wants me to go this way? Not easy… (The detour is unpaved.) Goseong Beach is so calm and nice. It’s really so calm. It feels like I’m riding on a white sand beach. Dubai vibes? This feeling of crossing a white sand beach! I love it! But I should still be careful with the sand, right? (Almost slipped) That was dangerous. Riding across the sand felt amazing, but… Gotta watch out for slipping. Yeonggeumjeong → Bongpo Beach 📍Bongpo Beach
Hello! Wow, now I literally have just two left. Only two more to go. Let’s go! But there’s still quite a distance. The last two alone are over 50km. Bongpo Beach → North Korea Railroad Bridge It’s kind of an awkward time for lunch… And I’m not that hungry. So I’ll just have a Snickers and a Powerade. Wow. The sunlight is insane today. Gotta protect my skin. They say UV rays are the main cause of aging. So when I’m riding like this… I really need to be extra diligent with sunscreen. So I reapplied a ton of sunscreen, and with Powerade and Snickers I’m recharged and ready to go. Since I only had a light lunch, I’m feeling pretty drained now. I’ve entered the Peace Nuri bike path. It really feels like I’m closer to North Korea. As soon as I got into Goseong, there were only a few cars, and I feel like I’m the only person around. There are barely any people here in Goseong. Hello~ I’ve seriously seen less than ten bikes today. It’s probably under ten, really. That’s why it feels extra nice to see someone. I knew the East Coast route was less popular than the Incheon–Busan cross-country ride… but I didn’t expect it to be *this* empty. Like… I haven’t met a *single* person going my direction. Just a few riders passing by in the opposite direction. Just a few of them— and that’s it! I think I saw exactly one person doing the full cross-country. Going the opposite way. Comparing Busan vs. East Coast routes, the East Coast feels way more open, and you get that amazing ocean view. Plus the coastal roads go on forever, so personally I find it more fun. There are way more uphills than the Busan route, and tons of rolling hills, so it does feel harder… but compared to that difficulty, there are plenty of convenience stores for supplies, accommodations are easy, and restaurants are everywhere. Overall, I’m super satisfied with the East Coast route. It’s more fun. It’s like a feast for your eyes. But unlike the Busan route, it seems like not many people ride here… so it can get a bit lonely?! But still, it’s so fun. You get to ride lost in your thoughts, and when you’re bored you can listen to music— I’m really enjoying it. I’m in trouble… Trouble… A crisis has arrived. They blocked the whole bike path for construction. They told me to go back, so I did— but the road behind is blocked too. I went back and… the workers said I actually need to go *forward* through the construction. (Going in circles)
Where am I supposed to go? It’s blocked here though? * You have to go that way.
* Okay, thank you. Looks like I need to cross the road. Is there a crosswalk? * Yes, there is.
* Thank you. This *is* the bike path though… I wish they had at least put up a detour sign. How am I supposed to get through? (The road is full of dump trucks + fast cars)
There’s no sidewalk or bike path here. I guess I’ll enter the village first… then turn right and look for a bike path connection. Something like that. (Thankfully found the bike path) Coming this way… a lake opened up in front of me. A new view again. Because of the construction section, I had to detour a lot— like, *a lot*— and finally made it back to the beach side. It feels nice to see the ocean again. I don’t have many hours left to enjoy the ocean view now. Wow, I finally broke 100 km. This way? Left side? The route is really confusing from here. There’s almost no blue bike lane marking now. There’s barely any guidance. So I need to look at the map more carefully from now on. Ah… going past 100 km is starting to hit me. 📍Bukhan Railroad Bridge There wasn’t any uphill here, but it was honestly the toughest. Anyway, let’s get going again. Still quite a long way left. Up to this point, I kept getting lost over and over. It’s already 2:30 p.m. Now I’m heading to the final stop—Tongil Observatory. Finally the last one. I can see the finish line. Let’s go! Let’s go! As I get closer to Goseong, the farther inland I go, the more rural it gets, so the roads feel a lot less maintained. So I need to watch the road surface a bit more carefully. There are a lot more uneven sections than I expected. Dirt… (Convenience store again) I’m hungry, but there aren’t many options here, so I’ll just grab a Snickers. I hope this is today’s final uphill! Whoa— It’s not over. Momentum! Snickers booster! Done. Wow— Oh— There’s the final massive uphill. For safety, I’m going to walk the bike here. It looks way too dangerous. What is this climb?! Why is it so steep? Why is the last checkpoint located up here? Why is it *this* high? Honestly, this route feels like it’s for MTB riders. Is this even the right way? Is this correct? Is this the path? I’ll just keep going. The final Tongil Observatory is in a ridiculously difficult spot. Why is it even here? Please— build a proper bike path here. For some people, this is the starting point, and for others, the final checkpoint. A road like this definitely needs improvement. Looks like I’m on the right track. 1.7 km left, but the road is super dangerous. There are so many loose rocks on the downhill— feels like you could slip easily. Careful, careful… If any of you plan to do the East Coast route, please be careful around this section. Thanks to cycling, I get to visit Tongil Observatory too. Feels like it should be around here. Where’s the checkpoint stamp? Is it hidden? Up there? Looks cool. Thank you. Arrived! Everyone, I’ll stamp the final checkpoint and wrap it up. 📍Tongil Observatory Feeling good! (So many stickers)
Finally made it to the last checkpoint. Done! Now I’ll head to the intercity bus terminal. The one I’m going to is near Daejin Port— the Daejin Intercity Bus Terminal. Still 17 seats left. At the Daejin Intercity Bus Terminal, the only bus heading toward Seoul goes to the East Seoul Terminal. So keep that in mind. Now, today’s final ocean view! Honestly, I’ve seen it so much these past three days. But it’s still beautiful. And with that, I’ve completed my 2-night, 3-day East Coast ride. If I had to compare, the first day was the hardest. Then the second day, and today was definitely the easiest. Well, not “easy”… but today had the least steep climbs. There just weren’t many uphills, which was nice. The first day had a lot of really steep climbs. And the second day had its share too, but not nearly as much as the first. I think the weather also played a big part. It was freezing on day one, with strong winds, and the temperature dropped a lot. Since I’m weak against the cold, it felt even tougher. Just like during the Busan route ride, whenever a long-distance ride ends, the walk to catch the final bus always feels incredibly long. I just want to hurry home. I just want to go home and rest. I’ve arrived at the Daejin Intercity Bus Terminal. Wow, this terminal is really small. So before the year ends, I completed this 3-day solo challenge— riding the full 355 km East Coast route. I did it! And you can do it too. This journey wasn’t easy, with the freezing winds and low temperatures, but it was truly meaningful. Now—let’s go for the Grand Slam next year! If you’re curious about my future rides, please subscribe and like the video.

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