Yeoju to Chungju (66 km)

We have now been asked three times how old we are. The first was yesterday when a young man at Dumulmeori observed that our cycling is a “happy end of life”. This was a bit disconcerting, but we know what he meant. Today, at the top of a hill after a steep climb, we chatted with a couple of cyclists who appeared to be our age. He, in fact, was 75 and his wife was 72.  He told us he has cycled from Seoul to Busan every year for the past 7 years. Again, in the restaurant this evening, the proprietor asked Paul his age when we told him that we were cycling to Busan!

On the way to see  Silleuksu Temple this morning, we were cycling on the sidewalk of a narrow street. We were slightly concerned when a Police car stopped next to us and the officer rolled down his window. But, he apparently just wanted to say hello and wished us luck on our trip!  We noticed a lot of activity on the way to the temple and saw a sign indicating a World ceramic festival was about to open. Yeoju is known as a major center of contemporary South Korean ceramics, and hosts the World Ceramic Exposition every year.