28 November 2022
Tiny hike
Ansan from Dongnimmun station
When I woke up, the skies were black and the roads were wet. My first thought was, no hike today.
Then I went outside, and it was not raining, and I could see a bit of a gap in the cloud.
Maybe I can go for a short hike. A quick bit of research found a small mountain near me that I had never climbed before, even though I had walked around it's base the last time I was here on the wheelchair accessible walking track, so that is where I went.
The views were fantastic, so good that I took the same photo a few times from slightly different elevations. It was windy, rained once for 10 seconds, but then not again until just now when I got back to my hotel. However I made the right decision, if I had of gone on a longer hike I would still be a couple of hours from the end and getting very wet.
After the small mountain, I then walked back through the city and half way back up the Seoul tower, because that is where the road went, and I was constantly waiting for rain. Then I just circled around a bit until it started raining, and went back to my hotel. The most matter of fact update of all time.
There are protesters near the Chinese embassy in Myeongdong, they are not always there, obviously this is part of the drama that is unfolding in China at the moment.
Now for a lot of similar pics of the great view.
Over the other side of that bridge (which is across an 8 lane road you can't see here) is a mountain I have climbed up before, with the wall on it. You can even go up there at night and it was where I thought I might go today for a short rainy hike, but it is closed on Monday's. You have to go through a security check point to go up there as it has a view of the 'blue house'. So.... maybe today was not the last hike and tomorrow will be another small hike?
The first part of my small outing went up a road, I started looking for more interesting ways, as there are many paths up to the top of Ansan.
That's better. And the sun came out.
First view of similar views of Seoul tower. Clear, great clouds.
I was glad my rocky path was not wet at this point.
A view along another valley between mountains.
I believe that is Gangnam.
It was not far to the top. Probably only 45 minutes from the station to the top.
Second view of similar view of Seoul tower. Clouds were better in first view.
Second view of valley between mountains.
Third view of similar view of Seoul tower. This is the last one, from the top.
The top was a smoke signal station, the 2nd to last one. The last one was on top of the hill with the Seoul tower on it. Apparently, these were kept functional until 1997.
Sun came out again on my way down.
Dark clouds created threatening twilight.
It rained again briefly after I came back down, big heavy drops, like a tropical shower. Also it was very warm, On Wednesday it is supposed to be a low of -11c and a high of -4c. That seems unlikely.
I started walking up a hill again. Those are definitely rain clouds.
I had walked all the way back to Seoul tower, proving that you do not need smoke signals. It is actually not that far, maybe 45 minutes of walking.
Final pic for today, a very familiar view down the main road from the lower cable car station of Seoul tower. It is supposed to rain all evening, so I might have to find a big shopping centre to pace around while moist.