Day 11: Onions

Alteurreu Airfield to Chagwido Port

Distance: 40km

Once again, the birds make for a wonderful morning. Drinking my coffee to the sound of the birds, makes it taste even better. 

I cross the defunct airfield and therefore am quite surprised to see a powered paraglider firing up it's noisy engine for a short flight. With a long day ahead of me, I do not wait for it to depart but rather continue through the somewhat depressing town of Hamo. It's a comparably remote stretch that follows so I buy some Kimbap (a triangle shaped rice dish with all kind of fillings) that should keep me going.

It's raining as I leave town, climb a mountain, walk through forests. Not a persistent rain, no wind, no cold. Manageable. Nevertheless, the roads are looking like it has been pouring down for hours. No idea how they look like in the rainy season.

I can smell it in the air. It's not a pleasant smell so early in the morning: It's harvesting season for cabbage and onions.

In fact, guest workers from India, Pakistan or maybe Bangladesh are the only people I see this morning. A very solitary walk. 

This changes as I reach the coffee place marking the end of trail 11 and the start of trail 12. Plenty of hikers in thete. After a well needed orange juice and an orange pastry, I continue. The rain stopped as I make my way to the coast and follow it, now also meeting some fellow hikers and locals. 

After a quick dinner it's time to set up camp as it's already getting dark. Another long day comes to an end. Despite the rain in the morning and the smell of onions, overall another enjoyable day on Jeju.