We are now well beyond the Seoul metropolitan area, heading south following the Hangang River. It is one of the four major rivers we will ride along on the appropriately named Four Rivers Trail, a bike path that runs the length of South Korea from Incheon to Busan. The route is great, mostly separated bike paths along the river banks and occasional sections on quiet roads. The river crossings are often atop the many large dams that control the flow of the river, especially during the rainy season when torrents of water flow down from the mountains and the river volume is much greater than today.

There has been a lot of investment in creating safe and attractive bike infrastructure here and as a result the paths are generally smooth and easy to follow and we see lots of people out walking and riding, young and old, fast and slow.

Outside of the small towns, the river is quiet and the banks lush, supporting abundant bird life. White egrets fish in the shallows and occasionally fly off squawking in a prehistoric sounding way. We pass small farms and gardens, many growing bright red gochugaru peppers, squash and cosmos flowers. The rice fields have a rich golden green hue and are ready for harvest.

We stop in the small town of Yeoju for lunch. At a farmers market we see large bags of dried peppers being sold.

At a small convenience store (translated as “lifestyle platform store”) we buy samgak kimbap, rice triangles wrapped in seaweed and filled with delicious fish. The woman running the store is enthusiastic and encouraging and sends us on our way with free bottles of cold water, which we appreciate given the heat.

By mid afternoon we arrive in the small village of Donsan-ri, known for its hot springs. Given the heat and humidity, we opt for a cool shower at our hotel, an incongruously modern place with a self check in kiosk and toilets with more control settings than your average car. Eventually we wander out to the village’s one street for dinner and end up at a small place run by a friendly couple. We sit down, smile and the food just starts arriving; an incredible assortment of small side dishes called banchan, tofu and black snail soup, and a plate of sizzling thinly sliced pork and green onions accompanied by a mounds of fresh lettuce and kkaennip (perilla leaves, which taste like a cross between mint and basil) used to wrap the meat. It was an astonishingly delicious end to the day.