Riding my Motorcycle around South Korea's South Coast
Southern South Korea - Update 45 (October 2023)
Jeonju to Okpo-dong, South Korea
I stayed a couple of days in Jeonju before moving onto Gwangju and then Mokpo.
There wasn’t a lot happening. I was really just hanging around waiting for a positive response from the ferry companies to get the motorbike from South Korea to Japan.
I decided to go back to Busan and try talking to the companies face to face. The hotel I stayed at last time also had a helpful English speaking man on reception. He had actually spent a couple of years living in Australia. So I also hoped he might be able to help me.
I had also been in touch with Japan Customs in Fukuoka, who had confirmed the method I wanted to use for doing a Temporary Import for the motorcycle was correct.
The guy in the hotel did help me out and rang some ferry companies. He confirmed that the companies were unsure about taking a foreign vehicle across and basically didn’t want to know about me. I guess that was their commercial decision but it didn’t help me, so I kept trying.
My best hope was Camellia Line. They were Japanese owned but used a Korean agent which was the one that would only take me with a Carnet De Passage. So I contacted their Hakata, Japan office by email and started politely using my best negotiating skills.
But this all takes time and the weekend was approaching, so I decided to leave Busan again and head for Okpo-dong on Geoje Island. It was pretty close to Busan but with the rule about no motorcycle on expressways I had to do a big circle to get there.
Trying to keep up my early morning exercises with my resistance bands. Korea is very good at having exercise equipment like this in the parks. I don’t use the actual equipment but they are good to hook my bands onto and provide a place to exercise. They get some good use, mainly by the local old people. My hotel top left.
I was on Geoje Island which was dominated by ship building with Daewoo and Samsung Heavy Industries.
I have had a dream run with the weather in South Korea. Barely a drop of rain and cool sunny days.
This is taken in Okpo-dong just near my accommodation. The water quality was very good. One guy caught an octopus which he was very pleased about.
A famous Turtle battle ship. I couldn’t work out whether this was a replica or an original from 1795. But it’s design was based on a ship from the 1500’s. These people had just finished at the large office for one of the ship building companies.
There was a nice board walk along the coast that I took a couple of times and found another good exercise spot.
Another ship coming into the harbour. The town I was in seemed to be more about maintenance or refurbishing
The town is on the right behind the hill.
Little boats get a look in too.
There was a festival happening on the Saturday.
Spam is very popular in South Korea since being introduced by the US during the Korean War. It is apparently the second biggest market after the US. Luxury Spam gift hampers are popular, especially during the Chuseok holiday.
Busan to Jeonju, South Korea
Update 44 (October 2023)
Waiting in Busan for the Japan ferry
Update 46 (November 2023)