Around the Bend

 

To the right of the white line is, I think, a parking area. Odd that the owners of these scooters would park so close to the road, but perhaps they didn't want anyone to block them in with a car. I made the photo because it looks like the leaning scooters are involved in a riderless race.

I set the camera to black and white before making this photo, but it wasn't a good choice. The sky was overcast and grey and there was little contrast. After I got home I switched the film simulation to Velvia on my Fujifilm X-T4 and got better results. The photo is still a bit flat, but at least there is some colour to break the monotony.

The Things That Remind You . . . .

Towels Drying Near Boulders, Sokcho.

Sometimes I see things in Korea that remind me very strongly of scenes I might see in Newfoundland, where I'm originally from. I don't feel homesick, but it's nice to be around something that is deeply familiar. There are many sandy beaches along the east coast of Korea, something that Newfoundland is not known for. What Newfoundland is known for is rocks, and when I see a rocky coastline in my adopted home, it feels comfortable.

   Warm fuzzy feelings aside, I think that rocks are much more interesting to look at and photograph than sandy beaches. Sand brings the tourists and it's bloody hot under the feet in summer. Rocks have crashing waves, interesting formations, and uncleanable towels.

Down at the Harbour

 

There is a famous pavilion called Yeonggeum Pavilion next to Sokcho Harbour. This isn't it. Yeonggeum Pavilion sits on top of a large hill, but this one is down by the water. I can't recall what the name of this one is. People visit the pavilions in Sokcho to see the sun rise. Mad bastards. Better to sleep in.

A bit cliché, perhaps?

A fishing boat heading into Sokcho Harbour.

I don't know who these guys are, but I see them almost every time I visit the harbour. They like buzzing around in their fast stubby boat.

From the breakwater I can see the southern part of Sokcho. It's where most of the new development is happening and most of those apartments are probably owned by people from Seoul and the surrounding capital area. On the left you can see a ferris wheel. It's called, wait for it . . . Sokcho Eye. Where do you think they got that name?

I'm not sure if you can see it in this photo, but the front boat is giving the other boat a tow into harbour.

This is Yeonggeum Pavilion. I can't find any information on when it was built. Maybe it's not that old? I haven't been up there yet, but it's on my list. To tell the truth, I would rather be below looking up at it than in it and looking down on the sea.

Wharf at Cheongcho Lake

 

As soon as I added this photo I noticed that I should have left a bit of space to the right of the apartments on the far right. Damn.

Luckily, it's a raw file and I can adjust it a bit.

Slightly better, but not great. What this photo really needs is a do-over. The next time I'm on the bridge I'll step more to the left. I hope the boats are lined up as nicely . . . .

Green Basket

 

Mailboxes

 

The Nicer Side of Cheongcho Lake (and a bit of not-so-nice)

Some time ago I posted photos of the commercial and industrial side of Cheongcho Lake. The first photo I'm posting today is from one of the parks on the southwestern part of the lake.

The reeds and egrets are lovely. The buildings are not so lovely, but at least they are photogenic. The twigs in the foreground are unfortunate. I couldn't get through them without breaking up the bushes and probably scaring away the birds. They are a very nervous breed.

And when you have birds, of course, you have bird shit. Lots and lots of it from egrets, ducks, and seagulls. And then someone has to come out with a hose and spray it off the docks. I hope he's getting more than minimum wage.

Flower Pots

 

I like the idea of this photograph, but there is something lacking. Is it too dark? Should I have waited for a cloudy day? It's near my home, so I can go back again and again to see if I can do a better job than this.

Pink Post

 

House of a fortune-telling shaman associated with a mountain nymph. Most shamans in Korea are women.

Wired

Laptop, phone, tablet. They are all hungry for power. The tablet's charge lasts quite a long time because I mostly use it for just reading books on Kindle, but it takes a long time to charge. My iPhone battery has seen better days and drains nearly as quickly as I can charge it. The laptop is probably the worst offender because I use it for photography, study, web browsing, and writing.

It seems like I spend most of my days plugging things in.

Once I move my iMac to this new place I won't need to use this laptop, so that's one less thing to charge. I should replace the battery in my phone, but I haven't gotten around to it. It's an iPhone 6, so depending on the cost of the battery repair, it might be better to upgrade to an iPhone 11 or something. Or an SE. Or ditch mobile phones altogether, but I noticed the other day that this new apartment has no place to plug in a land line. Or do phones plug into ethernet sockets these days? Anyway, I'll still have to charge it, just not so often. I could get rid of the tablet, but it's useful for too many little tasks.

Ugh. Pinned to the outlets by convenience. 

Sokcho Lighthouse Again

The day after I made the long-distance photo of Sokcho Lighthouse, I walked up the hill to have a closer look at it. As I mentioned before, it's disappointing and not attractive.

The base of this lighthouse looks like the same architectural style used in many commercial buildings.

Here is another photo of the lighthouse from down below.

The tall post on the right is advertising for a raw fish restaurant that you can see in the background. It's named Yeonggeum Pavilion after a nearby pavilion that sits in a hill overlooking the sea. The old camper in the foreground is a coffee shop.

These two people are scraping some kind of seaweed off the rocks at low tide. I'll visit this place again because there are some very interesting rock formations here.

This man was getting seaweed out of the water and popping it into a sack. For personal use? To sell to restaurants?

Sokcho Lighthouse is not really worth a look except at a distance, but I like this stretch of coast. It'll be worth my time to make a number of trips when the light conditions are good.

High Rise

 

I don't remember what the yellow building is. My first thought it 'coffee shop', but I think it might be a seafood restaurant. In seaside towns, it's usually one or the other.

In the window's reflection is one of the new high rises that does nothing for the skyline but excites real estate investors and vacationers.

Lake Photos

Yesterday I walked to Emart and had to cross two bridges that go over the bit of water that separates Cheongcho Lake from the sea. It's called a lake, and it does have a river running into it, but it's more of a large harbour than anything. You can find mussels and kelp on the shore all the way around.

I like the view from the bridges, and I took a few minutes to make some pictures, even though the light was nothing special. I might go earlier in the morning later, but the shadows from the bridges might be in the way. Maybe a cloudy day will be best. Anyway, here are the few photos I made on my way to Emart.

This reminds me of a crab with one large claw and one small claw. You can see the second bridge in the distance. I waited for a car to prop up the left side of the photo. 

The north and east sides of the lake/harbour are wharves for fishing boats and some larger ships. In the background are apartment complexes that go for astronomical prices because they have views of the lake and sea. Great, if you like sailors.

Two fishing boats heading for the mouth of the harbour/lake.

Seolak Mountain and its rivals.

I think I made this photo from the second bridge. I'm not sure what the boats (ships?) in the foreground are for. I'm including this picture because I thought the timing of the two smaller boats was pretty good.

This side of the lake also includes fish freezing and fish processing plants.

This morning I made a few photos on the south and west sections of the lake. There are a couple of parks there and a few flocks of cranes and ducks hanging out. I'll upload some once I've done my final edit.

Sokcho Lighthouse

 

The lighthouse looks okay from a distance. The original lighthouse was built in 1957 along with harbour construction to improve the economy. It was rebuilt in 2006 to make it taller and the touristy building at the base was probably built at the same time. I made this photo a few days ago and this morning I walked up there. Climbing the hill is good exercise, but the lighthouse is disappointing up close. I suspect most of my future photos of the lighthouse will be made from afar like this one.

I've been in Sokcho a week and there are lots of things to photograph here. Rocky beaches, harbours, lakes, decrepit alleys, some museums, a village of traditional houses (maybe a tourist thing), and so on. There are also a number of temples and other interesting places that I can get to by local bus or on short intercity bus trips. I'm still not really settled in here, but I hope to start getting out for some serious photography soon. At the moment I am more or less making notes.