Hwanseongul

Sorry, I poofed again.  For those of you who missed my presence and my writings suffused with insanity spells, you can now expel an awkward sigh of relief.  My vanishing act is now complete. The past couple of weeks had been arduously long and difficult, to say the least.  The things is, I work two jobs (in a country where people love taking unnecessary mid-afternoon naps and sipping lattes in coffee shops at excruciatingly slow pace during work days, I am the ironic oddity). Getting two monthly paychecks obviously entails hard work (lots of it) and zero free time.  Add a looming long holiday to the mix and my normally tight schedule becomes the mother of all crunch time.  Blogging became an impossibility. Whatever brain function I have left when I get home, I spend it in the bathroom doing my bathroom business, or a few, dull moments in front of the television before I collapse to sleep.

Thank God for the holiday.  The nauseating mix of my daily grind is momentarily over.  I feel centered now, with a more pleasant frame of mind.  It's only fitting that I blog. Afterall, this moment of calm comes rarely, and too far in between.

So today I'll share with you the speedy version of my adventure in Hwanseon Cave.  If you've spent some time in Korea, chances are you've heard about it.  In case you haven't, let me enlighten you with some facts.  Hwanseongul is the biggest cave in Korea.  It's vastness intrigues more than a million visitors each year.  The whole cave spans eight kilometers (could be more, geologists are still exploring it), but only two kilometers of which is open for the public to see.

The cave is up the mountain.  It's mouth hidden amongst the foggy backdrop. This is how the start of the trail going to the cave looks like.



There are two ways to get to the cave.  You can do a grueling full hour of uphill hike or you can use the mono rail.  I was lazy that day so I chose to ride the mono rail. I forgot the exact cost of the ride, but I'm guessing it was around 7,000 - 8,000 won. The picture below shows the tracks.  Left one is for going down and right is for going up.

The car looks so modern right?

Upon reaching the top, you have to shell out another 3,000 won at the ticket booth. Once inside, you'll see bridges built across innumerable pools, streams, and cracks. Railings are amply lit and there are lamp posts to guide the way.  The temperature inside is comfortably cool at somewhere between 10-15 degrees C.

The coolest thing inside the cave is the presence of waterfalls.  I've seen several of them inside, but I was only able to take a picture of one. From where I stood and took this picture, it looked miniature. But I'm guessing with closer inspection, it's expanse is far greater than all of the waterfalls I've seen in my life.

The tour generally lasts for two hours. In my case it took three.  Only because I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to soak up the scene for as long as possible.

So there goes another interesting spot you can add to your Korean bucket list of travel.

I feel a teensy bit tired at the moment so I am going to split. I hope everyone is having a super awesome day.

Chon eun sa.

I'm getting into the swing of things.  My resolve to write here again has been utterly renewed and it's a good feeling.  I don't feel so awkward and contrived anymore.  I feel stupid for abandoning this, my own personal memoir. This tangible thing that helps me remember that once, my life was filled with newness and excitement.  It helps me get through that suffocating dullness of lethargy and boredom that fill my days..I'm hurting to take off into the ether and let my pathetic days be filled with adventures and road trips.  These are psychedelics to my veins.  Like adrenaline and really strong caffeine, it swishes me from normalcy to Eudaemonia.

One of the last places I visited in Korea was Chon eun sa.  A Buddhist temple built on top of a very steep mountain in Gangwon province.  The place is so steep, you'd need to use your handbrakes to go down.  So temples.  This might conjure boring images of statues, pagodas, and identical pavilions for most.  Not exactly the kind of trip that gets your blood rushing.  It's not at all romantic. Not even ideal for families with small children who couldn't appreciate culture and antiquity.  But I see it as mysteriously enchanting. Peace and calm permeating the air. Monks chanting to the beat of their very own Buddhist music.  Ajummas deep in prayers, some of them doing penitence of 1000 bows.  And with surroundings so serene and pristine, you'd think Alice and the white rabbit might be around somewhere.

Most of the temples in Korea have become more of a tourist destination. Cheon un sa is one of the few remaining ones that serve it's purpose.  Providing shelter for monks and a place of pilgrimage for devout Buddhists.  Tourists are unusual sight here.

Can someone tell me, is this persimmon tree?  I'm guessing it is. But then, my knowledge of trees constitute only three things: bananas, coconut, and mango tree. So most likely I'm wrong.

Writing this entry spurs me into thinking; why can't we just abandon all reason, hit the road, and be hippies of the 21st century?  It would be so utterly great right? I hate that gas is a finite resource. I hate that our society run off money. I hate that I wasn't born rich to afford this morbid addiction for endorphin-releasing adventures. Sorry for the impromptu rant.

So it's Friday. Weekend is almost within our grasp. Breathe it. Enjoy it. After all, life is too great to spend on redundancies and boring routines.

Mi In Waterfall

I love the rain.  i love the way the droplets slide along my skin and slick back my hair. Each drop immortalized in it's descent from the heavens before it collides into the earth. Rain and beautiful places placate me. It registers a nice, calm euphoria that could cure my angst towards just about anything. And the best thing about it? It has the power to clear a mass tidal wave of people at any given place.  


It was July, middle of the summer.  Rains are frequent,  There couldn't be a more perfect time to go out when you feel as though you're constantly drowning in a sea of people.  More so if you're wishing to go on a different kind of adventure without the inconvenience that goes with having so many people around.


Destination then was Taebaek.  A large, busy town situated in the far south east of Kangwon province.  There lies a famous waterfall.  The locals call it Mi In.  On a usual bright and sunny day, people flock to this place like bees.  But when there's rain, the place turns into your very own sweet spot.  


A 20 minute descent on muddy soil and slippery slope is involved. I passed by a small temple along the way.  There were a few curious monks who couldn't help but stare at the drenched foreigner with muddy shoes. The rain ceased for a while.  And then there was fog.  It turned everything into a whitish haze, gracefully embracing every square inch of the area.  


This is the start of the trail,  Lots of trees, grass, and frogs croaking the afternoon away, 









As you go further along the descent, you'll pass by a couple of streams.  In reality, it's so much bigger than what it looks like in the photo.  It's just that I couldn't get a decent angle at that time.  It was slippery as hell. And I stood at the edge of a rock that hangs at the edge of a cliff. 





The rain made a very simple descent seem like a death-defying stunt. 





And lastly, the sweet spot - Mi In waterfall in all it's blurred and foggy glory.  I promise it doesn't look this bad in real life.  It's quite pretty actually.





So there goes my pathetic attempt to start writing here again.  If there's any consolation, there wouldn't be any degree of permanence as far as my writing goes.  I just need to write what's left of my travels, nothing more.  I'm comfortable calling it an 'unfinished business' that I need to get over and done with. 


I wonder how translucent these pitiful attempts at normalcy have been to the outside observer.  So if it isn't too much to ask, do send me guys your thoughts.  

Samcheok Beach.

Although I visited Kangwondo a lot of times before, I cannot really boast familiarity with it. There are just so many places to see, so many things to do and endless possibilities to enjoy yourself to the hilt while you're there. With the vast majority of times we spent there, one would think we're tired of seeing the same old scenery but no. Kangwondo never disappoints. It never gets old. It never loses that certain mystique that envelops it. With each visit, it lets you have that moment to indulge in your inner child and grant you far grander experiences than the last.

My last visit happened a little over two months ago. That time we focused mainly around Samcheok area, getting high from feeling it's sunshine and looking at the clear blue skies being reflected in the sea. I suppose ' interesting', for lack of better words to put it, is an appropriate word to describe the day we spent at Samcheok Beach. To shine some light on how strikingly contrasting the two halves of my day were, the first half was spent lounging at a picnic mat by the side of the beach, wolfing down kimbap and mandu. It was a beautiful, perfectly sunshiny day. And though the water was far too cold for a swim, it didn't stop me from playing till half of my body was soaked. Here are fleeting glimpses of Samcheok Beach taken from my camera..

The other half was when it got bloody interesting ( I meant that with a hint of sarcasm). A few meters away from where we were resting, there's a large group of people hanging out. And as you all know, whenever there's a bunch of people hanging out at any given place, it's always Soju central. Koreans tend to drink to excess, and so a whole mish and mash of drink and drama ensued. Several arguments followed, some escalated into screaming girls, and one escalated into a physical fight between two burly tattooed guys. Both were completely smashed, their actions looked somewhat comedic. One ended up getting hurt and had to to be taken to the hospital. We left after sunset, disappointed that some people ruined an otherwise perfect evening.

I would love you tell you more, but right now I'm feeling a little squiffy from waking up too early. I'm constantly yawning and fighting the urge to take a nap. My head could only accommodate the most basic of thoughts so I'm signing off. Hope you all are having a great day, and that no one's contracting the Monday blues!

Jaebudo.

Weekends are, and have always been a day for adventure. Saturday usually begins with a breakfast eaten either at home, or along the snail-paced traffic leading to the place we fancy.

One particular Saturday in June, we included a new stop in our weekend itinerary: Jaebudo. We basked in the sun all afternoon, got dirty and played in the mud till the sunset came. Here's how Jaebudo looks like.

We stayed until about 8 pm, not minding the mosquitoes and the darkness of the vast open space. Our adventure ended in a Kalguksu restaurant and it turned out to be the best hand-made Kalguksu we've ever tasted! I wasn't able to take photos of it, however I do have a photo that looks a lot like it. It was from our visit to Daebudo. Read my old post here if you've got plenty of time to kill.

Gangchon's Gugok Falls.

After our mini-food adventure in Chuncheon, we made a quick stop to Gangchon. It's not really a happening place and there's nothing much you could do there. But there's a place there that we like to visit called Gugok Falls. It takes about an half an hour from Gangchon station by car, but if you're feeling more adventurous, you can either hike or rent an ATV or scooter to get there. The view along the way is quite random; the usual clusters of mountains, old countryside villages, and rice fields.

Gugok Falls is located in the midst of a big park. It gets pretty crowded here, so if you're looking for some peace and quiet, then this place might not be for you. But if you're cool with hordes of tourists, noisy kids and plenty of ATV/scooter riding guys out to impress their girlfriends then you'll probably enjoy this place.

A 10 - minute hike is all you need to see the falls. Here's how it looks..

Gapyeong, Baby!

I mentioned in my previous post that Chris and I celebrated our anniversary. The day itself we spent in Bundang Cafe Village and the other part we spent in Gapyeong. That's right.. Gapyeong again. I lost count how many times I visited this place, but it was only this time that I really got to enjoy it to the hilt. It was a short 2-day trip, but a really nice one. We stayed at this beautiful wooden pension in the middle of the woods. Here's how it looks.




At the back of the pension, there's a huge meadow bordered by tall pine trees and cascading mountains. There are also wild bushes and plenty of colorful flowers surrounding it (which reminds me of "Twilight" by the way). There are no words to articulately describe how beautiful it is over there.




There's also a small stream at the side of meadow.



The meadow, the stream, the pine trees and wildflowers are all amazing, but those are just the tip of the iceberg. Not far from the pension, there is a huge river called Noksu and we had a blast there despite the water being icy cold.

We spent the rest of the day in the river getting wet and watching people catch fish. When we grew hungry, we headed back to the pension to eat dinner. Along the way, we passed by an old lady selling raspberries and Chris bought some for me. It was the first time I tasted fresh raspberries, I only had frozen ones before.. ^^:

As soon as we got back, Chris started grilling the meat we bought from the meat shop earlier that day. **The cylindrical white ones are rice cakes or what they all tteok here.

This is the best way to eat it: get some lettuce, put the meat in there, some kimchi, a thin slice of garlic and ssamjang. Wrap it all together and pop it in your mouth. .. DELICIOUS!

Camping is no fun without a kick of alcohol right? That night we had some chilled makgeolli and dongdongju...

I'm gonna write more about our amazing adventure later. Meanwhile, I got to get ready cause Chris is coming back soon and we're gonna watch ECLIPSE later. God I can't wait!

Have a great one folks!

P.S. Sorry if my writing is a bit off today. I'm still a little high from the Kaldereta I tasted earlier. I'll do better next time, promise.

Then Came Healing.

Since the start of summer, stress has just been too much and it was all too overwhelming. I was in the brink of falling apart, loneliness and insecurities enveloping every inch of my body. When that happens, depression is nearby, biding it's time, simply waiting. It can be triggered by a simple argument between Chris and I, a phone call from my sick Mom, or something as innocent as a trip to the weighing scale. So when we suddenly found a day of nothing but free time, I couldn't think of a better way to spend it than watching the sun set. You might be thinking, what good could it possibly do to me? It heals me, believe it or not. Nothing calms me more than seeing the pure, unadulterated sun setting in the horizon. The expanse of colors it creates and everything else below it takes my breath away. Beautiful does not quite cover it... It's calming, soothing and it makes me, dare I say, hopeful about life in general. It takes me out of that uncomfortable limbo, away from the maddening self-hate and bitterness I feel. There is a certain element of realization it brings, to look at the positive side and not dwell on the negatives. It gets me to think that all that is waiting for me at the end of the night is another day... only better.


Pictures taken at Jecheon, around 6:30 pm Korea time.

I hope everyone else is fairing better than I am. You all stay positive alright?!

Danyang Palgyeong.

Three weeks have passed since the election, and though the winners have long been proclaimed, I'm yet to write an entry about the side adventure I had back then. I thought it's worth sharing so here it is....

June 2, Election Day
Our plan was to go to the voting precinct early in the morning so we could have the rest of the afternoon to enjoy. The precinct is merely 5 minutes away by foot from where we live, but it took a lot longer to get there cause we couldn't find a place to park the car. When we finally did, Chris hurriedly entered the booths and registered. I, on the other hand, went to use the restroom and the next thing I knew he already voted! It was sooo fast, we were in and out of the place in 10 minutes!

After that quickie voting, we hit the road going to Danyang, North Chuncheong province. It's a place known for it's 8 scenic wonders, hence the name Danyang Palgyeong (단 양 팔 곙). We planned to visit all of it in one day, so we skipped lunch and went directly to Dodamsambong (도 담 삼 보) - the first the eight wonders. Multitude of tourists come here all year round to see the three gorgeous rock formations that grew in the middle of the river. It's beautiful but it's better to come here right before sunset when the sky turns golden as the rocks look even more stunning then.

And as weird as it may sound, there is a very intriguing story behind those three rocks. It goes something like this; rock no. 1 is the husband, rock no. 2 is the barren wife, and the last rock is the pregnant mistress and they're all part of this one giant love triangle.

Even without the scandalous rocks, the river is already worth the visit. It's beautiful on it's own
and the air is fresh and clean. We walked at the side of the river for some time till we saw a steep stairway that leads to Seokmun (석 문). It's one of Danyang's eight scenic wonders.



Seokmun is a giant rock that formed into a very interesting shape - an arch with trees and plants growing on it. Because of the shape, they called this place the "stone gate".



There is another scenic point far up the mountain, but it requires hiking for hours. Chris wasn't feeling it, so we left the place and went on with our quest to see more of Danyang. We drove till we reached Gosu Cave (고 수 통 굴). The cave was discovered in the 70's and during that period, they unearthed several equipments that dates back from the stone age.

After the cave, we drove towards the downtown area to find some food and saw this place by chance. I don't think it's included among the eight, but it's so beautiful it rightfully deserves a spot there.

We followed the road that leads to Namhan river, Chris said we're gonna go for a boat ride. The scenery along the river is breathtaking, and it pains me to see that the government is breaking it. Pres. Lee Myung Bak has plans of turning it into a canal where ships and boats can pass through. In some parts of the river, the construction has already began, and it turned the water

from green to muddy - not a pretty sight to look at. Thankfully, the construction hasn't started in the area where we took the boat. At least we got a chance to see it's natural beauty before they decide to break it.

So we took the boat for 10,000 won each, and we got the best seats in the house! It's right in front and the view was perfect there!

The captain served as the guide saying bits and pieces about the different mountains and rock formations that we passed by. Of course, Chris was there to translate so I kind of understood what the captain was saying. I understand that some of the eight sights are here, but I couldn't care less. They all look the same to me anyway - all beautiful and spectacular.

The boat ride lasted for an hour, and by the time it reached the dock, it was almost sunset. We thought we've seen enough of Danyang so we decided to go. It was a well-spent holiday, and right now, I'm hurting for another one..