Drokpa Journal

Dates Traveled: April-June 2009

Busan

We left Shimonoseki on an overnight ferry to Busan, Korea. Once again we paid for the cheapest room, and it was more in line with what we expected – a room, sans beds, with space enough for 6 people to sleep on the floor. We expected the other four to pop in at any time as it was a full ferry, but as sailing time drew near nobody entered - we once again ended up with a room to ourselves. Who were we to complain? We spent the night reading, went to sleep, and awoke the following morning in a new country - South Korea.

Our first encounter with Koreans was with an extremely helpful woman at the information counter. She provided us with some maps and other brochures, pointed out areas of interest and how to reach them, and pointed us in the direction of the nearest subway station. While trying to figure out the ticket machine at the station an elderly gentleman mysteriously appeared and helped us navigate the buttons. In fact, if we were a bit slow on the buttons on subsequent trips, an elderly gentleman always seemed to appear to offer help. I never noticed them in our normal transits through stations, but dally too long at a machine and poof – there they were.

After checking into our hotel we went for a wander. We were in a great part of town with interesting side streets. We popped into a small local restaurant and ordered our first meal. Now having just arrived we weren’t exactly fluent in the language, but that’s never stopped us before. We employed that time-honored trick of traveling – we pointed at someone’s food and held up 2 fingers. Voila! Lunch is served.

As Korea was a new country for both of us we enjoyed discovering everything together – figuring out how things work, understanding signs, pointing out restaurants to try later, seeing how people act, how they live, learning local prices for common items. We love those first days in a country, when everything is new and exciting, and I’m sure we were both walking around with huge grins.

We took that enthusiasm to a stadium to watch a local baseball game. As in Japan, baseball is extremely popular in South Korea, though the stadium experience is quite different than one you’d have at a game in the States. There were specific chants for each player, and the entire crowd chimed in. The fans seem a lot more organized and synchronized than fans in the States. And gone are the nachos and hot dogs – squid, sushi, and entire roasted chickens take their place. Of course there was beer, but also soju. At 20-40% alcohol, it packs quite a punch. At a concession stand we saw something strange – it was an orange sauce, but with white chunks in it – roughly as big around and long as my thumb. Well, we had to have some of that! I’m not sure we ever really figured out what it was – some sort of pasta/dough/dumpling consistency - but we had it several more times in Korea. It seemed really popular at lunch.

That evening we made our way out to the airport to meet Rhona’s mom, who joined us in our adventures over the next four weeks.

The following morning we got up bright and early and headed to the Jagalchi fish market. It was great to wander through the colorful bustle of activity – seafood being brought in, stored, displayed, cut, prepared, wrapped, cooked, served, distributed, shelled, frozen, sold…anything that can be done to, or with, seafood was happening that morning. And it was normally being done by Koreans in bright pink or yellow rubber boots, aprons, and visors. It was a great place to wander. We also experienced Korean dining at its finest when we opted for breakfast at one of the upstairs eating areas. Our meal consisted of the main dish, but included a large compliment of side dishes – generally 4-6, though sometimes more. Various forms of kimchi were the norm, but nuts, tofu, leaves, greens, seaweed, sprouts – you name it, and it probably turns up as a side dish in Korea. Even if you knew what you were going to get for your main meal, the sides were always a surprise.

We visited Haedong Yonggung Temple, which sits on the coast. As we were to find at all of the temples in Korea, hundreds upon hundreds of colorful paper lanterns had been hung in anticipation of Buddha’s birthday in May.

The following morning we headed to Beomeosa Temple. It was interesting to see the locals, mostly middle-aged women, in their Buddhist reverence. However, most striking were the colors painted on the temples – on the walls, the doors, the eaves. Bright, vibrant colors, which I never became tired of photographing – as you can tell from my numerous posted photos! It was our first real glimpse into the Buddha nature of Korea, and we enjoyed our introduction.

From Beomeosa we walked uphill and then followed one of the old walls of Geumjeong Fortress down to Seokbulsa Temple – a nice day-hike. In many countries it’s rare to find locals out hiking, but Koreans were mad about it. They’d dress in top-quality outdoor gear – often in 80’s vintage neon colors, and hit the trails with enthusiasm. I like a country where the locals enjoy taking advantage of the outdoors.

Yeonhwa Island

From Busan we caught a bus down to Tong-Yeong, and then a ferry to the island of Yeonhwa. We disembarked in an extremely small fishing village, and set about finding a place to stay for the night. We tried our one-word question, “Minbak?” at a few places before we finally found a place willing to take us in for the night. Minbak’s are simply rooms available in private homes, and so are of the traditional ondol type. That meant that we had thin mattresses which we spread out on the heated floor. It was to be our standard for most of our time in South Korea – rarely did we have a room with beds.

The following day we walked all over the island – up hills for the views, down to another fishing village, along rocky coastlines, into temples. It was a great day spent wandering, and we enjoyed the peace of Yeonhwa – after all the day-trippers had departed.

Gyeongju

We ended up staying in Gyeongju for an entire week trying to see everything the area had to offer. We started with the UNESCO listed Bulguksa Temple, visiting on Buddha’s birthday. Suffice it to say we weren’t the only visitors that day – the place was packed! Granted it was still early in our South Korean travels, but I never tired of seeing the temples in Korea, with their bright colors. Unfortunately, one of the National Treasures of Korea, an ornate stone pagoda in the courtyard of Bulguksa, was undergoing renovations at the time and hidden from our view.

From Bulguksa we hiked the 4 kms uphill to the Seokguram Grotto – also UNESCO World Heritage listed. The grotto has a 3.5 meter stone statue of Buddha, as well as several carved protectors and other deities. Unfortunately, there were so many people there for Buddha’s birthday that we were hurried along and couldn’t take our time to appreciate the grotto. In fact, we didn’t realize many of the intricate details of the cave until we watched a video several days later.

Next up was a few hops on local buses and the temple of Seongnamsa. Wow. Again, the intricate, bright paintings on all of the temple buildings was amazing, and I took far too many photos.

Back in town we visited one of the tumuli parks. Tumuli are large burial mounds of royalty - appearing today as large, grassy hills. We entered a reconstruction of one of the tombs to see the details of the grave, as well as some of the treasures buried alongside the king. The tumuli seemed to pop up everywhere, though the one we found most bizarre was alongside a gas station.

One night we headed out to Bomun Lake to catch a folk performance. The highlight for me were the performers playing drums. Each performer had a long, white, weighted ribbon attached to the top of his hat. As he danced around and played his drum, he’d twirl, nod, and shake his head to send the ribbon dancing in arcs around his head. It was like rhythmic gymnastics except the performer controlled the ribbon with his head rather than his hands. Entertaining.

Yangdong Folk Village was another of our stops. A short bus ride and a walk had us in the middle of this 15th century village. There are over 160 homes in the village, spread over several ridges and valleys. The village has traditionally been home to aristocrats, and one can understand the class distinction simply from the location of the homes – ornate, tile-roofed homes of the aristocrats were higher on the hills, while the thatch-roofed homes of the lower class were below. We enjoyed wandering around for most of the day – popping our heads into many of the buildings, and taking photos of the beautiful wooden doors, windows, and railings.

Another day we opted to stretch the legs with a day-hike of Mt. Namsan. During the first part of the hike we shared the path with many Koreans, though we opted for a traverse of the mountain and soon found ourselves with more peace and quiet. We came across various ruins, statues, Buddhist carvings in stone, and pagodas. We had to lower ourselves down a rock face while holding onto a rope, and wander up and down a few ridges. Near the end we came to Chibulam Hermitage where we had a lengthy conversation with one of the local nuns.

While in Gyeongju we also hit the museum, various markets, and did a lot of walking around other temples, gardens, and ruins. Sampling some of the local delicacies was another highlight – including a meal that must have had 10-12 side dishes. We enjoyed our week in Gyeongju, and felt we came to a better understanding of Korean history while viewing the numerous sites in the area, but it was time to move on.

Daegu

We made an overnight stop in Daegu simply to visit the Yangnyeongsi Medicinal Herb Market. The market has been in existence since the 17th century, is the largest in Korea, and exports to much of Asia. The museum was interesting – once we obtained some audio guides in English - and we enjoyed wandering through the dioramas and learning of the history of the market. Out on the street we popped into several of the stores selling traditional medicine – dried roots, leaves, animals, etc. We also saw some people unloading a massive tree root, presumably medicinal, from a pickup truck.

Haeinsa Temple

Our next stop had us playing monks (and nuns) for a night. We signed up for the Temple Stay program at Haeinsa Temple, and committed ourselves to their program for 24 hours. First up was to don the attire they provided – complete with little, and I do mean little, plastic slippers. I believe Rhona nailed it when she said I looked like an oaf in ballerina slippers. They were less than comfortable, though maybe that was the Buddhist teaching – we only suffer because of our desires (slippers that fit?). Eliminate those desires, and you eliminate your sufferings and gain enlightenment. Suffice it to say I didn’t quite make the grade – I was still focused on my sore toes by the end of the stay – no enlightenment here.

Over the 24 hours we meditated, performed innumerable bows, and sat in on various Buddhist services – complete with amazing chanting. Having slept in segregated rooms, we awoke at 3 AM for the morning playing of the drum, followed by morning service and more soothing chanting. We prostrated in various temples, had a guided tour of the temple by a resident monk, and took part in a very regimented meal. We were taught how to handle and arrange our 4 bowls, how to clean the bowls with water, which foods went in each bowl, how to clean the bowls after the meal with a radish and some water, and how to reassemble the bowls, chopsticks, and cloth. Evidently Rhona and I weren’t paying enough attention, as we both drank our rinse water. I guess I haven’t been lying when I tell others that I’m not Buddhist – I just have the haircut.

Haeinsa is also home to the Tripitaka – a collection of Buddhist scriptures written on 81,350 carved woodblocks. The woodblocks are another UNESCO World Heritage, as are the ingenious wooden buildings which house them. And you’re not supposed to take photos of the buildings (as I learned after I took the photo to the right).

We enjoyed our time at Haeinsa, as it was an interesting insight into the daily life of Korean monks.

Andong

From Haeinsa we made our way by bus to Andong. Upon our arrival in South Korea we had noticed that there were always many cheap hotels, so we quickly adopted a strategy – as soon as we’d reach a town we’d leave Renate with the backpacks while Rhona and I went off looking for a place to stay. After checking into our place in Daegu we became suspicious it was being used for other activities – there were pink lights, and it was located right next to the bus and train stations. Hmmmm….

Our hotel in Andong was more obviously a love hotel – condoms in vending machines, more pink lighting, and business cards of scantily-clad women located near the elevator and on the steps to the hotel. What can I say – I only take my mother-in-law to the classiest of places.

Our first stop near Andong was the Dosan Seowan Confucian Academy, a school established in 1574 and featured on the 1000 won banknote until 2007. It was built as a place of learning, but also in commemoration of Confucian scholar Yi Hwang, or Toegye. Today it’s simply a collection of wooden buildings in a nice riverside setting. We enjoyed wandering through the academy, as well as hiking to other homes and gardens in the area.

The following day we visited Hahoe folk village. Established in the 16th century by the Yu clan, it is still inhabited by the clan today. We didn’t let the rain deter us from wandering the narrow alleys and poking our heads into various courtyards and homes. Most of the roofs were of the thatched variety, and we even spotted a thatched roof on a very modern home which was mostly glass.

Jeongdongjin

We next hopped our first train in South Korea and rode it to the seaside town of Jeongdongjin, on the east coast. After checking into our hotel we grabbed a bus to Unification Park and the North Korean submarine on display there. A nearby sign told the story:

North Korean submarine Exhibition

In September, 1996, 25 Red guerrillas infiltrated into the land of South Korea by means of the submarine, which was soon found. The incident was a great shock to us and incurred our wrath. The submarine was salvaged by the navy and is now on display at the original infiltration spot.

The circumstances of the case

At about 5:00 AM on September 14th, 1996

The 25 Red guerrillas left the submarine base of North Korea for the purpose of spying for South Korean military facilities.

At about 8:00 PM on September 15th, 1996

They arrived at the sea right in front of Anin region of South Korea and three of them infiltrated into the land while the others were on standby in the submarine.

At about 9:00 PM on September 17th, 1996

The leader of the three gave a signal to the colleagues in the submarine and then ordered them to come closer to the seashore because the waves were so strong. While approaching the seashore, it was washed away by the waves and driven on to the rock. Eventually they abandoned any attempt to find their way back.

At bout 11:50 PM on September 17th, 1996

The armed Red bandits set a fire inside the submarine in order for destruction of evidence such as confidential information and documents. They escaped from it and fled to Gwaebangsan Mountain.

From September 18th to November 5th, 1996

Counterespionage operation was in progress for 49 days and the Red guerrillas were mopped out completely.
Counterespionage operation’s military achievements and victims.
Of 25 spies, one was captured alive, 13 spies were shot by South Korean soldiers, 11 were murdered by their colleagues. 11 soldiers died a glorious death, 22 soldiers were injured, 6 civilians were killed.

Inside the sub you could still see a residue where the documents had been burned. We also concluded the 25 North Koreans in the sub probably weren’t my size.

We shared the submarine - and adjacent US warship - experience with busloads of school kids. At one point I counted 15 buses, all unloading kids at the same time. Yikes! Par for the course in Korea – it seemed everywhere we went we were confronted with kids on school excursions.

Back in Jeongdongjin we walked over to take photos of a high-end hotel. It was built in the shape of a giant cruise ship on top of the hill at the edge of town, and resembled a modern day ark after a flood of Biblical proportions.

The other photo that had to be taken was the razor wire along the beach. It seems the ‘incident’ of 1996 has people in that part of South Korea pretty nervous. I suppose rightly so – it isn’t that far to the border of North Korea.

Sokcho and Seoraksan Park

A series of buses took us to Sokcho, where we’d planned on spending the night. However, after stopping there to gather some information we decided it made more sense to double back and head immediately into Seoraksan Park. We spent the rest of that day hiking up to a waterfall in the area, and then wandering around a colorful temple complex on the valley floor. Unfortunately, we once again shared the experience with busloads of school kids.

I woke up at 4:00 AM and headed out for a hike to Geumganggul cave. It was really peaceful at that time of morning, as there was nobody else about. I climbed up to the cave, took in the view to surrounding mountains and down to the valley floor, and then forged higher – past the No Entry sign, until I was sitting on a rocky outcrop on top of the mountain. A nice start to the day, and I had it to myself – only passing the throngs of school kids on my way back to the village where we were staying. After meeting back up with Rhona and Renate we set out on the hike to Ulsan Bawi. We first came to Heundeul Bawi – a large boulder which people rock back and forth – for good luck? From there the path led up – and up, and involved climbing a lot of stairs through a cleft in the rocks. The reward would have been a fantastic view on a clear day. We didn’t have that, so it ended up simply being good exercise.

Our time on that side of Seoraksan Park was nice, as it was an area of scenic streams, waterfalls, and rocky outcrops. However, it was far too crowded - there wasn’t much peaceful communing with nature to be had.

We left the park and spent a night in Sokcho, where we stayed in a pink love hotel in the shape of a castle, saw several signs stating ‘Open 25 hours’, checked out the anti-spy lights pointed out along the beach, and ate a fantastic meal at a hole-in-the-wall café. The following morning we headed to the other side of Seoraksan Park, near Baekdam.

After spending an afternoon in our room sheltered from the rain, we ventured out hiking the following day. Our first stop was Baekdam Temple, and from there we planned a bit of hiking up the valley. We thought we’d have this side of the park to ourselves, as it’s less popular than the side with all the school kids. We thought wrong. We hit it on Sunday of the first weekend the hiking trails were open, and so the place was packed with eager hikers anxious to start the season. Still, it was a nice leisurely stroll along a river – only marred by the continuing rain.

Everyone knows the many benefits of staying in small communities while traveling, but we encountered one of the downsides – no place to eat after 8 PM! We eventually found ourselves in a café which was technically closed for the day. They tried to pawn us off to a place up the road, but that place was already closed as well. The first place finally took pity on us and served us up some food…and threw some stuff in for free when they saw how hungry we were…and charged us very little money for the feast. Hmmmm…maybe there are no downsides to small communities.

The following morning we finally had a hike in Seoraksan Park as I’d envisioned – we timed it out perfectly with local buses, it was fantastic weather, beautiful scenery, a nice hike, and we had it virtually to ourselves. The hike was in the Sibiseonnyeotang Valley – known for 12 pools of water and numerous waterfalls. A nice way to end our Seoraksan experience.

Seoul

The following morning we flagged down a bus headed for Seoul and made our way to the capital. Wow! For three weeks we’d wondered where all the foreigners were in South Korea. We found them! It was crazy to suddenly see so many non-Koreans, and left us puzzled. When people travel to South Korea, do they just spend a few days in Seoul, say they’ve ‘done Korea’, and move on? And those working in or around Seoul, and there are many – especially English teachers – don’t they travel to other parts of the country? Bizarre.

Though Rhona and I were ultimately forced to spend eleven nights in Seoul, Renate was due to fly out in a few days, so we hit the ground running. As soon as we’d found a place to stay (and it actually had beds! Though it was still a love hotel.) we made our way to the shaman area of Inwangsan. A mountain of rocky outcrops, various shamans have set up areas to administer healing to those in need. We saw a bit of one ritual; came across a dried fish wrapped in colorful cloth and yarn, with a written scroll in its mouth; and found various eggs on the ground with writing on their shells. Interesting.

As is my nature, I had a, “I wonder what you can see from up there” moment, and so scurried to the top of the mountain. Correction, I scurried towards the top of the mountain, only to be met by barbed wire, chain link fencing, bunkers, observation towers, and ominous signs in Korean. I wonder if someone was trying to tell me something?!? I retreated. Again, you forget that it’s an uneasy peace between the two Koreas. I imagine there are lookouts posted on several of the mountains around Seoul.

The next day we headed out to Ganghwa Island to see some of the dolmen – large stone slabs lying across two upright stone pillars, serving as burial chambers. They were historically covered in earth and small stones, though over time all that remains are the large tabular structures. The UNESCO listed dolmen on Ganghwa Island dates from the first millennium BC. It’s estimated that North and South Korea have roughly 40% of the world’s 75,000 dolmen. All that sounds pretty fascinating, but after having made a special trip to see the dolmen, it was a bit underwhelming.

After taking Renate to the airport on May 22, we spent several more days in Seoul. There was a specific tour we wanted to the DMZ, but it ran at a later date than we’d planned. Rather than leave Seoul for a few days, only to return for the DMZ tour, we simply stayed in one place - resupplying, relaxing, hitting some excellent markets, and wandering around to the numerous sites. We hit several of the palaces in town, though to be honest, it was hard to keep track of all the dates, events, and intrigue that transpired to require that many royal palaces.

While walking one day we noticed a lot of police in full riot gear, stationed anywhere there was room enough for large numbers of people to gather. We couldn’t figure out what was happening until a Korean stopped us in the street and told us that Roh Moo-Hyun, South Korea’s president from 2003-2008, had killed himself by jumping off a cliff. From what we could gather he was known for being anti-corruption, but since losing his presidency scandal erupted when it was revealed that some of his relatives had received millions of dollars from a wealthy businessman. We learned there would be a tribute to him outside the royal palace of Deoksu, near Seoul Plaza, so we headed in that direction. There were many people standing in line to offer white flowers, and to bow in respect and mourning to images of Roh Moo-Hyun. Five days later, on our last day in Seoul, we attended the gathering for his funeral. Actually, it started earlier than we thought, which worked out well. While eating a late breakfast we watched the live view of the crowds and it was crazy. Seoul Plaza, the large open area in front of city hall, was shoulder-to-shoulder people – as were all of the radiating roads. There were tributes and performances on stage, and large-screen TVs displaying significant events in his rise from human-rights lawyer to the presidency. By the time we arrived at Seoul Plaza we could at least walk around without being continually jostled. Mourners were wearing yellow cardboard hats, carrying yellow placards with his image – yellow being the color associated with his party and presidency. A lot of people were visibly shaken by the loss, and it was obvious the man was well liked. Once again there were police vans and numerous police in full-riot gear patrolling the area, but from what we could tell the people were mostly calm. There were a few carrying placards requesting the ouster of the current president, but the gathering was more a show of respect for an ex-president, rather than a political rally – I’m sure much to the relief of those in uniform.

To lighten our mood a bit after the funeral gathering we stopped into a DVD bang. These are small places where you choose a DVD, the person at reception pops it into a player, directs it to a particular room, and you trundle off to watch your movie. There must have been roughly 10 rooms at this particular place. The rooms are mostly bare except for a large TV, essentially a bed, and pillows. You kick off your shoes, lie back, and watch your movie. A great idea.

DMZ

The day before our DMZ tour we headed to the War Memorial Museum to understand more of the history of the Korean War. After World War II the Korean peninsula was divided at the 38th parallel. The Soviets were the overseer of the North, while the US oversaw the south. Appointed officials in each region naturally followed the politics of their supporter, and each wanted to unite the Korean peninsula under their own political system. The North, infinitely stronger, wealthier, and better equipped, invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950. Seoul, the capital of South Korea, fell within 3 days. By August the North controlled 95% of the peninsula. In September an offensive was launched at Incheon, behind the North Korean line, and turned the tide of the war. The North were eventually pushed back almost to the Chinese border, at which point China joined forces with the North. Subsequent fighting reestablished a stalemate at roughly the 38th parallel in July of 1951. One year of fighting, huge fluctuations in territory gained/lost, enormous death tolls, and ultimately no real change in the line of control. Two more years of fighting and discussions also failed to significantly change the demarcation line, until an armistice was signed on July 27, 1953. It’s estimated that 138,000 South Korean soldiers were killed, 36,500 American, 215,000 North Korean, and anywhere between 114,000-400,000+ Chinese, depending on the source. Soldiers from a total of 17 countries lost their lives. It’s also estimated that 2.5 million civilians were killed or wounded over the course of the war. Interestingly, South Korea never signed the armistice; it was signed by North Korea, China, and the US. Also interestingly, North Korea withdrew from the armistice on May 27, 2009. We visited the DMZ the following day.

After the signing of the armistice each side retreated 2 kms from the line of control, and the resulting 4 km wide, 248 km long zone is now referred to as the Demilitarized Zone – the DMZ.

Our first stop was the Joint Security Area – the JSA. We stood on the steps while a US soldier briefed us on what we were seeing. While listening we checked out our surroundings – video cameras galore, a few South Korean soldiers – one partially hidden behind the edge of a building to provide less of a target, the conference buildings which straddle the actual border, and the North Korean soldier on steps opposite checking us out through his binoculars. We next entered one of the buildings straddling the border. The conference tables are situated right on the border, so by crossing to the other side of the table we found ourselves in North Korea. However, had we wanted to get through the locked door and actually enter North Korea we would have had to get through a South Korean soldier who, as a requirement, is a black belt in taekwondo – and stood around poised to prove it.

From Observation Post 5 we checked out the North Korean village of Kijodong. What first catches your attention is the flagpole – it’s massive. Evidently the South Koreans had erected one which was taller than the existing North Korean pole, so the North Koreans have since trumped that with the world’s tallest flagpole – complete with gigantic flag. Unfortunately, there are very few people in the village to appreciate it, as Kijodong also goes by the name of Propaganda Village. The buildings are mere shells – no floors between the stories, and no windows. A loudspeaker blares propaganda towards the South. Can you say, “colossal waste of money?”

We were next shown the Bridge of No Return. Prisoner exchanges took place across the bridge in 1953. Prisoners were given a choice – they could remain in the country in which they were captured, or they could return to their original country. However, once the bridge was crossed a person was not allowed to turn back.

We were also shown the former site of a tree which was at the center of the Ax Murder Incident of 1976. American and South Korean soldiers were sent to trim the tree as it obstructed the line of site between a nearby checkpoint and observation post 5. Those trimming the tree were soon confronted by North Korean soldiers and ordered to stop. When the Americans/South Koreans refused, a fight ensued in which the North Koreans grabbed axes and killed two American soldiers.

We visited a tunnel which was discovered in 1978 with the help of a defector. The tunnel is 1,635 meters in length and could reportedly transport 30,000 troops to within 44 kms of Seoul in an hour. It’s known as the Third Tunnel of Aggression.

From one of the observation posts we could look across to the industrial town of Kaesong. It’s actually a joint effort between the two Koreas – North Korea provides the workforce for the South Korean factories. The South also provides the resources, the machines, and the electricity. One thing the North wants no part of are media signals from the South, which can corrupt the minds of the workers in the North. There is a gigantic jamming tower to ensure that doesn’t happen. While we were there the North was doing a lot of saber rattling, demanding exorbitant rent and raises for their workers. The workers were already paid roughly double the average wage of a North Korean worker, though the government took a majority of that. As we were leaving Korea it seemed that the demands by the North would ultimately drive the South Korean businesses back to the South, and that Kaesong would be a failed attempt at unity and cooperation.

An eerie stop was made at Dorasan train station. A map in the station showed how the line from Seoul, through Pyongyang, passed into China and ultimately connected to other networks into Europe. However, a quick look around showed absolutely nobody in the station – the grand plans will have to wait.

Suwon

Once we’d been to the DMZ and had attended the funeral gathering for Roo Moo-Hyun, it was finally time to leave Seoul - we made our way to Suwon. We spent a few days there, taking in various free weekend performances – traditional dances, martial arts demonstrations, a tightrope walker, and a changing of the guards ceremony. We also walked around the UNESCO listed Hwaseong Fortress wall. It’s always strange to see ancient fortress walls in the foreground and modern skyscrapers beyond. I enjoyed Suwon as it had some nice markets worth exploring.

Jeonju

Jeonju was our next stop as we made our way south. We were there to see the Hanok village – an area of town with traditionally built wooden buildings around a central courtyard. Many of them have been turned into miniature museums, or places to showcase local art. I don’t know if it was the constant drizzle, the lack of information, or simply that part of the trip where we’d hit a lull, but we were less than enthused by what we saw.

Mokpo

Mokpo was simply the coastal city from where we’d catch our ferry across to Jeju Island – an island both of us had been looking forward to seeing. Our bus arrived in Mokpo at 2:15 PM, and we knew the ferry was due to leave at 3:00. Not knowing how long it would take to the ferry terminal by local bus, we splurged on a cab. We entered an empty terminal at 2:38 PM, only to be informed that the ferry had left at 2:30. Disappointed.

Jeju-si

The following morning we did catch the 4 ½ hour ferry to Jeju Island, and based ourselves in the town of Jeju-si for a few days. We checked out the folk museum to understand a bit about the volcanic island and what it has to offer, wandered through some good markets, and ate tangerines – kilo upon kilo of tangerines. We obsessed over tangerines, and couldn’t seem to get enough. So good.

The following day we caught a local bus to a trailhead and did a traverse of Hallasan, a shield volcano which, at 1,950 m (6,398’), is the highest peak in South Korea. Once again we hit it on a weekend, and once again the trail was teeming with brightly-colored hikers. The summit was disappointing as the fog was rolling in so thickly that we couldn’t see the crater lake, and didn’t have views to other parts of the island. Still, it was a nice hike.

After our descent we walked towards “Mysterious Road” – a section of road on which items appear to roll uphill. We weren’t sure where it was, so we stopped periodically to assess which way we thought something would roll, and then would test it with our water bottle. We weren’t having much luck until we came to an enormous sign – Mysterious Road starts here. So, you think this could be the place?!? Our test with the water bottle worked, though it wasn’t overly exciting. Luckily, several people in cars came by, as did a couple of people on bicycles. All came to a stop, and when brakes were released seemed to roll uphill. It’s not an optical illusion; it just looks like one….

We also visited Samseonghyeol, a temple built near three holes in the ground - three holes from which legend states the first inhabitants of Jeju Island emerged. That was a waste of money. The fence around the holes was built so far back that you could barely see them. Not that they would have been overly inspiring even if you could see them more closely. After all, a hole is a hole, whether ancient beings emerged from it or not.

Seongsan

From Jeju-si we caught a bus to Seongsan, a small community on the west coast of the island. We grabbed a place to stay on the edge of town and headed out to climb Seongsan Ilchulbong, the volcanic tuff cone dominating the horizon. The classic view of Jeju Island, advertised everywhere, is an aerial view of the cone taken from a helicopter just offshore. It’s a great photo. Suffice it to say it’s less impressive to be actually perched on top of the cone. We climbed to the top, sat for a bit admiring the view, and turned back down.

The following morning we rode a local bus 40 minutes back along the road, and then proceeded to walk the hour or more to Manjanggul lava tube. We walked through a 1 km section of the tube, which in turn was part of a much larger network. There are three or four lava tubes which can accommodate visitors, but due to damage caused by the large numbers of tourists, the other tubes were sealed off for a 10 year period. We’d seen the same with some of the hiking trails we’d wanted to take – they were closed off for several years at a time for regeneration. Frustrating when you’re there – especially the lava tubes, as some of them looked spectacular. Still, you can’t fault a country for trying to maintain its natural beauty. The lava tube we did go through was quite large, and we enjoyed shining our headlamps on the walls to see the various patterns and formations created by the moving lava.

Walking back towards the main road and our return bus, we stopped to see if we could extricate ourselves from a 2-meter hedge maze. Our first surprise was that we got a discount simply because we didn’t arrive via motorized transportation – it was half price because we walked. We entered the maze and set off trying to reach the bell at the other end. We had to backtrack a few times, but didn’t ultimately take us as long as we feared it might.

Seogwipo

We next based ourselves in the town of Seogwipo on the south of the island. Upon arrival we spent the remainder of the day walking to two of the nearby waterfalls, before wandering through the local market. Each of the following two days were spent walking 7-10 hours per day along parts of the Jeju Olle trail – a 12-day walk along the coast of Jeju Island. Waterfalls and rugged volcanic seascapes were the norm – as was trying to find the next painted arrow to prove we were still on the trail. At the end of the first day we took a shortcut through some fields and happened upon many one-plane hangers, which from above would look simply like grassy knolls. A reminder of the Japanese occupation during WWII.

Seongsan

To break up the journey back to Jeju-si we stopped once again in Seongsan – this time to see a demonstration by the haenyo, or female divers. As an island, residents of Jeju rely on the sea for their food and livelihood. Historically in the Confucian South Korean society, men were considered superior to women, and so it was the men who were the divers. However, in the 19th century they were getting taxed so heavily as to make diving unprofitable. Enter the women, who weren’t taxed. They took up diving and soon became a celebrated part of Jeju culture, and the major breadwinner of most households. The women we saw wore rudimentary wetsuits, masks, and swim fins, and pushed Styrofoam floats ahead of them. They’d swam out to a promising area and then dove to see what they could find – small octopus, seaweed, urchins…anything that could be used at home, or sold at market. It was an interesting demonstration and a glimpse into a tradition which probably won’t last much longer. Studies show that in 1950 there were up to 30,000 haenyo on the island. That number was down to 5,650 in 2003, and 85% of those were over the age of 50. It seems the younger generation is more interested in jobs in the cities, in the tourism industry, rather than the difficult life of a diver.

Jeju-si

We headed back to Jeju-si for our last night in South Korea. We had hoped to catch a ferry from South Korea to China. However, ferries which used to run from the south of the peninsula no longer operated. We would have had to take a ferry back to Mokpo, bus up to Incheon, and then a ferry across to China. As the ferries involved didn’t operate daily, we were looking at a four-day journey. We looked into flights and realized we could make the same journey in a matter of hours, could get directly to Beijing rather than another Chinese city, and could maximize the use of our limited 30-day Chinese visas. When the flights turned out to be cheaper than the ferry/bus/ferry combination it was sealed – we were flying to China

Impressions

We both really enjoyed South Korea and don’t understand why more people don’t visit. Granted, it doesn’t have the must-see sights found in other Asian countries, but we found the people extremely friendly, the food spicy and delicious, and getting around easy. We never tired of the colorful temples, and enjoyed many nice hikes. We pondered the cabinet of gas masks down in many subway stations, and why women who are selling items on the street seem to wear 80’s style leg warmers. We enjoyed buying things in South Korea, because invariably the seller would throw in something for free. We puzzled over women’s hair styles – the young had short, straight, ‘bobbed’ hair, while middle-aged women had short curly hair. And when does a woman become of visor age? You rarely saw young girls in visors, while you rarely saw a middle-aged woman without. We wondered if there were any students in class, or if they were all touring the country with school groups - seeing the sights. And we lamented our lack of matching shirts, which seemed to be the norm for honeymooning couples on Jeju Island.

For me, South Korea is kimchi, bibimbap, spicy food, colorful temples, hiking, middle-aged women in visors, ondol floors, and no tourists. We enjoyed our 7+ weeks in South Korea.

South Korea Photos

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