It was the spring of 1996 when I first came to Korea to teach English as a second language. It was my full intention to stay 12 months, move on and never look back. One thing about life is it never goes quite as planned. By the time I finally left the land of the morning calm in 2006 I was leaving with Jueun, who was now my wife and the understanding that Korea would always be a major part of my life.
Fast forward another 10 years...
The Ferry from Russia to Korea was interesting to say the least. It was far from luxurious and certainly nothing like the ships we had taken in Scandinavia. The boat was old, the service was questionable and the atmosphere amongst the passangers was down right odd. For some reason the mostly Korean and Russian passangers seemed to represent the worst qualities of both cultures. Although unusual, it was entertaining to observe the gambling and drunken behaviour that occurred both inside the ship and on deck.
From the unusually loud country hits of the 80s in which we boarded the ship right up to the disembarking system arranged according to nationality we were continously amused by the unusual nature of the whole operation.
After 24 hours at sea including a night in a shared sauna like cabin as we floated just east of North Korea, The Eastern Dream ferry finally docked. We arrived at Donghae Port at 12:30 pm on September 22nd. It was the first time we had ever arrived in Korea anyway other than flying and it felt great to be back in Korea.
During the first few days in Korea we stayed on the east coast very close to Chotdaebawi in Gangwon Province. This beautifully formed rock towers high into the sky and resembles a candlestick, from which it gets its name. Chotdae is Korean for candle, while bawi means rock; quite literally candle rock.
The beauty of the rock at sunrise is so picturesque that it's image is used in the Korean national anthem video. Seeing the sun rise here is something I had always heard about but never experienced until now.
We then moved on to Seoraksan National Park, known for its dramatic peaks, deep valleys, and beautiful autumn colours. It was here we enjoyed an amazing yet challenging day of hiking.
Our 4.5 km hike lead us to two Buddhist temples and the famous rolling rock called Heundeulbawi which is located on top of a larger rock. This rock is about 5 metres high and people come from far and wide to give the rock a push and feel it slightly move.
From here we continued hiking the Ulsanbawi trail. The first few kilometers were fairly easy; however, the last kilometer became very steep and far from easy. After numerous stops along the way we finally made it to the top, took in the view and then started to make our way back down.
Once reaching the bottom we rewarded ourselves with some Pajeon and Makgeolli which is traditional mountain food in Korea.
Pajeon is a pancake-like dish made from eggs, wheat flour, rice flour, green onions, and other ingredients like beef, pork, kimchi and seafood. Makgeolli is rice wine and is a milky, off-white colour and drunk from a bowl.
We stayed on the beach in Sokcho which is located in the far northeast of Gangwon Province very close to Soraksan. There we walked along the board walk and explored around the small fishing town.
One evening we ate Jogaegui which is grilled shellfish. For me it always represented one of the more wild eating experiences in Korea. For this meal you sit at an outdoor BBQ pit and basically dump shelled goodies of all shaps and sizes on the grill. Then you wait for the cracking action to start.
The reason I call It wild is because of this dramatic action that includes spitting, spraying and squeals that come from the grill. After all, the shellfish is being cooked alive. Once they’re ready, with your gloves and aprons on it is time to dig in. It may be a little messy; however, it is a unique experience of saltwater goodness and best eaten where we were right next to the East Sea.
After a few days on the east coast it was time to move on. From here we took a three hour bus to Seoul. We were met by Jueun's older sister who took us to her mother's place in Youngin, south of Seoul. Here we stayed off and on for the next month and a half.
During our time here we visited the UNESCO World Heritage site, Hwaseong Fortress, in Suwon. The site contains 4 gates as well as over 5 km of wall. This mini great wall was always one of my favorite walks and we both enjoyed it once again.
We spent one day at the Korean Folk Village where traditional Korean life and culture are always on display. There are multiple sections to the park and numerous replicas of traditional houses from different social classes and various regions.
We took another day to visit Gyeongbok Palace in the heart of Seoul. It was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty originally built in 1395. In the early 20th century much of the palace was destroyed; however, since then, and even since I lived in Korea the palace has gradually been reconstructed to its original form.
We spent a night in a hanok very close to the palace. A hanok is a guesthouse located in a traditional Korean style house. Most hanoks are built with natural materials and have beautiful sliding doors. The rooms surround a courtyard and the hanok where we stayed gave us a chance to stay in one of these nicely renovated rooms and sleep on a soft cushion on the heated floor.
We walked around Insadong which is always an interesting area to explore in Seoul. It is made up of alleys full of antique stores, art galleries, restaurants and tea shops. I was glad to see that the Little India Cafe was still there where we took a break, reminisced about the past and drank a cup of chai.
Our Korea time also included a number of visits back to Iteawon which is a unique place in Seoul for both Koreans and expats to enjoy a diversity of culture, shopping, and nightlife. It is the global village in Seoul and was one of my main hangouts in Korea especially during my early years living there.
On the 25th of October we took the KTX bullet train south and spent about a week in Jirisan which is located in the mountains in the southern part of the country. Here we were able to explore a new area of Korea for both of us. We did some hiking in the mountains including one very challenging 6.8 km climb and took part in a temple stay program.
A typical temple stay program includes a stay at a Buddhist temple, and participation in numerous Buddhist rituals and activities. Our temple stay took place at Hwaeomsa temple. This temple is known for not only keeping Buddha’s teachings intact, but also Korean history, culture, and tradition.
For us it was a place that gave our minds a break from the internet news, political scandals, and modern day life. Breathing in the fresh air amongst the beautiful scenery and peaceful atmosphere was definitely a pleasant experience.
Our schedule at Hwaeomsa Temple looked like this; 3:00am we woke up, at 3:30 am we had morning chant, at 5:50 am we ate breakfast, at 6:40 am we had communal work, at 8:00 am it was hiking time, at 11:20 am we ate lunch, at 3:50 pm we had temple etiquette class, at 4:50 pm it was time for dinner, at 5:50 pm we had evening chanting, at 7:00 pm it was tea time and at 9:00 pm it was bed time except without a bed I guess it could more accurately be called floor time or simply sleep time.
The schedule may sound busy but with lots of free time and meditation it really wasn't. Friends of mine living here in Korea questioned our interest in doing this and no doubt it was another "out of my comfort zone" experience; however, it was something we wanted to try and it turned out to be very interesting and enjoyable.
Now with the exception of our strict vegetarian diet at the temple, it is no surprise we both gained weight while in Korea and we assume that must reflect just how much we ate.
During our stay here we treated ourselves to multiple meals of samgyeopsal which is grilled pork belly and dak galbi which is marinated diced chicken in chili pepper paste stir-fried with sliced cabbage, sweet potato and onions. Both meals are cooked on a grill right on the table.
Other highlights in the eating department included a couple of meals of Jokbal which is a dish consisting of pig's leg and feet. It is cooked with soy sauce, ginger and garlic. We also indulged in numerous evenings of good old chimaek. Chimaek is a compound word formed from chicken and maekju, the Korean word for beer. It refers to the wonderful combination of chicken usually fried or dipped in spicy red sauce and draft beer. It is easily found anywhere and can be delivered to your door, draft beer and all faster than it takes to download a high-speed Psy video.
One dish that was new to me on this trip was gopchang which is the grilled intestines of cattle or pork. Along with some friends we had a combo of both. Once getting past the idea of what I was eating I accepted the fact it tasted alright; however, according to our friends who are apparently gopchang connoisseurs it wasn't really gopchang at its best.
No proper trip to Korea could possibly be complete without taking part in Korea’s favourite past-time; A night at a noraebong. First of all, I should say that to fully understand a noraebong you have to participate. I’ll do my best to describe it; however, it’s really something you have to experience, with Koreans, to fully understand. Noraebong translates literally into English as a singing room. It’s basically karaoke, but instead of a bar, you sing in a private room with a mini-stage and usually some kind of coloured-disco ball and light effects. Anyway, even though I still can't sing, I'm glad to say we found time to hit three Noraebongs during this trip.
When traveling or living abroad one is often faced with translation issues and humorous situations. Some examples on this trip would include Jueun noticing cultural differences in a way I did when I first came to Korea. This time, there were times when she, now as a Canadian would get frustrated by things and I'd be the one saying to her, well you must understand in Korea things are like this...
Some humorous experiences while travelling around included an apartment security guard inviting us in out of the rain into his little cubby hole for coffee and a chat. I don't think he had ever met foreign backpackers before and talking to us seemed like the highlight of his day if not week. By the end of the conversation this strange yet very kind man was making plans to go hiking with us someday.
One time at a hotel where we were staying a chamber maid came barging into the room. When she saw Jueun she apologised and said she thought there were foreigners staying in this room... Although we laughed it off we were both left wondering what difference that made when entering a room.
Another equally odd experience happened when a random off duty bus driver stopped to pick us up for really no other reason then to satisfy his curiosity. Finding out what we were doing and where we were going seemed to be all the fare this bored, off duty bus driver really needed.
All in all, it was great to be able to spend some time in Korea again. Obviously things change everywhere and here is no exception. Although the people are still wonderful there are noticable changes.
It is a different place than we left 10 years ago. We visited some areas of Seoul that were completely unrecognizable to us. It was sad to see some of my favourite places are no longer there; however, for the most part the changes have been good. Things are now newer, cleaner, safer and I would have to say overall better.
Korea still intrigues me after all these years. It has been great to see old friends and family. Ohma, my Mother-in-law took wonderful care of us. We were able to eat some of our favourite meals and try some new ones. We had the chance to visit old stomping grounds and explore new areas as well. Being in Korea this time for me was like putting on an old pair of slippers that I hadn't worn in awhile. It felt a little funny at first but before too long it just felt right.
