walking in a winter wonderland

...well, not quite. but it snowed! =)

i told myself after the last hike in the bitter cold that i was done for the winter. i just can't hack the wind chill factor, or would rather choose not to. BUT, my friend and hiking trip organizer, warren g, put together a trip way down south to wolchusan national park. i checked out the photos and saw an amazing suspension bridge that stretched between two peaks, and the rock formations in the park also looked pretty sweet. i signed up immediately. and glad that i did.



it was another hike that began on zero sleep at 5:00 in the morning, right after a long and uncomfortable bus ride. that's one way to wake up. brrrrrrrrrr! we charged for the peak to catch the sunrise, crossing the suspension bridge along the way. the sun was starting to rise before we reached the highest peak, so we climbed up on top of a big steeple-like rock to enjoy. as soon as i pulled myself up onto the rock, snow flurries started to swirl up toward my face. the sun was rising through the thick fog behind the peaks in the distance, creating a heavenly glow all around, while the snowflakes danced across the landscape. i can't imagine a better way to experience the first snow of winter, and the first snow i've seen in years.



the remainder of the hike was a bit extreme, regarding weather. winding around and up and down the rocky terrain, we battled ferocious winds, sporadic white-outs and even miniature hail. at times we frolicked and times we just trudged on. but for the last stretch, through pampas grass and pines and back down among the streams, we galloped like antelope until we reached the grand temple at the end. a great time. and for once i was able to sleep on the bus on the way back. hello winter!

gakwonsa temple

this past sunday i ventured to cheonan, on the outskirts of seoul, with friends smilja & jonna. i was determined to visit a buddhist temple before the weekend's end...and the determination paid off. little did i realize (by the looks of the subway map) that it would take 2 hours to get there, but i think it was well worth the trip. first of all, cheonan is the birthplace of these yummy walnut waffle-bite things, which were being made & sold on every corner. and, best of all, the temple, atop mt. taejosan, is home to a giant bronze buddha statue. it really was impressive... 15m tall & weighing 60 tons. one of his ears is about the size of me. the temple itself was lovely, as temples go. amazing architecture, brilliant colors, deep, resonating and peaceful sounds of the gong and chanting monks. we stayed until just after sunset, whence (thanks to smilja) we hitched a ride back to the metro station w/ a really nice guy, sagwon, who is a photographer. a bag full of walnut balls later & we were on the long ride home. ohm.