Spending Easter with "Big B"




Yesterday, craving adventure, I threw myself onto a bus headed for Gatbawi Rock at the peak of Palgongsan Mountain.  Initially, I imagined this would be a fun and easy hike, however was quickly disillusioned to this notion.  Koreans take hiking very, very seriously.  It is after all, their national pastime.  Not only was the hike mostly at a 90 degree angle, it included many "fun" parts where you had to rope climb to get up the rocks.  Typically, I would have found this to be great fun.  However, the fun was slightly diminished when you look down and suddenly realize that a slight slip could send you all the way back down again.  I survived, and the peak was devastatingly beautiful.  Here's some photos of the trip.

Reminded me vaguely of the elven city in the lord of the rings, honestly.

I climbed this mountain by mistake, when I reached the top, I asked the Monk where Gatbawi was, he looked at me strangely and pointed to the next mountain over...  Luckily it was very beautiful here and semi worth the accidental climb.

Millions of Buddhas

The good view from the wrong mountain

I'm sorry, is this a path or just an accidental tumbling of rocks?

Probably a bit tactless to photograph, but I stood just behind the Korean man who was also photographing it.

Dear Buddha.  Opt for a ball cap next time, you'll find it a good bit more breath-able.

Sweet Mother of Pearl.  I really don't know how I made it through half of this trek.

The most beautiful views of my life.  I was surely on the very edge of the Earth.

Oh hey.. Is that Pennsylvania over there?

Grateful the handful of railings.

Probably not sanitary, but I really didn't care by this point.

And thus ends my journey.  I grabbed a big drink of water from the wishing well and then headed back into the town for some odeng and fish broth. 

Odeng, which is a fish paste made of EVERY part of a fish that isn't fit for sale otherwise.  You drink the broth that it sit in.  I was a bit of skeptic at first.  But it was very tasty.

On that note, a very Happy Easter to everyone.