CLOSING TIME!

LIKE MY TIME HERE IN KOREA, MY TIME UTILIZING THIS BLOG ALSO COMES TO AN END! THANK YOU TO THE THOUSANDS OF FRIENDS, FAMILY AND STRANGERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WHO HAVE KEPT ME MOTIVATED TO CONTINUE!

BUT DO NOT FEAR BECAUSE EVEN BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS ARE TO COME! I AM ABOUT TO EMBARK ON ANOTHER GREAT JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD SO WILL BE BRINGING YOU 2 NEW BOGS STARTING OCTOBER 1!

HUCKLES HOLIDAY To share the places and experiences I'm having with you.
BITES AND BEER To share the local street food and beverages I am enjoying with you.

SO PLEASE BECOME A FOLLOWER OF THE NEW SITES AND COME WITH ME ON MY JOURNEY!

THANKS!

Buyeo

Sometimes it takes a friend moving to an obscure location in order to have reason to visit. Once there however one can truly discover phenomenal things that would be otherwise undiscovered and easily missed. This was just the case for the Korean west coast city of Buyeo another former capital of the Baekje Dynasty established in 18 BC.

Never on a ‘Bucket List’, Buyeo is certainly something not to be missed on a trip to Korea. Upon arrival you instantly get a small town feel that you normally don’t get while visiting typical urbanite locations in Korea.  Busosanseong makes the perfect place to start a tour of Buyeo for a morning hike in the mountains in the heart of the city packed full of historical sites.  At the top of the mountain is a grand view of the quaint city where the Baengma River carves through it, with a rather dark past where it is said 3000 women jumped to their deaths from the Nakwaam Rock before the Chinese invaded.

Back in the city there are many other points of attraction, from the small but informative Buyeo National Museum, to the extensive Seodong Park, offering additional leisure to the already peaceful and slow paced city. The Gungnamji Pond is certainly the highlight of the park with walkways through seemingly endless lotus filled ponds. Before departing from the tiny intercity bus terminal you can take a glimpse of the tranquil Jeongnisima Temple and its 1500 year old stone pagoda to leave you with some piece of mind before departing the calm historic city and to re-emerge into the hustle and bustle of Korean life.

 

GONGJU

When living in a location where rain is so prevalent, many people will cancel outdoor plans and intend on doing it the following week. This is a terrible mind set to fall victim of as it could be raining for weeks on end, while you forget your plans or simply lose interest. Even with the advancing Typhoon Samba, nothing could stop a last minute trip to the former capital of the Baekje Dynasty in Gongju.

The miniscule city of Gongju rests along the banks of the Guemgang River and is engulfed in misty mountains. Adjacent the river is the major tourist attractions starting with Gongsanseong Fortress. The fort is perched on a hill overlooking the city and surrounded by stone walled fortifications towering over the river. With impressive south, east and west gate entry points the fort offers an interesting and at times treacherously slippery walking trail through the rain.

Nearby the fortress rests the Tomb of King Muryeong and his Queen, which were first excavated and researched in 1971. King Muryeong, born in 461AD, was the 25^th king of the Baekje dynasty and helped defend the dynasty and is accredited with significantly increasing trade with China. The inside of the tomb is off limits to visitors and the grassy hills on top resemble obstacles on a golf course, but their historic significance can overshadow the lack luster appearance.

The artifacts from within are now housed in the spacious Gongju National Museum. Such items on display include gold crowns and jewelry, stone and bronze Buddhist sculptures, weapons and other treasures fit to be buried with a king. Even the dreariest of days can be taken advantage of to see and learn new things. A little rain, when used as motivation, can go a long way.

 

DAEJEON

For over two years Daejeon has been nothing more than one of the stops along the way from the south up to Seoul. With only weeks left in Korea however it was decided to make a visit to this frequently overlooked metropolis to see if it had anything to offer. As the 5th biggest city in Korea it was once the home of the 1993 World Expo and proved to remain a city with some flare.

As soon as one exits the train station on the left there is a large and bustling traditional market displaying herbal medicine, local produce and an abundance of other sights, sounds and smells. After hopping on a local bus and arriving just outside the city rests Sikjangsan Moutain which offers fantastic hiking trails; traversing streams and at times using ropes to scale muddy slopes. At the top is a majestic view overlooking the whole of the city and nearby Daecheonghosa Lake.

While back in the city on a Saturday evening, they have turned it’s nearly 20 year old World Expo Park into a fully functional city gathering grounds. The area hosts a central concert hall where a track for joyous children on tricycles, dates rocking couple wear can skate hand in hand, parents teach children to ride bicycles, and just casual on lookers can enjoy the fresh air and music.

It is surrounded by an arboretum and lined with a river traced by bicycle paths which is spanned by a unique red white and blue bridge leading to the Expo Tower. It is also flanked by the Government Complex, that although with dull architecture still has countless tennis courts, basketball courts and other sporting facilities free for use. In addition the park offers rides, museums and countless other activities; the perfect way to unwind and embrace the leisure’s of city life.

Daejeon remains a city underrated but is deserving of a chance to exploit its numerous attractions, surrounding mountains and unique blend of Korean culture as it rests in the heart of this thriving nation!

Daegu International Body Painting Festival 2012

After living in one place for so long it is easy to fall into a comfortable daily, weekly and monthly groove that at times seems hard to break. Even living in the most seemingly mundane places however, can still offer unique opportunities to be taken advantage of. Such was the case this past weekend in Daegu, South Korea.

Occasionally some obscure attraction or event will come to town and break up the typical flow of weekend life here in Daegu. In this case it was the International Body Painting Festival. With no idea what it was all about, we decided to divert our weekend routine from downtown to Duryu Park.

Once there and with a cold beer in hand we began to investigate the fair ground.  Nothing could have prepared me for the spectacle I was about to see.  Tents full of artists painting their nearly nude canvas’s in the most vibrant and intricate designs I have ever seen on any work of art before. Crowds of photographers with larger than life camera lenses were snapping photos of the naked bodies being adorned with the creative twists of the artists; representing South Korea, China, Japan, Germany, Ukraine, Bulgaria the USA!

As this was occurring on stage there were graffiti contests as well as costume contests on stage where models became lost in the lavish and exotic body paint, dresses, and head wear. Some of them were a bit creepy with their long finger nails reaching out for you, almost like drag queens. The entire event seemed bizarre as it was being held in South Korea, a land of conservancy where typically showing even a shoulder is deemed offensive. 

The event served as the perfect meeting ground for my friends to drink in the sun and have a worldly experience in our cities own back yard. We were among the first to return the following day to do it all over again!

BECOMING ONE

While travelling throughout Europe or Latin America, whether it is in cities or country sides, one will encounter a never ending supply of aesthetic churches and cathedrals.  While meandering through bustling city streets or traversing deserts of Africa and the Middle East one will find a seemingly infinite supply of elaborately beautiful mosques. Central and East Asia are no different in that the major tourist sites consist of dramatic temples, artistically splendid in their nature.                                                                            

Narrow-minded travelers will tell you after you have seen one temple you have seen them all. However a more fervent and vigilant traveler will find each one to be unique and gorgeous in its own entirety. Heinsa is no exception and as one of Korea’s largest temples and is nestled deep in the mountains of Gayasan National Park serving as the home to the Tripitaka Koreana. The best way to truly experience the Buddhist life is by undertaking a temple stay.

The temple stay at Heinsa, although infiltrated by numerous other foreigners looking for the same opportunity, proved to be a real eye opener into a way of life unknown to most. One starts by surrendering your clothing and putting on the clothes of a laymen, similar to a bell boys clothing yet strangely comfortable and pleasing. Then the teachings begin on how to act within the temple, obey the codes of silence, bow correctly, walk diligently and behave as the monks do.

The day ends with the harmonious beating of the drums done with such skill and precision from a first, second and third year monk in rotation.  Followed by this is prayer time in the main temple with the essence of burning candles and the silent serenity of the fast approaching night. A tour around the facility with a kind-hearted and humorous monk truly gave insight into what Buddhism philosophy is rooted in.

The monks of this temple endure a rigorous year of silence and meditation. To truly mediate is to clear ones’ mind of all things past and present and truly live for the moment. To appreciate each breath you take, embrace the sounds of nature that surround you, and to ponder such questions as “Who am I?” To be able to forget about all things past and not think about the future rids yourself from ill though and suffering and allows true enlightenment.

Sleep becomes underappreciated until you wake up at 3am to commence your day with the beating drums whose boisterous sound resonates throughout the surrounding mountains and wakes up the still dreaming wildlife. A silent procession then relocates to the main temple to pray and is followed by prostration. Prostration involves partaking in a grueling 108 submissive bows in order to clear the mind and show respect to all things, primarily oneself. This process is followed directly by mediation in which all thoughts cease to exist in your head as your breathing becomes attuned with your body and the sounds of the encroaching morning.

Upon completion and followed by an early morning mountain hike visiting the quaint life in pristine hermitages, you are left with a better understanding of the universe in which you exist and become one with all things. You become aware of the things within yourself and the things that surround you. One is given a true appreciation for the secret life contained within the confines of the temple walls.

Bibimbap for Buddha

Although almost half of South Korea’s nearly 50,000,000 people do not practice religion, during the week leading up to Buddha’s May 28 birthday in Korea, the country transforms itself. Vibrant lanterns line bustling city streets to secluded mountain trails and everything in between. Even though most students don’t know why, this is also a red holiday and schools are closed making it a joyous celebration all around. The city of Gumi is no different.

Gumi is a large city in the heart of Korea known mainly for producing electronics and is therefore skipped over by most tourists. In the outskirts of Gumi however is the well maintained Guemosan Provincial Park. During this holiday weekend families flocked to the park where tents and BBQ pits were erected by the thousands.

 Even in the early morning hours the main trail just beyond the manmade lake with its gorgeous mountain backdrop was flooded with weekend visitors fully decked out in their lavish hiking equipment. The first stop up the mountain is at Geumosanseong Fortress where a blanket of lanterns hung overhead nearly blocking out the sunlight. A little further up families were picnicking and relaxing below Daehye Falls, whose water modestly flows from the cliffs above in a delicate veil of white.

The Mountain trail cleared out beyond this point as many people turned back, allowing the trail to become decongested and a more peaceful experience. Although the summit of Mt. Geumosan is only 976m it still provides a breath-taking 360⁰ view into the green valleys of the park and the expansive city in the distance. Built into the rocky cliffs overlooking the entire valley is home to Yaksaam Temple. This is the ultimate stop for avid prayers and where bright ribbons flail and lanterns sway in the mountain top breeze.

The descent down the north face of the mountain proved to be an arduous task clearly visible from the total lack of other hikers. The trail sloped steeply downhill and was masked with decaying fall foliage, covered with slick rocks and loose gravel making the trip down a much more reckless journey. The trail eventually leads out to a road to Beopseongsa temple. This miniscule temple lacks in the grandeur that many other temples offer but certainly embodied the essence of the holiday.

The temple workers were diligently hanging lanterns to and fro; others vigorously cleaned the temple grounds, while still others were preparing free lunch for all temple visitors. Exhausted from hiking and dripping with sweat we were invited to sit down in a giant family style hall with other families to enjoy an endlessly delicious and energizing bowl of bibimbap among the tranquil serenity of the temple. Without a word being exchanged the overwhelming sensation or harmony instilled a better understanding of what Buddha’s birthday is really all about.