Bits and Pieces

Digging through my camera's memory card in search of blogging material, of which there is plenty to come, I came upon some interesting photos that don't quite deserve a space of their own, but might be interesting to you nonetheless.

What are you eating?

Yes, this might not look too appetising, but I promise you it's good. This is Doenjang Jiggae. This is one of the most traditional Korean dishes. You can put almost anything in it (I used vegetables and tofu here) and then just add soy bean paste, garlic and an anchovy and you're more or less good to go. Serve with rice, and a selection of kimchi (four types above, all provided by my co-teacher).

The real beauty of this dish is the dish (sigh). The ceramic pot that this is in goes on the stove, and you cook the stew in it. Once it's ready you just pop it on a wooden block and carry it to the table. Your food stays hot for longer, and it halves the amount of washing up you have to do. Beauty.

What are you up to with your kids?

These are my kids in grades 1 to 4 of one of my elementary schools. I realise there aren't many of them, but there are only 30 kids in the entire school. We spent a couple of after school classes translating their Korean names into the Roman alphabet, and then making them into masks. I took these photos to help me remember their names. Not my greatest brainwave, given that none of their faces are visible.

How's the weather?

Right now the temperature is plummeting, as we head towards the bitter mountain winter. Apparently last year it got down to -27C here. Chilly. I bought a pair of tights the other day to wear under my trousers when it gets really cold. I somehow feel like less of a man, though probably still more of a man than I would if I didn't have the tights and certain important parts of my anatomy froze off on the ride to school.

The phot's above were from a couple of months back, when a few days of biblical deluges turned the trickle that passes through Jinbu into a raging torrent. This is maybe 6 times the size it normally is.

How about Korean aesthetics?

Bewildering. My friend Stacy and I went for a walk in the buckwheat fields, and came upon a gaudy bench and a plastic pillar box. Beats me who put them there, and why.

Probably about to throw in some awesome fall scenery then?

Yup.

What were you saying about Korean aesthetics?

That they're mental. Feature this London bus sitting in the grounds of the Kensington Stars Hotel in Seoraksan. Complete with all original signage. Almost made me pine for Willesden, but not quite. Quite why a country with such a beautiful natural landscape has stuff like this dotted about is still beyond me.

Get to Seoul much?

Not if I can help it, but with a girlfriend living just the other side of it it's getting more difficult to avoid. This sunset almost makes it look nice though, and I did feel good at this point. Mostly because I was going home.

Adios,

A

Back to Seoraksan

Without a doubt, the most beautiful place that I have visited in Korea so far is Seoraksan National Park. This seems to be a view shared by most people that I meet here, Korean or foreigner. It's a unique place, formed mostly out of sandstone, that streams have worn down over the millenia until they run through deep ravines, while pine trees perch precariously on outcrops halfway up to where squared topped pillars of sandstone meet the sky. As I said last time, my description doesn't really do it justice. Fortunately I had my camera with me, so again I will let the pictures do the talking, though I will be wittering some form of commentary beneath each one.

It really is the perfect place to come if you have any interest in hiking. Nick and I both do, so when he came to visit it seemed like the perfect place to spend a couple of days pottering about.

Outer Seoraksan, the more touristy side of the park, is accessed from the small city of Sokcho on the East Coast, about an hour up from Gangneung. Being a seaside city, the seafood is excellent. This was a Hae-mul-guk-su, prawns, sea snails, a potato and noodles in a peppery broth. As with a lot of Korean food, it was simple but absolutely delicious, and at about 6 dollars, a bit of a bargain too.

On arriving at the park, we took the cable car up to a nearby peak to look around. The view out was pretty spectacular, unlike the muzak.

Nick made it up to the summit above the cable car, but then had trouble with the ol' farmer Giles.

But then he found solace...

The big man himself ... and Buddha. Ha ha ha!

The big man h... oh, err, never mind.

If caught in a rockfall, be sure to shield your child in the instant you are crushed to death. Especially if you are a cutesy little cartoon bear.

This is the hike up to Ulsan Bahui, which we did on the Thursday afternoon. Although short, it's pretty punishing. As you can see, for the most part it's just steep, steep staircases. It's really spectacular though, even if most of the time we couldn't see more than about 10m ahead. Occasionally though a Korean grandmother would appear out of the mist on her way down, making us all the more determined to get to the top.

Grev's life tips #54: Don't try climbing up several thousand stairs

six weeks after rupturing your appendix.

It's all worth it when you get to the top though. Shame there were no girls around to see me looking so sexy. Throat sweat is really in this year.

This is Ulsan Bahui - the rock we climbed for two hours to see. Korean legend has it that this rock was travelling from Ulsan to the construction of Mt. Geumgang (in what is now North Korea), one of the most beautiful spots on the peninsula apparently. Sadly, it was too late, possibly due to the problems of moving itself, being a large inanimate object. On the long trudge (or whatever rocks do) home, it came upon this spot and went to sleep, and has been here ever since. Korean legend rating: 7 (fun but improbable).

Tee-hee.

The view of Daechonbong (the highest peak in Seoraksan) from Ulsan Bahui.

Probably one of the better photos that I've ever taken, though not due to any skill on my part. I was just lucky to be up there at the precise moment the cloud lifted and exposed the top of this stegosaurus.

The following day we headed up towards, but by no means all the way to Daechonbong. I'm planning an assault on the peak one weekend, hopefully making it up and down in a day. This climb was a little lazier, allowing us to take in some stunning scenery.

Most of the trails through Seoraksan are actually built rather than found. While you'd think that it would spoil the atmosphere of the park, it actually makes it more pleasant in a lot of respects. The walkways blend in nicely with the background, and bridges like the one above rather add to the excitement of the hike. It's also reassuring to know that your hiking boots aren't wearing away at the sandstone of this unique place, and fun to imagine the sheer amount of work that must have gone into building them. The bears are back. The less said about this one the better I reckon. We overtook a man carrying a full barbecue up the mountain on his back. We were impressed by his dedication to outdoor eating, especially when upon passing him, he confidently predicted rain for the afternoon. Lo and behold, the heavens opened (and I mean it threw it down) just as we were getting down off the mountain. I hope he managed to eat his Sam Gyeop Sal before it happened. Korean legend has it that one day a beautiful nymph descended from the heavens and came to this pool. She had a nice day swimming around, and then at the end of the day went back up to heaven. Korean legend rating: 2. Boring. Most of the day we spent climbing up the sides of gorges, past waterfalls and pools. Probably one of the most beautiful days I've spent in Korea... ...though at the cost of some pretty horrific back and crack sweat. Waterfall, and pool, but no accompanying nymphic legends. Kimbap for lunch. "Yobbish Nature" Nick 5 strong continental lagers before the preceding picture. Finally, a couple more videos I took. One of a particularly beautiful waterfall. There's something slightly magical about the way that the water glides over the sandstone in Seoraksan. It seems almost more liquid than in other parts of the world.

And finally, some adorable little chipmunks sharing our snack. I really want one of these as a pet, but they can live for eight years in captivity, so it's a bit too much of a commitment. Someone kind did just buy me a toy one though, which takes a little less looking after.