/VVVV\Chunkwan/VVV\Mudeung/VVVV\

2 mountains X fun = wowy :)

Click link for photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50677592@N08/sets/72157625224389139/show/

Jiri Mountain

Jirisan (san meaning "mountain" in Korean) is the largest and highest of the mainland mountains in Korea. Hence "mainland", with the Hallasan Volcano of Jeju Island claiming the nation's tallest peak.

Korea has eight provinces. Three to the south are named North Jeolla, South Jeolla, and South Gyeongsang. Smack dab at the intersection of the three there's a mountain named Jiri. The "ji" is the chinese character for wisdom, and it's said that "even the ignorant can become wise by staying here."

My buddy Charles and I stayed at a mountain lodge where the family cooked us dinner, breakfast in the morning, and gave us a young fella to hang out with.

Click link for photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50677592@N08/sets/72157624961818151/show/

Gyeongju: The Historic Capital City

Parks, temples, and several royal tombs made Gyeongju a beautiful visit.

Gyeongju, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla (57 BC – 935 AD) which ruled most of the Korean Peninsula between the 7th and 9th centuries, is often referred to as "the museum without walls." If you're looking for cultural heritage in Korea, it's a great place to visit. We did like many and saw it all on rented bicycles.

Click link for photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50677592@N08/sets/72157624781191260/show/

Chosun University Rose Festival

University alum established the garden in 2001, and the roses never looked back, or down.

Within the lines of the city I call home (Gwangju), lies a couple universities. One, Chosun University, holds a rose festival in its rose garden or "jangmiwon" each May. With over 200 species in the Jangmiwon, seemingly every country barring Siberia was florally represented.

Click link for photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50677592@N08/sets/72157624337805143/show/

This Would Have Been A Great Shot If...

This would have been a great shot if it wasn't for a certain figure taking no remorse in uninvited occupancy of the middle section of the photograph. I'm sure you would love to bask in the sweet sweet innocence of this reckless individual, but take heed in knowing that...

Moments later, I would heroically save this child from the depths of this fountain pool as his greed for spare change seemingly eclipsed any regard to inept swimming capability. That was a joke. He was an excellent swimmer, requiring no assistance on my end at all. Contrarily, I watched in envy of his exponentially rising financial standings and raw yet impressive butterfly stroke. My shades of green would continue to darken at his every circle of the pool, he becoming nothing more in my eyes than a bottom feeder with appendages swallowing up coins like like an overused Coke machine, only to capitalize afterward with a tantalizing treat from the ice cream stand. With the afternoon heat thickening to no apparent end, and it being 10 minutes into my afternoon snack hour as it was, my dry mouth could remain closed no longer. As he now obtained the ever so tasty Cherry Rocket Blaster, I began to shout such slanders as "wish stealer" and "new money", but abruptly surrendering to the two inescapable truths that "A": a fountain full of insults wouldn't fill the Cherry Rocket Blaster void in my stomach, and "B": he was an infant and most likely didn't speak English.

Granted he was before the age of words in probably any language, I strongly maintain he owes some form of appreciation for his parents forced swimming lessons, which at the time probably seemed quite frivolous. As bitter as this scene was and still in retrospect is for me, I am fortunate to be to an eye-witness to the fruits of the labors of post-fetal aquatics.

Buddha's Got Lamps

No birthday cake but plenty of candles amongst the countless glowing lanterns. Safe to say Buddha is old.

Hey, it's May 21st, Buddha's birthday. Being a national holiday, it's probably bigger than any birthday party you've ever had. How old is Buddha nowadays? Hard to tell. There's no cake, so you can't exactly count the candles. In fact, they're in the lanterns. Traditionally, people all around celebrate with glowing lanterns. On this night, we visited the 1000 year old Songgwangsa Temple to catch a glimpse of the lanterns at twilight, which were especially spectacular above the flowing stream of the temple.


Click link for photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50677592@N08/sets/72157624188777556/show/

A Scruggtastic Climb!

Webster's Korean Web edition:
Word of the Week
waygukin
[wey-goo-kin]
noun, plural -s

-noun 1. A foreigner to the Republic of Korea.

Within this week I welcomed in a Western waygukin. And what a more wonderful way to welecome in a wanderer, than wiggling about the whereabouts of the whine stone Wolchulsan. Why, wasn't a waygukin we would weightlessly word nor weighing a weak-willed walker whatsoever. Twas a worldly well-to-do and well-known wayfarer. While we will willingly withdraw a first we'll watchfully wind-down the wheels of this winding, weathering, all the while wishfully whimsical writing, when wrapping up with the family name: Scruggs


Click link for photos and video of the hike with Scruggs:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50024924@N07/show/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mimf7EV5kjo

Bamboo Wife Hunt

Festivals....We all know the greats: "The Gilroy Garlic Festival" of Gilroy, California; "Schmeckfest" of Freeman, South Dakota. And who could forget "Eeyore's Birthday Party" (yes, the chronically depressed donkey of Winnie the Pooh) held annually in Austin, Texas. But did you know there is a festival dedicated solely to bamboo?

Located within 2.4 kilometers of beautiful forest, the Damyung Bamboo Festival offers more than just the largest member of the grass family. Like what? Well....like bamboo hats. And baskets made of bamboo. And bamboo walking sticks, bamboo drums, bamboo lamp shades, bamboo hair brushes, bamboo wine bottle holders...
Ok. It's pretty much all just bamboo.

But I did find it interesting and dare-I-say appealing to hear they made wives out of the stuff. A wife made of bamboo? Now, you're talkin'! Once outside the forest, I made finding my bamboo bride top bamboo priority.

Upon reaching the bamboo gift shop, it appeared locating the wife section would be tricky. But hey, who said finding your solemate was easy? After passing countless bamboo products, they were in my sight, heaped in a stack. And there SHE was. Propped up against the wall, puttin' out the vibe. Problem was, it wasn't a good vibe. "What in the heck is this?" I thought. "She doesn't even look like a wife!" In fact, she didn't even look like a doll. No head, no legs, nothin'. Just a big woven nothing!

Turns out, the bamboo wife or "Jukbuin", is supposed to be nothing. Basically, a big tube of space to wrap your yourself around. The cool material of the bamboo is "hugged" to keep one cool in the hot seasons of Korea.

Love is blind...and so is the bamboo wife!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50677592@N08/sets/72157624188810178/show/

Get Your Nails Did

Can't say decorated finger nails were the reason I came to the nation's capital last weekend. Then again, I didn't know about the "2010 Nail Day Festival" before last weekend. Less of an actual festival than it was just an art exhibit under a bridge, which we stumbled upon during our travel along the river downtown.

Why is there a contest for painting finger nails? Got me. Just add it to the list of "Things in Korea That Make My Forehead Wrinkle." But what I do know is that one contestant surely seperated herself from the pack. Among the rows and rows of traditional Korean flowers, sacred symbols, and lettering, this nail doer did one better. Peanuts. The question is: Is Charles Schulz looking down with a smile or a wrinkly forehead?

So, what's the rest of Seoul like? It has a few inhabitants. 10 million in counting. But who's counting? They must be busy. Turns out water isn't the only thing to swim in. You have to do it in people too. That's if you want to avoid drowning. I found out the hard way in Seoul's sea of people. And it's just like the public pool!...Except there's no life gaurd. Goggles are strange. And you can beg for "adult swim break" all day, but it will never come. It's always full swim session.

If you see a Korean sign that reads "America is the Best Country", there's probably another right behind for a different country. Just ask this guy. He had a whole stack of them. Why? Well, attached to these signs was a book. Called the Bible. According to what he read, all people should be loved. That's great, man. But come on, you know which one's the best.

A Spicey Midnight Snack

Toto, we're not in Iowa anymore. So, you're gonna' have to cut the "ruff ruff" stuff. It's pronounced different here.


February 13th, 4pm, after 14 long hours in the air, flight 038 touched the ground of South Korea. Talk about a need to stretch! Not once did I leave my seat during flight. It hurt, but later I'd find this knee pain trivial in comparison to the crossed-legged sitting at meals. Some legs just aren't meant to resemble pretzels.


Warning: the Lunar New Year may cause heavy traffic. Safe to say, since my 4 hour bus ride from the airport to the city turned into 7. On the bright side, the slow ride offered some gazing at the countryside. Upon arrival, (3am) it felt like bed time, but my boss had another idea. After meeting at the bus terminal we headed straight for dinner/late night/early morning meal. He asked "Do you like our spicey food?" There was only one way to find out, and I did. Yikes! I found a new use for the fire extinguisher that night. I'll stick to the mild foods from here out.