Seoraksan

Ulsanbawi-the rock that brought me to Korea

Once again I find myself a couple weeks behind the times and have failed to be as precise and punctual as possible regarding blogging.  The aforementioned Reuben Haggar has once again enabled me to find passion and desire to publish yet another blog within an unheard of week after my last post.  After work, I was sprinting down the road and/or sidewalk, dodging people and cars like Will Smith in virtually all of his movies, to recount my experience in Seoraksan National Park.  The only downfall of my maniacal running display was that I was not chasing robots, aliens, hippies who steal bone density scanners or drug cartel in Miami.  That, and I'm nowhere near in shape as Smith.

(Get on with this already)
While it seems to have taken that turn (AGAIN), this blog is not about Will Smith .  It is about Seoraksan National Park as the title suggests.  Before I go any further I must tell you a little more about Seoraksan and Pete Freeburg.  Two short years ago, when the idea of moving to Korea was only a fearsome whisper to only a select few in my inner-circle, I began researching about Korea.  Upon doing research I came across some facts and websites that instantly lured me into moving here.  This website, as you have probably guessed it, a website about Seoraksan National Park.  Two years ago I stumbled across the link listed below and it hooked me instantly.  I saw the pictures below and said to myself "I want to go hike that" and then instantly came to the conclusion to "I need to move to Korea".  Thus the proverbial pieces were put in motion.
http://www.pbase.com/image/26382821

A few weeks ago, perhaps a month ago, a friend of mine, Reuben the Incorrigible and I decided enough was enough.  We needed to get to this park if it's the last thing we did this month!

Reuben the Incorrigible (1 of 2)

Reuben the Incorrigible (2 of 2).

Due to Reuben the Incorrigible's esteemable determination, we possessed bus tickets for Saturday morning, October the 9th, two thousand and ten, the year of our Lord.  Sails were set for Seoraksan, near a town called Sokcho in Gangwon-do province.  Aka the other side of Korea on the ocean, about a three hour luxurious bus ride from downtown Seoul.

Sokcho, in my humble opinion, possesses the best of many worlds.  This little city possesses the mountainous beauty of Seoraksan National Park AND the beautiful sea.  If you want to face public execution and ridicule in Korea you can call it the Sea of Japan, otherwise you can get away with calling it the East Sea.

Reuben the Incorrigible and I left Seoul at 7:10 am and arrived in Sokcho at approximately 10:30 am.  After a few erronious blunders on our part, we found the bus to Seoraksan and started our hike around 11:45.  We went on the hike to reach Ulsanbawi, the same peak in which the website which lured me to get hitched and move to Korea in the first place (the one you can find on the website referred above).  Consider this a glorious pilgrimage with no religious undertones.

Prepare for a photo montage of epic proportions.

 Reuben the Incorrigible

This hike was a lot harder than expected and slightly more claustrophobic than expected.  There was a series of stairs on this trail, like the one above, in which the staircase was not more than 4 feet wide and handled throngs of Koreans, Pete Freeburg AND Reuben the Incorrigible.  There was a point if you were tired and wanted to take a break, then you would forcibly cause dozens of Koreans to break as well.  

After Ulsanbawi, Reuben the Incorrigible and I found the sunlight to be running away from us.  After some great converstations down the trail, we decided to go on another trail (getting dangerously close to dark) to see some waterfalls.  The only thing I can offer is another montage.

Brace yourself.

At the end of this hike, Reuben the Incorrigible and I had to almost run back the main park grounds because it was near pitch dark outside.  Luckily we got to the bus on time to get back to Sokcho.  However, we got off the bus way too early and found ourselves upon a very interesting fish market.  While I have no pictures to recount this experience I can just say it was cool.  Reubs and I then walked what seemed like 10 more miles to find a restaurant and finally a jimjil-bong where we could rest our heads (the worst night of sleep I might add).  The following morning we went to the ocean and saw the remains of a sunrise and then got on the bus back to Seoul.  A very productive weekend.