On the Flipside: A Korean Adventure: Jirisan National Park: Saturday November 17th, 2012

It is getting colder and colder in Korea, and to make the most of the fall hiking season, we decided to go on one more hiking trip. Many Koreans have told us that hiking in Korea during the fall is the “it thing.” Hiking is very popular here because 70% of the country is covered in mountains. So along with four other good friends, we decided to go hiking in Jirisan National Park.

After school on Friday November 16^th, we took a 4-hour bus ride to Namwon, the closest city to the park. We stayed in a traditional Korean house/hostel called Persimmons Flower on May, located within the park. The six of us crammed into one tiny room called the Family Room, although we didn't quite understand how it could possibly be big enough for an entire Korean family...

Saturday morning, we got up early to make the most of the day. Since there is no concept of a Western style breakfast, we started the day with a Korean feast at a small local restaurant. We placed our orders for six dolsot bibimbaps, a traditional Korean dish of rice, vegetables, egg, and hot sauce served in a hot stone pot with about ten small side dishes; however, the owner of the restaurant kept bringing out additional dishes, including sardine curry and mushroom soup. We were all very worried that there was some confusion with our orders, but luckily, we weren't stuck paying for any extra dishes. I think the restaurant’s generous owner was just so happy to see that many foreigners eating at his restaurant.

We then started our hike by getting lost while finding the trail. A few friendly locals that worked at the restaurant and the nearby convenience store tried to help us find our way. After a lot of acting, using Google translate on our phones, and drawing little maps on napkins, we were on our way! We started on a path that followed a beautiful river up a mountain. This is where we saw a famous rock, known for resembling a dragon tried to take flight. The peak we originally wanted to climb was closed because unfortunately it was too late in the season. So another last minute change of plans led us to a small, isolated village in the mountains called Waun. The village is known for its thousand-year-old pine tree, Cheonnyeonsong or “Grandmother Pine”, that the village says acts as a guardian. We had a little picnic with a few other Korean hikers that kindly offered us makkoli, Korean rice wine. Later on in the day, we headed to Namwon, known as the city of love, and walked around its famous amusement park. The park was little eerie, since it was late in the season and cool, we were the only ones walking around.

We arrived back in Incheon this Sunday morning and relaxed the rest of the day. Overall, it was another great weekend! Just to give another last little update, we are currently planning our winter vacation trips and so far, skiing in Japan and soaking up the sun in Thailand are in the mix.

"Persimmons Flower on May" hostel where we stayed the first night. This is the family room that sleeps six.

Persimmons Flower on May

This was the entrance to the hostel... We weren't sure about this place at first, but it was an interesting experience and the owner was helpful in directing us to the restaurant.

This is a persimmon tree beside our hostel. Persimmons are the orange fruit hanging in the tree. Ian and I often have them with our Korean school lunches.