Seoraksan and jimjilbang initiation

Sarah and I had been planning on a weekend break to Seoraksan National Park in Gangwan-do, the neighbouring province, for a few weeks but so far we hadn’t been able to get a dog-sitter for the little Shih Tzu we had recently taken in. Just as we had found a friend to look after him, up popped a helpful Korean who wanted to have him permanently. Although we (Sarah in particular) were fond of the charismatic little bugger, it wasn’t fair to keep him in the short-term and then palm him off to someone else once our time in Korea was up. So, with a tear in the eye, we parted company on Friday night. Suddenly bereft of dog, we were free to go on our excursion, hoorah!!


We did our research and found there was a bus to leave nearby Sangbong bus terminal at 5:50 am. This meant getting up at 5:00 am. Not something we were accustomed to in Korea, where we normally rise at a leisurely 11am. No biggie, we could always sleep on the bus. Our plan was to take a bus to Wontong, then a local bus to Namgyo-ri, where we would start a 7 hour hike through Sibiseonnyeotang valley, passing numerous waterfalls and peaks, arriving at the other side of the park just before nightfall. There was pretty much no room for any unforeseen delays, errors on our part etc as we didn’t fancy trekking through the wilderness in the darkness. We arrived at Sangbong at 5:30, but much to our displeasure there were no buses scheduled to leave before 6am and no buses going to Wongtong (our initial destination) until 9:30!! This was odd as it’s fairly straightforward to find reliable info on Korea’s excellent transportation system and we had no issues in the past. There’s always a chance this can happen of course and we just had to swallow it and find an alternative route. It looked like we wouldn’t have time to the do our long valley trek after all. Nay mind, the park is littered with different hikes, so we would just take on another.

So, we took a bus to a town called Hongcheon, where we would have to change for Wontong. During this time I hoped to catch up on some much needed sleep as obviously it was still very early and still dark outside. However, we hadn’t banked on having a Korean speed demon bus driver taking us to our destination. The guy was absolutely hell-bent on getting there as fast as humanely possible. I didn’t even know coaches could travel at that speed, it was akin to the scene form Harry Potter with the magic bus which takes him to Hogwart's. And all the time he was pounding on the horn, tearing it round corners, over-taking cars. I often feel like I am placing my life in the hands of an anonymous person whilst on buses in Korea, but this really did push it a bit far. Especially as it was so early in the morning and I couldn’t help thinking how much soju the guy had probably consumed the night before. Somehow we made it to a stop in one piece, and then it became clear why the guy was driving at light speed. After pulling over, he quickly made us change buses halfway through so he could put his feet up, whilst another (thankfully, calmer) driver could take us the rest of the way to Hongcheon. Cheeky bugger, but fair play to him I suppose!

After a 40 minute transfer from Hongcheon, we then actually arrived in Wontong at 9:50, exactly the same time, we would have if we had caught our original bus! The original bus must have taken a long route and our off-the-cusp changed plan must have been more direct somehow. Either way we were happy that we could once again take our intended hike. A short local bus ride from Wontong and we were near the entrance to the Sibiseonnyeotang valley. Hurrah! We walked the last 10 minutes to the entrance and then to our disbelief we came to a large no entry sign prohibiting us from joining the beginning of the course. Although this was strange we weren’t going to let a small stumbling block like this deter us after all our early morning efforts. However, as we were just about to duck under the partition, a Korean guy stuck his head out from his little hut next to the track and made it clear through gesticulations that we could not go down the track today! Upon closer inspection, it appeared we could not do the course between 15 November and 15 December due to risk of forest fire. We were a week late!! After verbally lettign that sign know how we felt about this (not the Korean guy) we reluctantly turned round with our tails between our legs and sullenly trudged back to the bus stop. A few metres from the guy’s hut, we inspected the surrounding area to see if there was a way past, but we would have had to go too far out the way to try and make it. It really wasn’t meant to be that day. So we hightailed it back to Wontong, then it was 2 more buses before we made it to Seorak-dong, the heart of the park, where some of the best peaks and scenery can be found. We would actually be able to do some walking! It had taken 7 buses and 8 hours but finally we would be able to immerse ourselves in the park!


Seorak-dong is the central area of the park where probably the most famous peak is situated. This peak, Ulsan-Bawi, at 873m is not staggeringly high, but we heard it has a fairly steep ascent via huge metal steps. At the beginning of the walk we passed a huge statue of sitting Buddha, which was certainly the biggest we had seen so far, but probably pales in comparison to others around Asia. About half hour up, we reached the bottom of the aforementioned steps and they do look pretty formidable. There are 808 in total and they frequently change in steepness and also slant in all manner of directions at various points. The actual structure itself creaks and shakes badly in places and part of you wonders how often they are tested for safety. I’m guessing never. But that’s the way it is in Korea, people just don’t question things like this, they just get on with it. Mountain climbing and hiking (in addition to road safety) is really where Koreans show off their fearless streak. People of ALL ages negotiate these tricky mountains, it’s not surprising to be over-taken by a grandma (older people are so fit out here, if they are not climbing a mountain, they are bench-pressing the free fitness equipment in a park around Seoul) or see children clambering over rocks at the summit, their parents seemingly blasé to the very real prospect of plummeting off. This type of activity would never be allowed back in Britain without proper training, the safety police would clamp down on it instantly. But this is the Korean way. After another 45 minutes or so we made it to the top and the view was magnificent, it was definitely some of the most breath-taking, rugged scenery I’ve ever seen. I was almost as impressed by the older gent right on top of the peak, selling hot coffee and other refreshments from a little cart. How he got the cart up there in the first place is an amazing achievement in itself, yet he also scales the mountain every day (with fresh supplies) to sell people beverages. What a guy. After a very windy lunch up top, we came back down just in time to take a cable car (well we’d already climbed one mountain and it was getting dark) to the opposite peak and then we headed back to our motel in Oseak, on the perimeter of the park. Although it wasn’t the day we originally planned we saw some incredible scenery and it all turned out rather well.

Another real draw for us to come to Seoraksan National Park was the hot springs all around the area, which we were keen get involved in. A popular past-time in Korea is to visit a jimjilbang. A jimjilbang is a public bath house where Koreans like to unwind, enjoy various pools of different temperatures, saunas and steam rooms. All naked as the day they were born. We weren’t sure if the spring facility we would be using was a jimjilbang or if it was more of a mixed, swimming pool type affair. We checked with our motel owner if her spring was mixed, she said no, but there was one in a bigger motel we could use up the road. Buoyed by this, we set off thinking we could wear swimmng clothes in an mixed bath house. I have no reservations about getting my kit off in front of strangers, this happens every time I go to the gym, but I would have preferred to use the same one as Sarah, then we could chat and relax together. When we arrived we were given clothes to wear and ushered into separate changing rooms. We then told to meet back in the reception. I walked through the large, very modern changing room and noticed that to my left were huge glass doors. Beyond these doors I could see through to the bath house itself. There certainly weren’t any women in there and there certainly weren’t any clothes either. It looked like Sarah and I were to relax separately that night, jimjilbang style. I was therefore confused by the clothes they had given us but these were for the mixed zone, which contained a bar, sauna rooms and massage chairs. It seems Korean men and women enjoy the separation from each other at these times, allowing each sex to relax without interruption from the other. Plus Koreans are generally quite body-shy, the idea of dis-robing in public within view of the opposite sex, whilst certainly not taboo, is still not too common. Many Koreans still elect to cover up at the beach and at public swimming pools. So it was to be that I was to have the full jimjilbang experience. I was comfortable with this, in addition to eating dog (why haven't I done that yet?), it's one of the 'must-do' things I still need to achieve whilst in Korea. So without much further ado, I dropped the towel and got involved. I was expecting to be stared at upon entering the bath area (Koreans often find foreigners fascinating most of the time - let alone a naked one), but I was pleasantly surprised to find out no-one was that bothered. It was after all, a modern spring in a posh hotel in a touristy area of Korea, they were probably used to the odd Johnny Foreigner strolling about without his clothes on. And later on, there were many like-minded Westerners there too, experiencing an authentic Korean past-time.

After showering I got straight into a 39 degree pool filled with pine-needle water. Bliss! The hot water immediately began easing the strain of all those steps earlier on. After a few minutes soaking in there I was like a kid on a sweet shop, dipping myself into all manner of watery treats. There was an open air pool, a strange bright pink coloured pool (there was no English description on this one so I had no idea what made it that colour) and various other pools. The most excitingly-named one was the "hot carbon acid spring" which did not sound like something I wanted to dip my finger into, let alone my man parts. However, other people there weren't writhing in agony with flesh falling off the bone, so I eased myself in. There was a strong odour of metal and the water felt strange to the skin but I persisted and started to relax. The blurb on the wall informed me the spring contained iron, phosphorus and other naturally occurring chemicals which are apparently very good for the health. I stayed put for about 5 minutes but the lower temperature made me vacate fairly quickly. My skin felt very odd when I emerged but I think it's meant to do that. I went straight back in the hot pool and remained there for the rest of my time there. I had such a deep sense of relaxation, the Koreans are really onto something with the whole jimjilbang thing. It definitely wont be my last time to visit one of these places. The next day was did some more walking around the park, through a beautiful valley near our motel, before taking the long journey back to Seoul. However, the return journey suprisingly consisted of just one solitary bus, which made things somewhat easier. Seoraksan National Park is must do for anyone in Korea, we loved it so much we are thinking of going back in December to attempt the Sibiseonnyeotang valley course. This time armed with better information.

Dinner Party

2 weeks ago Sarah and I were invited out for dinner by her new boss. We would be dining with Mrs Yu (the boss), her husband, who happens to be a former Korean diplomat to Britain and her co-workers. Something a bit different for a Saturday night AND a free meal. We had to travel to the Southern reaches of Seoul, a fair distance from our abode up in the North-East. We really didn't want to be late and to make a good impression. Sarah's boss had only been there a week, plus the fact her husband was a pretty important guy (these things are worth double in Korean culture - especially as he is an older guy - the pinnacle of the Korean social hierarchy). Of course though, we managed to get to our meeting point 10 minutes late. Then we had to find a payphone as our second phone from Korea is also now out of action. And of course the Law of the Sod decided that the only payphone insight was occupied. Wonderful. Eventually, after Sarah and I huffed and puffed around the phone box for a while the guy finished his call and we were able to tell our hosts we had (belatedly) arrived. A flash car then came to pick us up with our host for the evening, Mr Yu, driving it. We hastily apologised for our tardiness, but Mr Wu gently waved away our apologies. He seemed like a nice guy. His English was also excellent, which can sometimes be a slight issue at Korean dinners.

We arrived at the restaurant which was actually part of the National University of Korea. We made our way into the plush reception area and Sarah and I immediately regretted our attire of jeans and trainers. Oops, maybe should have dressed up a little more. My apprehension began to grow as we were then ushered to a private room, where we would be dining that night. The room consisted of one large circular table, with 8 Korean females around the table. The atmosphere immediately felt stifling and tense. We sat down and nobody was talking to each other at all. I soon realised a vacuum must have been left in the room when Mr Yu had come to pick us up because within seconds he was chatting to me in English and did not let up for the whole 3 hours we were there. No-one else got a look in. Although this was a welcome relief to the silence with which we were greeted, it was pretty hard going too. Korean culture is totally male-dominated, so with me being the only other guy in the room, all Mr Wu's oratory was directed solely at me. This also meant all eyes were on me and all ears on my responses, as Mr Wu set out to find out more about me. Although, he was a pleasant and even amusing man, the whole experience did seem a bit like a job interview and I found myself searching for the best answer, rather than just speaking my mind.

After a few minutes of this, Mr Wu explained that in our absence, each other guest had given a brief speech about themselves and he had written notes on everyone to help him remeber (probably an old diplomat trick). And of course, it wouldn't have been fair if Sarah and I were not to have the same platform to speak about ourselves! I gave a quick rundown about myself (or rather the aspects he thought he wanted to hear about) and even manged to raise a few sympathetic laughs along the way. I viewed it as brief speaking practice for my best man's speech I have to give next summer in its most basic form. Except next year, I'll be stitching up my mate, rather than trying to big myself up, so it'll be pretty different. And when the real thing happens, there will only be about 20 times the amount of people there. Still, any practice is welcome.

The meal itself consisted of 3 courses, salad, soup then Italian style steak, washed down with some pretty good red wine. Considering I was half-expecting Shabu Shabu (Mongolian cuisine which Koreans normally enjoy feeding me) this was certainly a turn-up for books! Although I was very grateful to my host for inviting us out for dinner and delivering top-notch grub, it was a little difficult to enjoy the fine food. Mr. Wu was much more interested in regaling me in tales from either his childhood (actually very interesting, he had to be evacuated from Seoul to Busan at the outbreak of the Korean War. He made the journey on foot when he was 2 years old. It took him a month of solid walking!) or his work for the Korean Embassy in London (not quite as interesting), than he was bothered about eating. Of course then I couldn't eat as I normally would, which usually resembles feeding time at the zoo, as I had to be on hand to give reassuring utterances that I was taking in all the information presented to me. My Wu was so intent on delivering which was at times, a monologue, that he had at one point two courses stacked up and ready to be eaten. I remember reading in my Lonely Planet that it is considered rude in Korea to finish your dinner before your elders, so I made sure at least Mrs Wu always finished before me. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to wait for Mr Wu to finish, but as this was unlikely to ever happen I decided it was okay to finish after his wife. I noticed that none of the other guests (except Mrs Wu) finished any of their courses, but I decided what was good enough fo the diplomat's wife was good enough for me! And to honest I was willing to cause slight offence rather than see this delicious grub go to waste. If I had been with a different group of people I would have finished all their steaks off as well, such is the lack of red meat I have had recently, but I had to be respectful of the fact I couldn't just interrupt my host with "Yo Mr Wu, are you finishing that steak or what?!!"

It was definitely hard-going having pretty much all the conversation directed at me. It's strange coming from a country like Britain which, I'm not kidding myself, is still a patriarchal society (but much more implicitly) to a country where the male really is king. Even though all the information could have been just as, if not more interesting for any of the female guests, it was pretty much all directed towards me. Sarah was referred to briefly at times, but it really was a cultural contrast to not have all the people at the table addressed on a more equal basis. It was also different from our own culture in that fact that there were almost no other conversation going on at the table. We were pretty much just here to listen to the powerful male, be gracious that he paid for the meal (the elder always pays) and speak when spoken to. It was almost like being thrust back to (how I imagine) Victorian times!!

Eventually we finished our meals and coffee was brought out. This meant time for more public speaking. Yippee! Although Mr Wu had been honing the oratory skills which must have served him well as a diplomat, he also wanted to us give our chance on the speak (when he deemed appropriate). We each had to deliver an impromptu toast, which was kind of embarrassing as we had to serve up the old cliches, but it was another one of those character-building occassions. Mr Wu kindly offered to give us a lift back to the subway station. En route he gave us an obligatory tour of the university, then we were free to go! We then made our way to Gangnam, which wasn't too far away and where we could wind down with some good quality beer from Castle Praha. We certainly needed it after the hard work we had put in that night.