Wow...what a weekend Ive had guys. Its been great! Me, Cara, Jackie and Betsy decided to go backpacking up to Songnisan and its been the best weekend Ive had in Cheonan so far. Reckon the hike was about 17KM altogether. Am slowly regaining my fitness level!
We got the bus to Cheongju then another to Songnisan National Park where we took a quick look at the Beopjusa Temple before we started our steep hike up the mountain. We started out for Cheonawangbong the highest point in the National Park but to my joy it started to snow. I wasn't pleased that we didnt get to climb to the very top but was so pleased coz the place looked so beautiful and the mountains and trees looked like they were being dusted with some kind of icing sugar. I felt like I was in my own little Land of Narnia :)
We headed back down coz people were heading down with clampons attatched to their hiking boots and we didnt have any apart from Jackie. So...we climbed down and went for some rest at our little hut. It was such a nice little place to stay overnight and if any of you are visiting I'll definately be taking you there! All four of us stayed in a little heated room with electricity and heating and were cooked for by the korean hosts. The surroundings were lovely and quaint and their was a little stream running through the rocks and mountains surrounding us. It was so nice to just get away to think in such beautiful surroundings! The sound of the running stream, the mountains and trees and chipped rocks, bamboo leaves and a million different trees. There was a little bridge going across the stream and smooth rocks to sit on and admire the beautiful surroundings. In front of the hut was a little picnic area with seats and wooden trunks to sit on and there were a few chimineys there. The thought of the place in summer made me feel excited...
It was really nice to hear the female host talking to us in English (or trying her very best anyway :) ) lol She was so sweet and the food was gorgeous. She and her 80 odd year old frail mother served us up fresh mountain vegetables, bean curd soup and loads of other gorgeous korean side dishes and rice. I felt quite guilty sat there enjoying the jasmine tea and my favourite kimchi whilst she was sat there hunched over with her old, frail body making sure we had enough rice and food in us. Her daughter was telling us how she looks after the place and both her mother and father and us girls had a natter about how lonely this poor little woman must get out there in the middle of no-where all by herself. She even said that she was lonely and I sensed a tweak of it as we said we were gonna go hit our sacks.I'd really like to go back sometime just to see the people we met on the way coz that wasnt the only person we met on our backpacking 'adventure' lol :)
We stayed in the little shack all night and had the earliest night Ive had in a LONG time. Didn't sleep that well as the heated floor was roasting and I woke up in a hot sweat after having yet another bad dream and soaked to the bone coz it was so hot in there! At least we werent freezing anyway and it was a laugh!
We woke up at about 8 all feeling dirty and sweaty in our little shack in the middle of the forest and Cara and Betsy decided to head on back to Cheonan. Me and Jackie were feeling a bit more adventurous so we decided to go a bit further and check out a bit more of the trek. We found the next hut where people can stay overnight and it was a bit more shabbier and rustic than the one we stayed in. I grabbed some breakfast there and we were invited into their smoky kitchen where we sat on the floor on mini stools and ate together. It was nice and the heat of the kitchen and the smell of the food being cooked in the open korean style fires was really comforting. After our hot rice and rameon we headed up the mountain where we came across a sign which indicated which way we needed to turn for the peak we were heading to. Lost in converstaion and the excitement to carry on exploring after our break from the hundred stairs we'd both just clambered up we veered left. I was a little confused following Jackie as the peak we were heading to stated that we needed to take a right to get there but she was walking left. I didnt bother saying anything and just followed as the way we were going looked inviting and as you all know I love to explore and I felt like a big kid. For a start there was a huge, huge rock which looked like it had been chipped into and it looked like a walkway had been created. We walked through it nd even past a rope that was dangling in front of the walkway with korean writing on it. When we got up I couldnt believe the view . It was beautiful. Me and Jackie decided to sit down on the grass by a rock shrine looking thing. The sun was out and it was a warm place to sit we thought but as Jackie began to lay down her mat a man shouted and told us we werent allowed to sit there. I then realised he was a monk and that we were right by his tiny hermitage. He waved for us to come up the stairs and invited us into his little house. I honestly felt so guilty going in after climning over the rope and sitting on his sacred plot. Anyway it seemed like he wanted us there so we stayed there.For about three hours! It was the nicest thing Ive experienced since Ive got here. His hospitality was amazing and he fed us with beautiful fresh tea, chocolate, fresh strawberries, avocado and then went off to do his chanting and praying in the next little room. It was a beautiful sound and he was at it for a while before he came out to talk and get some rice as an offering to Buddah then went back in to finish. He chimed his bell he had in his little hut and then came back in to feed us with rice, soup, lotus root and loads of other lovely things. It was so nice to just be there with him and exerience his way of life for just a few hours. Jackie and him talked a lot as best they could and it was nice to just listen to him answering her questions about his life and about being a monk. I was enticed and Ive come away today feeling so blessed and loved for that little monks sheer hospitality and kindness to two cold, tired, hungry backpackers. I'll never forget that monk. Ill never forget the smell in there, the sounds of him chanting, his lovely little hut and surroundings that he showed us before we left. It was really amazing. The view he had was out of this world and he's all up there by himself. Happy to just live his simple life worshipping his God showing his hospitality to wanderers such as Jackie and myself.
Id like to go back one day to see how that little monk and that lonely woman are doing.
Definately by far my best time in Cheonan so far. And Ive only been here a few months...
We got the bus to Cheongju then another to Songnisan National Park where we took a quick look at the Beopjusa Temple before we started our steep hike up the mountain. We started out for Cheonawangbong the highest point in the National Park but to my joy it started to snow. I wasn't pleased that we didnt get to climb to the very top but was so pleased coz the place looked so beautiful and the mountains and trees looked like they were being dusted with some kind of icing sugar. I felt like I was in my own little Land of Narnia :)
We headed back down coz people were heading down with clampons attatched to their hiking boots and we didnt have any apart from Jackie. So...we climbed down and went for some rest at our little hut. It was such a nice little place to stay overnight and if any of you are visiting I'll definately be taking you there! All four of us stayed in a little heated room with electricity and heating and were cooked for by the korean hosts. The surroundings were lovely and quaint and their was a little stream running through the rocks and mountains surrounding us. It was so nice to just get away to think in such beautiful surroundings! The sound of the running stream, the mountains and trees and chipped rocks, bamboo leaves and a million different trees. There was a little bridge going across the stream and smooth rocks to sit on and admire the beautiful surroundings. In front of the hut was a little picnic area with seats and wooden trunks to sit on and there were a few chimineys there. The thought of the place in summer made me feel excited...
It was really nice to hear the female host talking to us in English (or trying her very best anyway :) ) lol She was so sweet and the food was gorgeous. She and her 80 odd year old frail mother served us up fresh mountain vegetables, bean curd soup and loads of other gorgeous korean side dishes and rice. I felt quite guilty sat there enjoying the jasmine tea and my favourite kimchi whilst she was sat there hunched over with her old, frail body making sure we had enough rice and food in us. Her daughter was telling us how she looks after the place and both her mother and father and us girls had a natter about how lonely this poor little woman must get out there in the middle of no-where all by herself. She even said that she was lonely and I sensed a tweak of it as we said we were gonna go hit our sacks.I'd really like to go back sometime just to see the people we met on the way coz that wasnt the only person we met on our backpacking 'adventure' lol :)
We stayed in the little shack all night and had the earliest night Ive had in a LONG time. Didn't sleep that well as the heated floor was roasting and I woke up in a hot sweat after having yet another bad dream and soaked to the bone coz it was so hot in there! At least we werent freezing anyway and it was a laugh!
We woke up at about 8 all feeling dirty and sweaty in our little shack in the middle of the forest and Cara and Betsy decided to head on back to Cheonan. Me and Jackie were feeling a bit more adventurous so we decided to go a bit further and check out a bit more of the trek. We found the next hut where people can stay overnight and it was a bit more shabbier and rustic than the one we stayed in. I grabbed some breakfast there and we were invited into their smoky kitchen where we sat on the floor on mini stools and ate together. It was nice and the heat of the kitchen and the smell of the food being cooked in the open korean style fires was really comforting. After our hot rice and rameon we headed up the mountain where we came across a sign which indicated which way we needed to turn for the peak we were heading to. Lost in converstaion and the excitement to carry on exploring after our break from the hundred stairs we'd both just clambered up we veered left. I was a little confused following Jackie as the peak we were heading to stated that we needed to take a right to get there but she was walking left. I didnt bother saying anything and just followed as the way we were going looked inviting and as you all know I love to explore and I felt like a big kid. For a start there was a huge, huge rock which looked like it had been chipped into and it looked like a walkway had been created. We walked through it nd even past a rope that was dangling in front of the walkway with korean writing on it. When we got up I couldnt believe the view . It was beautiful. Me and Jackie decided to sit down on the grass by a rock shrine looking thing. The sun was out and it was a warm place to sit we thought but as Jackie began to lay down her mat a man shouted and told us we werent allowed to sit there. I then realised he was a monk and that we were right by his tiny hermitage. He waved for us to come up the stairs and invited us into his little house. I honestly felt so guilty going in after climning over the rope and sitting on his sacred plot. Anyway it seemed like he wanted us there so we stayed there.For about three hours! It was the nicest thing Ive experienced since Ive got here. His hospitality was amazing and he fed us with beautiful fresh tea, chocolate, fresh strawberries, avocado and then went off to do his chanting and praying in the next little room. It was a beautiful sound and he was at it for a while before he came out to talk and get some rice as an offering to Buddah then went back in to finish. He chimed his bell he had in his little hut and then came back in to feed us with rice, soup, lotus root and loads of other lovely things. It was so nice to just be there with him and exerience his way of life for just a few hours. Jackie and him talked a lot as best they could and it was nice to just listen to him answering her questions about his life and about being a monk. I was enticed and Ive come away today feeling so blessed and loved for that little monks sheer hospitality and kindness to two cold, tired, hungry backpackers. I'll never forget that monk. Ill never forget the smell in there, the sounds of him chanting, his lovely little hut and surroundings that he showed us before we left. It was really amazing. The view he had was out of this world and he's all up there by himself. Happy to just live his simple life worshipping his God showing his hospitality to wanderers such as Jackie and myself.
Id like to go back one day to see how that little monk and that lonely woman are doing.
Definately by far my best time in Cheonan so far. And Ive only been here a few months...
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