So many mountains to potentially conquer, so little time.
Literally, Busan is surrounded by mountains. So, while preparing for my trip, I did substantial research on which peak to take on during my short time. The first intriguing aspect of hiking Jangsan mountain was its accessibility. Many other trails required a number of metro transfers and a bus transfer or two. No thanks. Jangsan required only a short ride on the metro and BAM, you're there.
Of course, there is always a catch. In the case of Jangsan mountain, the catch comes in the form of many old land mines scattered beneath the terrain. Therefore, you better stay on the bath lest you desire to lose a limb.
Literally, Busan is surrounded by mountains. So, while preparing for my trip, I did substantial research on which peak to take on during my short time. The first intriguing aspect of hiking Jangsan mountain was its accessibility. Many other trails required a number of metro transfers and a bus transfer or two. No thanks. Jangsan required only a short ride on the metro and BAM, you're there.
Of course, there is always a catch. In the case of Jangsan mountain, the catch comes in the form of many old land mines scattered beneath the terrain. Therefore, you better stay on the bath lest you desire to lose a limb.
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| Better stay on the path! |
Hiking in Korea is quite a bit different form hiking elsewhere. Trekkers don themselves with matching hiking gear and stop at a number of "fitness parks" en route to the peak to fit in some bench press reps or crunches. Also, there are some fire hydrants alongside the path in case of a forest fire. Gotta pee and don't feel like roughing it? Don't worry- there are also relatively nice bathrooms along the trail.
I enjoyed the solitude provided by the hiking experience. The bitter cold temperatures kept me moving quickly towards my peak in a desperate attempt to generate internal heat. It worked. I didn't pay any attention to the strange looks my outfit attracted- apparently wearing a sweatshirt, gloves, and a scarf that are all different colours is frowned upon in Korea.
The most entertaining moment of my hike came when I was on the decline. As I stopped to snap some photos of a breathtaking view, two old Korean women enjoying a picnic began talking to me and motioned for me to join them. I kept pointing at myself to make sure they really meant me, and they nodded so I took a seat. They handed me an orange. At that moment I really wished I'd known the word for "thank you." Then they poured me a hot beverage.
"Coffee?" I asked in a hopeful tone.
One of the Korean grannies wagged a finger. "PREMO coffee." Oh. My bad. Gotta emphasize its premium quality.
In the end, I received a hard-boiled egg, a few cups of PREMO coffee, and an orange. Yay, sustenance! Prior to meeting those ladies, I felt like a beaten and weary traveler. Their kindness gave my body and mind a 180, turning me into a post-spinach Popeye.
During our mountain picnic, they continued gabbing amongst themselves, and I figured they had forgotten me. Then they began pointing at my face and saying a word that sounded like "ming." I pointed at my face and made an angry expression and said "mean? I look mean?" and they shook their heads and continued to say "ming." As each woman said the word, the other nodded in agreement.
Perhaps I resembled someone named Ming? No way. There's nothing Asian about my face whatsoever. Perhaps they were inquiring if my ancestors were part of the Ming Dynasty? That would be cool, but nope. They just kept repeating the same words over and over. And I just remained confused.
Eventually I just gave up on my futile attempt to understand. It was useless. I just hope they weren't insulting me. In spite of their food-related kindness, I wouldn't have been surprised if they were calling me fat, or ugly, or some other insult. As I came to discover, Koreans are "a bit" vain. Also, a bit rude. Of course, I am not attempting to generalise an entire people, simply to state what I observed after being in Korea for a couple of days. Honestly, perhaps they only SEEMED rude in comparison for the Japanese, who would give you the shirt off their backs in below-zero temperatures without a second thought.
So... stay tuned for my next post: a detailed analysis of the Korean people.
I enjoyed the solitude provided by the hiking experience. The bitter cold temperatures kept me moving quickly towards my peak in a desperate attempt to generate internal heat. It worked. I didn't pay any attention to the strange looks my outfit attracted- apparently wearing a sweatshirt, gloves, and a scarf that are all different colours is frowned upon in Korea.
 |
| Breathtaking (noun): This view. |
The most entertaining moment of my hike came when I was on the decline. As I stopped to snap some photos of a breathtaking view, two old Korean women enjoying a picnic began talking to me and motioned for me to join them. I kept pointing at myself to make sure they really meant me, and they nodded so I took a seat. They handed me an orange. At that moment I really wished I'd known the word for "thank you." Then they poured me a hot beverage.
"Coffee?" I asked in a hopeful tone.
One of the Korean grannies wagged a finger. "PREMO coffee." Oh. My bad. Gotta emphasize its premium quality.
In the end, I received a hard-boiled egg, a few cups of PREMO coffee, and an orange. Yay, sustenance! Prior to meeting those ladies, I felt like a beaten and weary traveler. Their kindness gave my body and mind a 180, turning me into a post-spinach Popeye.
During our mountain picnic, they continued gabbing amongst themselves, and I figured they had forgotten me. Then they began pointing at my face and saying a word that sounded like "ming." I pointed at my face and made an angry expression and said "mean? I look mean?" and they shook their heads and continued to say "ming." As each woman said the word, the other nodded in agreement.
Perhaps I resembled someone named Ming? No way. There's nothing Asian about my face whatsoever. Perhaps they were inquiring if my ancestors were part of the Ming Dynasty? That would be cool, but nope. They just kept repeating the same words over and over. And I just remained confused.
Eventually I just gave up on my futile attempt to understand. It was useless. I just hope they weren't insulting me. In spite of their food-related kindness, I wouldn't have been surprised if they were calling me fat, or ugly, or some other insult. As I came to discover, Koreans are "a bit" vain. Also, a bit rude. Of course, I am not attempting to generalise an entire people, simply to state what I observed after being in Korea for a couple of days. Honestly, perhaps they only SEEMED rude in comparison for the Japanese, who would give you the shirt off their backs in below-zero temperatures without a second thought.
So... stay tuned for my next post: a detailed analysis of the Korean people.
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