Camping at Woraksan National Park

A few weeks ago we got a long weekend for Children's Day, so Mike, Hannah, Nick, Jaya and I decided to go camping. I did some research and found out that most of the National Parks are still closed at this time of year, but managed to find a small one not too far away that doesn't close, Woraksan National Park. So we set off from Seoul after my drum lesson (which added to the journey an hour and a half subway ride carrying all camping supplies, much to the chagrin of my companions.) We were headed for a town called Chungju where we would catch a local bus to the park. So we went to the ticket counter at the bus station and asked for Chungju (chu like chug) and were just in time to grab a bite and then board the bus. Nearly 2 1/2 hours later (on what was supposed to be 1 1/2 ride) we got off the bus and began to look around for the afore-mentioned local bus, but soon noticed that we were in Cheongju, not Chungju. I guess the city we wanted is pronounced Choongju, not Chungju. An easy mistake to make, I guess. Especially if you have no idea that there is another city close-by that sounds almost exactly like it.

Luckily Chungju and Cheongju are not very far apart and it only cost us another hour and a half and $7 to get there. So we counted our blessings that we didn't end up 7 hours away from where we wanted to be, and took it in stride. Adventures in Korea aren't adventures unless they have a few misadventures throw into the mix. (Those of you who know me know that I'm really really good at getting lost. But I can honestly say that this is the first time I ended up in the totally wrong city.)

So when we finally go to the right city we were about to get on a bus that all our sources told us would take us to the park, when a taxi driver pulled up and tried to stop us. We thought he was just trying to scam us, because we were sure we were getting on the right bus. But he got a young lady who was standing near-by to translate to us that if we took that bus we'd have to walk 6km to the camp-site. So we decided the taxi was a better idea. And as we were driving he pointed out in broken English where the bus would have let us off. Which was at the bottom of the mountain. And then he drove for half an hour up the mountain. And we were thanking our lucky stars once again that we hadn't got on that bus. We probably would have died trying to walk all that way.

So we finally arrived at the campsite and manage to set up our tent in the falling dusk. We hadn't brought any food with us because we had more than enough to carry and were sure there would be a supermarket nearby. Sadly, there wasn't. So we had to settle for bibimbap (rice mixed with red pepper paste and veggies with an egg on top) for supper that night, though we were so hungry and tired by that point that anything would have been amazing.

We brought a barbeque with us to do some cooking, but since there was no food to cook, we used it as a fire pit instead and sat around the fire roasting marshamallows and talkin' shite. The darkness and quiet so thick and deep that even I, a hard-core country girl, was a little creeped out after being used to the constant movement of the city.

The next morning we went on a hike up the mountain. On the way we saw...

old fortress walls...

a Temple all decked out in lanterns for Buddha's Birthday the next week...

a Buddha carved into the side of the mountain...

also decorated in lanterns, a stunning sight against the backdrop of the mountains.

All the way up the mountain there were these little piles of rocks. Someone said they had something to do with Buddha...

After the touristy things were done, the trail got pretty intense. Most definately the hardest hike this prairie girl has ever experienced. But I did get some great pictures. Here are a few of my favourites...





This is the peak. I didn't go all the way up. I was honestly afraid I would die if I did...lungs still not working as well as I'd hope. And the top of a mountain 1000 meters high is not a good place to stop breathing. So Hannah and I left the others to their mountaineering and headed down, hoping to find a supermarket in the town at the bottom of the trail. Sadly, that search was fruitless (well, not technically, as we did find some oranges to buy, a great treat after dining on dry crackers and canned tuna all day.)

There was another temple at the bottom...crazy about Buddha, those Woraksan-ers.

That night we ate ginseng chicken stew, very revitalzing after our crazy hike. More mallows and soju around the campfire, then headed home the next morning. Here are a few pics of where we were camping.

We stopped for a pleasre cruise on the lake on the way down. A windy hour-long photo-op, but pleasant and relaxing.


Then it was back on a bus, this time directly to Suwon. The wet tent, the disappointed barbeque and the tired campers...the latter very happy to see their beds.

For the rest of the hundred pictures I took, see
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=112093&l=c4811&id=890700076
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=112096&l=814c0&id=890700076