We took the subway to Cheonan, ate lunch in town, and then took a bus to the park. Once we reached the park, we walked past several restaurants and shops selling hiking gear before reaching the trail.
I have not hiked in this area of Cheoncheonamdo, so it took a bit of searching to find the right trail. Before we found our trail, we met a group of Korean hikers who were having lunch after climbing to the summit. They invited us to join them for grapes and a chat. It was definitely a test for me in my Korean skills seeing that they could not speak English and Birch and Polina could not understand Korean. For the most part, I caught what they were saying and was able to share a bit about us foreigners. It was an unexpected beginning to our hike, once again I am amazed at the friendliness of Koreans, inviting strangers to join them for lunch and being so kind as we tried to have a conversation.
After our pre-hike snack, we found the trail and began our climb. I was so happy to see that this trail was not "Asianized" in that it was not a concrete sidewalk with the occasional handrails. This modernization of nature is a trend that I have seen all over Korea and other parts of Asia. I don't understand it, considering the one thing I enjoy about hiking is the natural aspect of it, an escape from the concrete jungle. Nevertheless, I was very happy to have a natural hike. While we were trekking, we passed a few Korean hikers, equipped with visors, hiking sticks, bright gear, and heavy duty hiking boots. They giggled as they passed us, seeing that we were not in hiking gear with our Tshirts and sneakers.
The hike was very steep at times, making us wish we had those hiking sticks! It reminded me a lot of my hike through northern Thailand: the trail was very gritty in a way, you had to be careful in placing your feet at times. I really enjoyed the trail because it was more of the hiking that I have experienced at home. It was not artificial with concrete and steps.
The top was very wooded, so our view was not too ideal. One thing that was quite funny when we were sitting near the top was when we heard a ringtone for a cellphone only then to see a couple hiking up to where we were answering their phone. Even at the top of Gwangdeoksan, you can still get good reception! Oh Korea....
After our hike back down, we made our way back to the city. We then visited a Vegan restaurant for dinner. Birch is Vegan, so she wanted to see this restaurant as it is one of the closest ones to school. It was a buffet, filled with tofu, fake meat, and lots of veggies. I was so happy to see so many fresh vegetables, it was pretty much my entire dinner. I have come to appreciate the prices of vegetables in the USA now that I have lived in Korea. Fruit and Vegetables are very expensive, in part because a lot of it is imported and also because Koreans like to eat organic foods. An apple can cost around $1-$3 depending on the size and where you purchase it. Being at a buffet where vegetables were in abundance, I ate as much as I could. It was interesting being a Vegan for a meal, but I couldn't do it as a lifestyle.
After our Vegan dinner, we made our way back to school. We are hoping to hike again in the next few weeks while we still have warm weather. The weather here has become a bit bipolar at times: it will be warm and sunny one day only to be cool and cloudy the next. Even though it was a balmy 80 during our hike, it got down to the 50's while we were waiting for our subway. I think the jackets will make their debut in the next few weeks.....
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