SURAKSAN MOUNTAIN HIKE

There's something about hiking the mountains that gives me a sense of accomplishment. When you set out to "get to the top" no matter what, well, when you do get there, the feeling is just surreal. It's time for another day hike and I have yet to explore another mountain. This time it is Suraksan, 638m! Not quite the Dobongson at 740m, but quite a different climb this time. The rocky terrain was noticed early on, and I was beginning to wonder how I would get down as the pebbles were already slipping under my feet as I made my way up the mountain. My focus was on the climb up, so I figured I would cross that bridge when I got to it and figure my plan down on my way down. 

Just before entering the trail, there was a beautiful temple nestled right in the middle of the small town of Soyosan, in the province of Gyeonggi-do. Empty streets and not a store open except a small quaint coffee shop, the morning walk to the trail was great anticipation of what was to come. And then, there it was. the mountain peak made of rock, and my mission for the day!

 

Early on in the hike, there were little trails with stairs and even a few paved pathways great for some nice photographic moments. The spring flowers still blooming along the way, I couldn't resist stopping every chance I could to capture the view.  

                

 


It was such a beautiful day and the shade was abundant. There were breathtaking views peaking from among the trees just waiting to be part of that perfect Kodak moment.

Soon, the pathways turned rugged, just a trail of rocks, except for the occasional man made rope of sisal secured to the walk way to help grab your feet for steadiness on an otherwise steep and unstable climb. Each step taken needed to be carefully planned out and at times, I had to go an alternate route just to make my way up. The pebbles continued to slip from under my feet causing me to slide. Even with good climbing shoes, these were not shoes made for this hike! I truly believe that part of the skill in the hiking process is taking the time to figure the perfect next step and this mountain only proved my point.

Wishing I had gloves while grabbing hold of crevices of rock and using rope and posts to pull myself to the top, I finally arrived at the peak. It was here that I found the highest point and made my way onto the rock that now looked incredibly small. There I was standing at the top with the wind blowing in my hair and feeling those butterfly's in my stomach as I secured my footing in place, almost not looking down, but instead concentrating on just standing my ground long enough to pose for a picture. My fear of heights continues to challenge me, but the thrill of the being on the top and accomplishing my goal for this scenic day climb gives me great satisfaction. And that is an awesome feeling!

The afternoon came to an end with my friends, Alex and Garrett, and I sitting at the coffee shop listening to music (Alex played the guitar provided by the coffee shop) on the outdoor patio overlooking the town of Soyansan. 

As the day set, my walk home from the subway gave the most beautiful sunset. A perfect ending to a perfect hike and just what I needed to confirm why I'm here living life to the fullest!

A LONG WEEKEND IN JAPAN!

It was 5:00 am last Saturday morning when my teacher travel buddies, Garrett and Shannon, and I set out early to explore Tokyo for a long weekend in Japan. After an hour taxi ride to the airport and a 2 1/2 hour flight, we arrived in what turns out to be just an incredible country and an exciting three days! So, first things first, we decided that searching for an authentic sushi lunch was our first order of business. The chopsticks here are wooden, not like in Korea where they are metal, so it was a bit like learning how to use a new tool again.

 

Bags in hand, we headed to the Imperial Palace grounds. Here, there is a moat, the Chidorigafuchi Moat, that surrounds it and beautiful gardens with the most beautiful flowers. After exploring the grounds for a bit, the Kitanomaru Park is where we relaxed and took in the sunshine and fresh air on this wonderfully warm Spring day in April.

  

                                          

The interesting thing about walking around in Tokyo is that there are shrines nestled in and around little street corners and then there are ones that demand your attention that you just can't miss. The architectural beauty of these shrines is exceptional to say the least.

The accommodations for the weekend were quite the treat! When Shannon made the reservations for us, she found what's called a "capsule hotel" found only in Japan. I had never heard of these. They are little pods that are basically only big enough to house your twin sized bed in your own little space that houses a T.V. and plug and  a curtain to give you privacy since you are basically living in a room with about 50 other travelers. The rules are strict though and lights out and quiet time are respected by the visitors. I actually thought it was pretty cool having my own little cocoon and highly recommend anyone traveling to Japan to try this cultural treat. I think the best thing about it and was the icing to the cake was the common area. We met so many foreign travelers from all over the world with some super interesting stories. 

The walk to our hotel was just fantastic!

This is the view outside our hotel which sits right on the canal.

My cozy cabin for the next two nights!
So tiny but comfortable!

Our common area at this brand new hotel. Usually filled with foreigners from all over. 
Yes, we were the only Americans.

My new friend, Paul, from Ireland! 

As soon as we got here, we got a three day subway pass. Truly money well spent! Subways in Japan, by the way, are so methodical and well planned in my opinion so it was pretty easy learning the system. As long as you look for the color or alphabet, you can find your way! And if you do happen to lose your way, there's always an information officer or guard ready to help.   I did have a map and by the end of the weekend, it was used so much that it was worn and ready to split in half at the folds.

 


Our first night in Tokyo, we were anxious to experience some night life and decided to visit the very famous Tokyo Tower at night. It was here that we spent the evening and the hustle and bustle of the city before enjoying a little sake at dinner. One thing I learned during my visit here is that the locals are so friendly and helpful! Truly everywhere we went, if I happened to pause for even a second holding my map, there was always someone coming up to offer their help, a businessman, a woman, a student, always there to go out of their way to help "the foreigner" me. The people here are truly welcoming to Americans.

Gaming Casino!
My curiosity got the best of me
and I just had to walk through this ultra-loud entertainment center. 

Day 2 was an early morning for me. I am an early riser anyway and I wanted to see the sunrise at the Meiji Jingu Shrine but guess what, its already light out at 4:30 a.m. I'm not that early of a riser, so I didn't get to see the actual sunrise, but I will tell you that the peacefulness of arriving at a completely empty subway and walking the quiet streets in the wee hours of the morning was a tranquil feeling!

Meiji Jingu Shrine was quite a sacred and serene walk to the temple and exceeded my expectations. Peaceful, tranquil and spiritual are words to describe this place. Maybe it was the emptiness of being here early in the morning but an overwhelming peace was the feeling that I took with me. 

 

So, let me explain the ritual to this Shinto shrine. Before entering the Torii Gate, it is out of respect that a bow is given. Before proceeding to the alter, you rinse you hands at the stone basin fountain at the place called Temizusha. You pour water from the cup in to your left hand, then you pour water in to your right hand, then you pour water in to your left hand again and drink from your hand to rinse your mouth, and then you let the rest of the water in the cup run down the handle of the cup. When you go to say a prayer at the alter, you bow twice, clap twice, then give one long bow again before leaving some coins as an offering if you wish.

Meiji Jingu's forest was created in honor of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. Every tree was originally planted by hand and carefully planned as an eternal forest that recreates itself. After 100 years, now it cannot be distinguished from a natural forest, inhabited by many endangered plants and animals. Here is what is called Waka Poetry written by Emperor Meiji, I thought it very profound:

If one passed away

Without achieving something,

Even very small,

It would not appear worth-while

Merely to attain old age. 

These are the Sake barrels wrapped in straw that are given to the Shrine as an offering
from the brewing industry to preserve the culture of Japan.  

Wine barrels used for consecration at Meiji Jingu. These are donated by France
with goodwill so that France and Japan may enjoy many fruitful years of friendship. 

 In the afternoon, Shannon, Garrett, and I decided to grab some lunch and head to the Tokyo Sky Tree, the world's tallest free-standing tower!

Yes, this is the picture of the Sky Tree from the ground. No, I did not go to the top! I am a bit afraid of heights and this day was windy and rainy and I decided that shopping was a better choice for me!  I call it, "Souvenir Shopping" time! 

 






For dinner, fried oysters and sake. The table here is quite common. You sit on the floor and there is a space for your feet under the table. Very comfortable!

Day 3 was another bright and early morning for me and I was out the door at 4:45! In order to see the Tokyo Fish and Tuna Auction, you have to arrive at the market gates at 5:00 am. Although, I made a great attempt to get there early, there are only 120 people that are allowed in to watch the auction, and I was not one of them. Here are pictures, though of the early morning trades that took place.

 

So, now it is 6:00 am, I've had breakfast from the fish market and managed to meet more people. This time, Japanese girls from California. They stopped to chat just knowing that I was an American. There's something about traveling to far away countries that seems to keep bringing home back to me. We chatted a bit and they were very interested in the teaching job I told them I had in Korea. We finally parted ways, and then, as I'm walking around the streets, I happen to stumble upon the Buddhist Temple, Tsukiji Hongwanji. People are filing in and I decide to walk in as well and see what the inside of a Buddhist temple looks like. As I sit to take in the beautiful and ornate furnishings, the bells start to chime and the ceremony starts. I am in the process of now attending the services here this morning. Singing, prayers, and meditation, and beliefs of which I am not fully aware. I take it all in and realize this may be a once in a lifetime experience that I do not want to take for granted!

 

 

Out of the temple and now on my way to the subway station I go, The doors to the Yushukan Jinja Shrine open at 9:00 and this was my next plan for the morning. This Shinto-style shrine commemorates the Japanese war dead and encompasses a military history museum on the grounds. This Shrine is probably the most controversial shrines in all of Japan housing the WWII museum. With my father having been part of this historical event as well, it was definitely of huge interest to me and something I did not want to miss.  

At the entrance to the shrine. 

 

Japanese war plane called the Zero Fighter

The bullet holes on this cannon speaks for itself. 

Rising-Sun flag

By now, it is mid-morning and the plans were to meet back with Shannon and Garrett for lunch before venturing off again. This is a rainy morning and taking in the museums was just totally appealing to me! So, after lunch, next on my agenda is The National Art Center of Tokyo where the exhibit is the Louvre Museum - Scenes from Daily Life! 

 

I just felt like I had to make the most of every moment while in Japan and that I did!  So, now, I am completely fulfilled and my time in Japan has come to an end. It is time to head to the airport and catch my international flight to Korea back home. That was the plan anyway..... little did I know that by looking at the subway map and seeing the route to the airport that looked like it was just a few stops away and about a half an hour trip was really a 1 1/2 to 2 hour train ride trip. It wasn't until after I couldn't find the correct subway, had to find the alternate express train, took this incredibly looong and unexpected ride to a different airport than the one we landed at,  not having enough Japanese money to pay for the expensive train ride that I wasn't expecting (and they didn't accept credit cards nor Korean cash), and arriving at the airport only 40 minutes before my flight, that I realized my stay in Japan was not over. According to the check in at Japan airlines, my gate was another 25 minutes from the terminal and they were closing the boarding time 20 minutes before the flight. Ok. So, no phone, no internet service, no flight.....Yes, I missed my International flight back home.  First thing I did was have the attendants contact Shannon and Garrett to let them know that I was ok. Then, I made new flight arrangements and called my director at the school. My three day trip just changed to four. The Japan Airlines attendants were so helpful, they even recommended a place at the terminal..... a "capsule hotel". After befriending yet another world traveler from Australia, Karen, I nestled in for the evening in to my cocoon once again. Karen, who is traveling for three months solo to all over the place and I thought the "pajama gowns" they provided looked like prison uniforms and even though I had my own pajamas, we just had to put these on and take a picture of each other in our prison wear. I'm telling you, there are so many interesting people that I have met while on this journey!

 

A quick land in Busan before taking another flight back to Seoul! An exhausting but entirely fulfilled long weekend in Japan! What a trip!

Busan Airport

Thank you to my wonderful teammates at my school who covered my classes in my absence, Garrett, Shannon, and Meredith and to Caleb for organizing it! You guys are awesome and it reminds me of my school back in Southlake and Keller, where the teachers would do anything for you when the need arose. Thanks for "Making My Day!" as we used to say from the school fish philosophy in Carroll ISD.