The Jersey Shore - Korean Style

July 15 - July 17

So this weekend, we shipped off to Donghae Beach for an all-expense paid mini-vacation.  It was an absolute blast!  The KAEC put us up in a swanky hotel, fed us way too much food, and basically laid out the red carpet for us.  The hotel, owned by the same guy who owns Jungwon University, was another marble palace with Grecian columns and luxurious decor.  But it proved to be a serious upgrade, when we found out it was connected to the beach by an over-head walkway.  Here are pictures of the hotel, the walkway, a delicious mystery stew that we had for lunch, and my roommates for the weekend, Korena and Meredith.

After lunch, we were given time to unpack a bit and got settled into our hotel room.  Much to our surprise, there was a Western-style bed waiting for us.  This struck us as quite odd, since Koreans typically sleep on floor mats .  But we surely didn't mind and later, we found out that we got the pimped-out room; while everyone else was left to complain of a stiff back the next morning.  After that, we attended a cultural workshop on Buddhist traditions and then hopped on a bus to visit a Korean Buddhist Temple in the stunning Samhwasa valley.  It was absolutely beautiful there and I took a ton of pictures of the giant boulders, lush greenery, and gentle streams.

We were given an hour to wander around the temple and relax.  However, I and several other adventurous folks has other plans.  On a city map, we saw that there was a waterfall rather close to the temple.  And of course, we just had to see it.  Despite the fact that it was 2.7 km directly uphill and my wardrobe choices, were, in NO WAY, conducive to hiking (A Ralph Lauren button down, slim black ankle-length trousers, and chic little black sandals are not intended for roughing it), we decided to set off on an adventure.  At the end, it was I and three other guys who made it up the whole way.  Here's me in front of the waterfall (Please excuse my grossness), and a photo of the hiking team once we reached flat ground.

Before leaving for the weekend, I checked the weather forecast and was disheartened to learn that it was supposed to rain the whole time, with a tsunami warning for Japan and the southeast Korea.  However, the all-powerful Mrs. Shim worked her magic and it was sunny for our entire trip!  On Saturday, July 16th, we woke up rather early and headed straight to the beach.  There, we stayed for several hours, swimming in the East Sea and catching too many rays (Painful sunburn and leper-like peeling commenced later that week).  Afterwards, we ate PIZZA for lunch on the boardwalk and then quickly went back to the hotel to shower.  Lactose intolerance, be damned.  Nothing will stop me from enjoying a delicious cheesy slice of pizza (maybe unless I run out of lactard pills - now that would be tragic).

 

In the afternoon, we headed to the Cheongok Cave in the heart of downtown Donghae.  It was only discovered in 1991, while city officials were working on a development project.  Upon arrival, we were required to strap on bulky helmets.  Initially I scoffed at the idea of helmet hair, but it certainly proved useful when we were squeezing through narrow passageways and low clearances.  After that, we walked through a nearby park and ran into a group of ajummas, a.k.a. old, little Korean ladies.  They were super excited to see foreigners and demanded that we sing a song for them.  We ended up serenading them with the National Anthem, as it was the only song that all of us knew.  Then we took a picture with them, and I tried on one of their epic visors.  I'm sure that's what the Fulbright office was referring to when they stressed the importance of cultural ambassadorship and mutual understanding!

Then, we began a two-hour walk back to our hotel.  It was a lot of walking, but a great way to get out and explore the quaint city center along the waterfront.  I took several photos, which I think capture the essence of small-town Korean culture.  Here are some of my favorites. 

Along the way, we worked up quite an appetite and were greeted with mounds of 삼겹살, a fatty three-layer pork belly meat for dinner.  I'm still drooling from that meal.  On Sunday, July 17th, we stopped by at a museum before we headed back home.  The museum had an eclectic mix of odd cave-like art, ancient pottery, fossils from all over the world.  No surprise, it was the private collection of the wealthy owner of Jungwon University and the Grand Tourist Hotel.  One has to wonder - did Fulbright get a package deal?!  Frankly, I think that some of those artifacts were fakes.  But that's beyond the point.  It was an amazing weekend and so wonderful to get away from the monotony of Goesan and Orientation training.

I feel like I'm learning a lot about myself every day.   For example, after the hike, I was dripping in sweat and nearly ruined my sandals.  But I didn't care.  I felt proud for keeping up and overwhelmed with a feeling of nostalgia.  While I was abroad in the Netherlands, I definitely caught the traveling bug.  I visited 13 countries in Europe in five months and loved every second of it.  Whenever I travel, I make it a priority to see as much as possible and try new things.  To some, traveling is a relaxing pastime, which presents an opportunity to simply sit back and take in the scenery.  But that's never been the case with me.  I need to be in the scenery, get my hands dirty, and soak in everything around me.