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Published: June 13th 2014
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While the title may sound like my last 2 years on the road, it is actually part of the teachings of Buddha that I tried to absorb during a temple stay in Jirisan National Park. Hwaeomsa Temple is one of many offering temple stays that can be
reserved over the internet. Several are in or close to major cities but Hwaeomsa is in the national park (near Gurye) where there are several hiking trails including an overnight trip to Ssangyesa Temple. Hiking wasn't really part of the program at Hwaeomsa but is at a few temple stays. Almost the entire program was in Korean but there were a couple of Korean ex-pats who took me under their wings. Aside from waking up at o'dark thirty (a.k.a., 3:00 in the morning), the toughest part was the purported 108 prostrations. I say purported because while the program listed 108 I seriously doubt we did that many as I would have hyper-extended every joint in my lower extremities had we done so. The overnight cost including 3 vegetarian meals is ₩40,000 and has to be deposited in an NH Bank account before arrival. Entry to the park at Hwaeomsa is ₩3,500/person and the temple is a 20
Hwaeomsa Temple
Nestled in the hills in Jirisan National Park. minute uphill walk from the bus stop to the end of the road. Awesome
jjampong (super spicy seafood stew with noodles) at the Korean joint across the street from the bus stop.
After the temple stay, Jinju, and hiking in the park, I spent 4 days in and around Seoul and earlier today I flew to Taipei, Taiwan.
US$ ≈ 1020 Korean
won (₩)
Jinju
Cool little city on the Nam River with a historical fortress (₩2,000 entry, can leave baggage at east ticket office). Good base for a day trip to Jirisan National Park and a hike up the country's second highest peak. Also great accommodation at a
jjimjilbang.
Accommodation and food Not only is the Theme Spa Land
jjimjilbang jacuzzi a great place to soothe pumped out calf muscles after a burner up Cheonwangbong Mountain but accommodation is included for the bargain basement price of ₩8,000. For that price, however, a bed or even a mattress is not included and most visitors sleep on the floor but I fortunately never leave the USA without my 25 year old, puncture free Therm-a-Rest inflatable camping mattress. There are blankets and pieces of foam akin to pillows
or concave wood blocks are available for the masochistic. There is also WiFi. As usual, I have no idea what the names of the restaurants were where I ate but across the street from the central intercity bus terminal is a local joint where I got an enormous
bi bim bap for ₩6,000. Near the spa is a Dunkin' Donuts but it was not open when I headed out for Cheonwangbong at 7:00 last Sunday so I was forced to grab breakfast at McDonald's where at least the coffee was decent. Near the intercity bus terminal is a Paris Baguette that has excellent pastries.
Transport Most young Koreans I met mercifully speak English quite well and I never would have found the spa without the help of 2 Korean girls I met on the bus from Hadong who directed me to city bus 250 (leaves from main intersection between the intercity bus terminal and the fortress, alight across from McDonald's several stops later, ₩1,200). To Jungsan-ni, the village at the base of Cheonwangbong, buses depart approximately hourly starting ~6:00 for ₩5,900 (ticket window 4, no English signage here). The last return bus to Jinju from the mountain is ~19:00. The trip either
way takes a bit more than an hour and stops in Wonji for transfers to or from Seoul. Leaving Jinju for Seoul, the bus departed right on time at 9:40 and arrived in Seoul's Nambu bus terminal just after 13:00. Ticket was ₩20,300 and there was a short break at a highway rest area halfway through the ride.
Cheonwangbong Mountain hike While this 1,915 meter summit was a bit lower than my first South Korean trek to the country's highest peak, it was much tougher. The Jungsan-ni bus stop is almost a 25 minute walk from the trailhead just after the visitors center where trail maps are available but unnecessary as the trail is well marked in both Korean and English. I left the visitors center ~10:40 initially hiking along a river so the trail grade was not at all steep. But that would soon change as the trail steepened severely to Rotary Shelter (sleeps 40 but all shelters popular and difficult to reserve online) where I reached at 12:30 under a light drizzle. There were loudspeakers at the shelter which broadcast an announcement in Korean that I suspected was weather related. After confirming the bleak forecast, I bolted
B.H.G.
Big Hwaeomsa Gong. I was strangely looking forward to this being the 3 am alarm clock but instead some dude just walked around yelling for us to wake up. at 12:45 for the summit hoping to beat the predicted rain. Didn't happen and, still dry as one of the few articles I brought was a Goretex jacket, I reached the summit an even steeper 3 kms from the shelter at 14:10. There were no views whatsoever and dozens of hikers huddling around the summit marker for their photo ops. I gave up trying for a summit shot after 5 minutes and headed down hoping there would be a bus waiting in the parking lot a long 7½ kms away. I felt like I was moving at a pretty good clip but it took much longer than I expected to reach the bus stop even though I only briefly stopped to remove my jacket after it stopped raining and again at the shelter ~15:30 to guzzle some pristine groundwater pumped right out of the rocks. Finally reached the parking lot at 17:23 where the bus was waiting and departed at 17:50. No entry fee at this park sector.
Busan
South Korea's second city would have been nice for beach time but the weather was not at all conducive to lounging by the sea. Didn't really explore Busan at
all, mostly used the time to figure out what I was going to do with my second week in South Korea.
Accommodation and food A night in a huge (definitely not the norm in Korea), immaculate 8 person ensuite dorm at Mr.Egg Hostel Original was ₩23,000 but discounted to ₩20,000 with a Facebook like. I never did meet Mr. Egg but ate plenty of them at the inclusive breakfast. Excellent WiFi and PCs for use. No shortage of places to eat in the neighborhood.
Transport From Busan's Seobu intercity bus terminal at Sasang metro station there are direct buses to Hwaeomsa Temple leaving a few times a day for ₩15,900 or connect via Hadong or Gurye. Tickets from Gimhae airport to central Busan on the light rail and metro run ₩2,800 total.
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