Going into today I was wondering what a Korean national park would be like. I had no idea how difficult the terrain would be or the kind of scenery. When we arrived at the base of the park, it seemed very similar to an American hiking trail. The trail was pretty easy, most of it was uphill but it made the views much better. I did not realize that at the top of this mountain there would be a Buddhist temple. The entrance was beautiful but it was just the start of a jaw dropping cultural experience. The traditional Asian styles of building are so fascinating to me. There is so much detail put into every inch of every building. Inside one of the buildings was a big Buddha statue and areas where people come to pray. I think it is miraculous how people have such strong faith that they build an entire temple up in the mountains. After walking around the temple village there were more stairs that led to a giant Buddha carved into a large rock face. This was the real top of the mountain and the view was impeccable. You could see all of Seoul, the trails we had climbed and the layout of the temple we explored. After that, we walked back down the mountain and grabbed some lunch. It was a traditional Korean meal that I didn’t care for. The tastes were interesting but just not my favorite. Acorn Jelly was very strange. It was both spicy and gelatinous. Tonight we are learning how to cook some Korean dishes which I am looking forward to. But, in the meantime I am going to get some rest. My phone says I climbed over 100 flights of stairs while hiking so I’m pretty exhausted.
