Today, we traveled to Bukhansan National Park where we went to hike up to Seunggasa Temple. The weather was perfect for hiking except the rain making the rocks slippery from the previous night. Despite being in a city, it didn’t feel like I was still in Seoul. I feel like cities in the US are only urban and don’t contain as much green as Seoul does. It was also nice to get away from the city landscapes to see the nature within Seoul as well.

While the rain made the walk a bit challenging and a bit scarier, it was still so amazing to see mini waterfalls, bridges made for the trail, and rock formations around. When we were going up, we were told to stay to the right for other hikers, as Koreans take it seriously and buy high-end gear/clothes. After our journey to the top, we were met with a lot more stairs, but also with such beautiful sights of the mountains and the temple itself. We were greeted by people within the site of the temple and were given a rice ball. The site was also lined with lanterns as well. One of the things I loved most was the silence and the light music that was playing. It was so calming, and it showed how respected the temple and the surrounding places around were.

After our excursion, we went out to lunch with the group. We were brought out different courses including acorn jelly. I never knew that such a thing existed, but it was definitely interesting to see and try. One of my favorite parts of the meal was the soup we had at the end.

While that was the main activity of the day, we are about to go to a cooking class to make bibimbap for dinner. Getting reminded that we only have a few days left is so sad to hear, but I look forward to the rest of our activities.