I am back from my weekend of solitude. It was not eventful, perhaps, but I saw some amazing things and really enjoyed the experience of getting around by myself. I’ve never had an entire weekend away and alone in Korea, except Seoraksan. It’s a different sort of experience and it can be quite lonely, especially in winter when the sun’s down around five and there’s nothing to do until morning. But then, it gives you a lot of time to think and entertain yourself, and then you have the freedom to plan whatever you want!
I headed south after my two morning classes on Friday. For once, I did not travel through Buyeo, but headed straight south to Gunsan, a large town just south of the provincial border. It has potential as a good travel hub—I think going through here, surprisingly, might be my fastest route to Incheon airport—but the bus station is far from big. It will take more investigation. But then, isn’t that just what the past year and some has consisted of? Constant and careful investigation, working from only a few clues. Luckily, I have patience for such matters as sifting through bus schedules and studying maps, though most people assume I’m clueless. When I arrived in Byeonsan, for example, I was surprised to find it was so small—I was expecting larger so close to a national park—and was debating what to do with the remaining hours of the chilly afternoon when a stranger pulled over, tried to offer help, and insisted on giving me a ride. For the most part, he was more clueless than I, even though he was Korean and spoke the language. I felt very capable upon this realization—Korean tourists know less than I do! I am doing okay! He was looking for birds, but we didn’t find any. Instead, he drove me around the peninsula and we had a late lunch together. And I got a ride to Naesosa Temple, which would have been difficult otherwise. I’m a little bummed I didn’t get in more activity—I was looking to go hiking when he stopped me—but it was quite frigid and who knows what could have happened to me in the process. Since it was a weekend of solitude, I felt obliged to reach out to strangers. Can’t be completely without contact. And so I met a Seoul area businessman-turned-preacher who shared his knowledge about Korean politics and Boston with me.
The area around Naesosa was also surprisingly deserted. He dropped me off about two kilometers away, which was good—I wanted to find a place on my own. Little did I know how difficult it would be. Just about every other building advertised itself as a minbak, but all of them were deserted. I guess it’s not the season for hikers, but still…I expected something. There weren’t even any stores or restaurants on this stretch of road…just silent houses. The sun was setting, the wind was rising, and I was panicking…where would I spend the night? This has never been an issue before…there are ALWAYS places to sleep and eat! Even on mountains! Luckily, as I approached the temple, a few restaurants and one motel cropped up. It was still the smallest park village I’ve ever come across. I guess this area doesn’t see much traffic. The motel was surprisingly nice…perhaps the nicest one I’ve been to in Korea! Everything was new and shiny and comfortable; however, the TV only got four Korean channels and I couldn’t find the bathtub plug. So I watched Rugrats dubbed in Korean after enjoying a soak with a cup precariously placed over the drain. Adventures, I tell you.