Hiking in Seoul Korea
Hiking in Seoul Korea
Feeling homesick for the outdoor activities in my hometown and tired of the smog, traffic and big city life while living in Seoul, Korea, I decided to go on a hike. There were always Koreans dressed in German style wool knee socks and lederhosen on the subway near where I was living, so they must be going somewhere fairly close. I set out to the nearest subway station, spying an appropriately dressed Korean with bright red socks, and decided to follow him. Four stops later, he and other similarly attired gentlemen got off the train.
As the bright sunlight greeted me at the top of the stairs leading from the subway, I was surprised at the surrounding skyscrapers. Where were the mountains? Undaunted, I spied the red-socked gentleman and continued to track him. Two blocks later I ended up in a park and had managed to lose my quarry. A group of wizened Korean women sitting on a nearby park bench smiled and pointed down the road. Although I lacked the popular “lederhosen attire”, the women had guessed my intentions. The road turned into a trail, and soon I was starting up one of the many hills that surround the city of Seoul. Quite different from the hikes I was accustomed to, I had to merge into a line of people trudging up the mountain. Entire families were heading up. Grandmothers and grandfathers we in the queue, some so stooped that they held onto canes. Was this a health craze in Korea? Little stands at the trail head offered tea and “less than tempting” dried squid. People were talking and enjoying themselves, but as the altitude increased, the talking subsided. The steep trail was littered with numerous break areas. People merged in and out of columns going up the mountain. As I climbed higher, I expected some of the cane users to turn around, but they all continued to the top.
Soon I could smell incense and hear bells chiming. Just below the summit sat an active Buddhist temple. It was a beautiful temple of blues, reds, pinks and greens, ornately carved with dragons, flowers and faces set in front of a backdrop of trees. So this was why so many older people were braving the hill. I tried to watch a Buddhist ceremony, but couldn’t quite see past the throng of people. Not wanting to intrude, I decided to continue up to the very top.
When I finally scrambled up the last bit of rock, I was rewarded with a wonderful view of the countryside. With my back to the city, I could see the more rural aspect of Korea, composed of numerous rice paddies and other tended fields I couldn’t identify from my elevation. It was a treat to climb above the noise and pollution and enjoy the beautiful sites, so close, yet so different from the city of Seoul.
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