As one of the goals I set out for myself when I first arrived in Korea, I am on a mission to see all of Korea's National Parks. According to my count, there are 20 National Parks in South Korea, and each of them look stunning and have something different to offer its hikers.
I am determined to finish them all in my 1 year of life in Korea. Joining me on this quest are the lovely Ben and Mary, who have the same goal. They have been here for 1 year already and have completed many already that I will still have to complete, but it will be extra motivation for me, which is always a positive thing to have!
This particular journey was special as it is in the city I call home, Daejeon, and because it marks the beginning of the completion of one of my goals. Gyeryongsan National Park is one of the smallest among the list. It is supposed to be swarming with herons, and wild boar, however the trails are always so busy since Koreans have such a love of hiking that most wildlife in Korea stay far away from the plethora of hikers. It is the most visited national park in the Chungcheong region of South Korea because it is said to have the most gi (life-force) of any national park. Gyeryongsan has two temples within its designation, one of which acts as a college for Buddhist nuns. There are beautiful streams running through the park and at the bottom there are many hikers giving their feet a much deserved bath.
Ben, Mary, Laura, and I prepared a picnic lunch fit for the most skilled Korean hikers complete with fresh strawberries, seaweed, peanuts, crackers and cheese, a thermos of hot water for some green tea at the top, and some soju. We planned to take a bus to the mountain, which would take a cool 40 minutes. As we set out on our walk to the bus station we ran into a Korean woman with excellent english, named Misan, who Ben and Mary know from the apartments and she offered for her husband to drive us to the mountain. Being polite we of course declined, but she insisted and actually wanted us to talk her husband into joining us, who’s English wasn’t nearly as good as Misan’s. So with his services being “forced” upon us, we set off on a much more enjoyable and shorter ride than a bus would provide.
I was quite surprised at what I saw as we arrived at the start of our journey. At the foot of the mountain was a network of small restaurants and shops owned, run, and tended to by lovely Korean men and women vying for our attention. This to me solidified what I heard about Koreans having a huge adoration of hiking. Everything you could possibly need for a hike, or quite frankly for your daily groceries or errand run, was readily available and accessible. Since we had come prepared we didn’t stop for long at any of the shops, but it was an intriguing site to see.
Very close to the beginning of the hike was a beautiful temple, intricately painted and cared for, set among the backdrop of stunning mountains. The temple’s name is Donghaksa, sa meaning temple so in English would be Donghak Temple. Much to my interest there were a few “temple cats” that even had bowls of water set out for them. After gazing at my first mountain temple for longer then my co-hikers would have preferred given that this was their hundredth mountain temple, we continued along the trail laid out for us.
The weather was gorgeous, the setting was incredible, and the company was delightful. When we reached the top of the mountain, we admired the view, yet very quickly laid out our picnic mat and broke out the food that had been calling to our tummy’s for the greater portion of the hike. Asside from the view, the food was the best possible reward for our hard work, well it wasn’t all that hard really but in theory it was deserving of a hearty meal. When we finished our reward we strolled around taking pictures and enjoying the view. We took a different trail on our way down, however ending at the same place. Along the way for a nice break, as three of us are Canadian, we took the time to make our mark in a very low impact manner on the environment. We collected lose stones and built an Inukshuk, or at least we made our best attempt at it.
As we neared the end, the discussion as to how to get home began. We had been told by Misan to call her when we were finished and her husband would come to pick us up. We decided that we couldn’t bring ourselves to do it, so called her to say that we were going to take a bus, and of course she insisted yet again. This time she insisted on the basis that she wanted us all to go for dinner and she couldn’t wait for us to get home by bus. So we said okay, and waited for her husband, who dropped us off at our apartment so we could clean ourselves up. We met them downstairs at the pre-determined time and they drive us somewhere for dinner. I have never experienced such kindness from anyone, let alone someone I had just met, but it didn’t just stop there. The meal they took us for was ridiculous! Firstly, we were escorted to a private room, which Misan explained that typically when Koreans are getting married they will bring their families to a restaurant like this to discuss it. Secondly, it had over 30 different side dishes, and about 5 different main dishes. There was something on that table for everyone, and as a plate was emptied a full plate replaced it. The company was great and it was the perfect way to top off our perfect day in the mountains. When the meal was finished Misan’s husband left for about 3 minutes and when he arrived back at the room Misan said we were ready to go. We proceeded to ask what we owed for the meal and she quickly turned us down. To end our day we went to CGV, the movie theatre at Say Department Store, to see a movie, relax our bones, and chill out.
I learned a few very significant things about Korea and Koreans on this trip:
1. Korean’s are some of the kindest, most generous, and selfless people I have ever met.
2. Don’t stress over making sure you have absolutely everything for a hike, when you get to the mountains you can get anything you forgot.
3. Korean meal’s are rich in flavour, quantity, and refills.
4. and last but not least, Korea is amazing!
We head to Insadong, an artsy area in Seoul for some tea, and shopping among the streets of semi-traditional korea. 
Then in the evening to warm our bones and fill our tummies, we head into Hongdae. We ate, drank, and were merry...but not so merry in the morning when we woke up at an unholy hour after a night of drinking to go on a hike.
Nearing the top, things got more hands on, meaning climbing on all fours or using ropes or handrails. By this time I was feeling much better than first thing in the morning and this was a welcome part of the hike. We climbed to a ledge on the granite slope and stopped to enjoy our view, and relish in the beauty of the mountain and that which it provided us. 
Making it to the top provided yet another beautiful view, this time a panoramic one, and one of epic proportions at that. Being the second national park that I have visited in Korea, I am still in shock at the stunning landscape Korea has to offer, and being at the top of that gorgeous mountain I still can't believe I'm here. but...I AM AND I AM LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT!
