Danyang, my final stop turned out to be my favorite city. I actually didn't see much there, but I like the feel of the place more than anywhere else. It was beautiful and peaceful.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Andong - Tuesday & Wednesday, August 15 & 16
I arrived in Andong and spent a couple hours wandering around because the bus terminal moved to the opposite end of the city sometime after my book was published. Eventually, I figured out where I was and found a motel in which to sleep. The main reason I came to Andong was to visit Hahoe Folk Village, which is about an hour by bus. The line was long so some Koreans at the front grabbed me to make sure I made it on. It was a hot and crowded bus ride.
Gyeongju - Sunday & Monday, August 14 & 15
I arrived in Gyeongju at about 5 in the evening, so I immediately went looking for lodging. The city is a tourist mecca, teeming with people visiting the ancient sites and modern amusement parks. My book recommended a motel, but for the first time was turned away. There is a youth hostel nearby, so I tried it. They were also booked, but had a guesthouse nearby in which I could stay the night, until a room opened up the next day. They had to prepare the room, so I left my bag and did some quick touring of the city.
Busan - Saturday & Sunday, August 13 & 14
Another hot city. I guess I'm lucking, because Sung-kwang had there the previous few days and it was rainy. When I arrived, it was hot and dry. It sprinkled a bit as I hiked but only for a short time. Busan is quite large and busy. It's popular spots are the beaches, but I didn't have much interest. I spent my time in the mountains of Geumjeong-gu. My main interest was a difficult to reach temple call Seokbul-sa. I tried to walk to a cable car which would have taken me partway up the mountain, but in the process, I actually walked the whole way. I hadn't really prepared myself for a long hike. I discovered that I had failed to find the cable car when I saw this:
Jinju - Thursday & Friday, August 11 & 12
I decided on Jinju a day or two beforehand. I chose it because it's a halfway point between Boseong and Busan.
Boseong - Thursday, August 11
The sole reason for my next stop was to see the Daehan Dawon Tea Plantation.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Gwangju - Wednesday, August 10
My next stop was Gwangju, the site of the "Gwangju Democratization Movement" of 1980. At the time there was a military dictatorship in place and initially students gathered to protest the closing of the university. The military was called in and killed indiscriminately, children, elderly, disabled, protesters and bystanders alike. The first casualty was a deaf man who was attempting to pass through. Citizens raided an armory and for some time controlled the city, but were eventually defeated. The dead were loaded into garbage trucks and buried in unmarked graves. The protesters were labeled as communists by the government, but since then they have become heroes of democracy. I visited the cemetery where the victims were reburied.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Jeonju (Part II) - Tuesday, August 9
After Martyr's Mountain, we went to the temple Hwaoemsa. Gongju and Buyeo were a part of the Baekje kingdom. This temple was originally constructed under Silla, one of the other "Three Kingdoms" who later unified (ie conquered) the others. It was built by an Indian monk in 544, but destroyed by the Japanese in 1592 and later rebuilt.
Jeonju (Part I) - Monday & Tuesday, August 8 & 9
It was a long day of traveling from Buyeo to Jeonju. I took an intercity bus instead of the express which meant many stops along the way. My friend Shinwook, who teaches English literature in Jeonju, met me and drove me around the province to see the various sites.
Buyeo - Sunday, August 7
After Gongsangseong Fortress, I took a bus to Buyeo, the 3rd Capital of Baekje.
Gongju - Saturday & Sunday, August 6 & 7
The first stop of my trip was to Gongju. I had to take the subway to Suwon, a train to Daejon, a long walk to the bus terminal, then a bus to Gongju. The city is beautiful and wide-open and the people were quite friendly. It was also very very hot.
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