Daejun, Family, Insam (from Geumsan - Insam Capital of the World), & Gyeryong-san

Fresh insam..

What can I say about this part of the trip. I met my gomo and gomo-bu (her husband). My gomo kept me well fed, perhaps too much. She prepared all my food for me and despite me telling her that I could only eat so much, that really - fruit was enough for breakfast, it wasn’t until I actually became sick (like knocked out for 20 hours) that she started to believe me. I am not sure that being sick was exactly related to being overfed, but it was enough of a point for her. She relaxed a bit and I ate as I wanted after that.

It’s also really odd to have someone make me food all the time and also, do things like take all the bones out of my fish so that it’s easier to eat. I mean, that’s something mothers do when one is a child, not when one is… well older.

Magnolias beginning to bloom...

I made Daejun my center point for the next few days to travel from. We went to Geumsan, the ginseng capital of the world. Most of the ginseng produced is from this region. I went and purchased really expensive insam (ginseng, why there are two words for it beats me, I don’t know the difference, maybe one is English and the other is Korean? Shrug) for my mother to drink and a cheaper variety for myself. Its' health benefits have long been touted, what’s been touted specifically…? Shrug. The day we went to Geumsan is actually the day I got really sick for a day. It was like massive head cold that came out of nowhere; it strategically planned, attacked, and invaded my head for 24 hours. I couldn’t lift my head off the pillow for the entire duration.

The preserved for medicinal properties insam is rather creepy looking...

and even creepier in bear jars...

I took it easy the next day, but the day after that I headed up mountain #5, Gyeryong-san. This was a relatively easy hike, although it still took 4 hours or so. Since at the beginning of this hike, I was still rather woozy from having been attacked by viral enemy, I was trying to take it easy. To be honest, my head was kind of spinning and it was kind of tough just keeping myself going.

Gyeryong-san Sign

Buddha's birthday ... so colorful lanterns to celebrate.



Random art...



There were a lot of stacked stones in this mountain...

I finally sat down and ate a lara bar (apple pie for anyone interested), after which I actually started feeling better. I had thought that perhaps I felt kind of bad because I actually hadn’t eaten much in the last day and a half. So, all natural food made me feel better and I got to the top A-OK.

Another pretty path..



Double waterfalls...



Gyeryong-san almost to the top



I like the color of the flowers against the slightly fuzzy background.

OH, but I became so fascinated with this really gnarled tree. I love the weird looking ones that just don't make any sense, they are visually fascinating and texturally fascinating. Below, my fabulous tree "portraits".

3/4 shot

It's really gnarly and I love it.



In the top right corner, the ripped wood looks like a ghost face coming out of it. Oooo...scary.



Close up shot... love the knotted-ness.

And my absolute favorite..I call her
"she-hole"

I was looking at this picture upon my return and realized it looked rather vaginal and so I turned to my bestest friend laughing and said I shall call it "she-hole"; she in reference to of course women, hole because it's a hole, but she (spelled more like sshi) in Korean means pee.

So, I continued on up ----

Looking down over the temple I passed on my way up.



More looking out...



It's really nice up here...

Panoramic views ...

I like the little bit of color the dried winter leaves on the side bring to this shot.

At the top was Garfield!! Ok, well it was just a really orange mountain cat, sized about that of a housecat. I was trying to get a picture of its face, but it was a bit of a coward and kept running away. I was highly amused by this one chick at the top who had climbed up with her friend. Both had arrived after me. Chick #2 was looking around, mentioned to chick #1 that there was a cat. Chick #1 started freaking out like the way people freak out when they’ve seen a mouse. The irony of this situation is that, while #1 was flipping out about how much she hates cats and how she’s scared of them (she kept asking is it gone yet? Can you still see it? Is it still there ?!?! ahhhhhh) and yet had no qualms about climbing this kind of unguarded rock thing that was sort of beyond the “top” of the mountain. As she climbed it, she told #2 how #2 would never be able to climb it because it was so scary.

I don’t get it. Screaming about orange cat NOWHERE near her, but climbing what looks like an unsafe rock is ok? Yea, dumbass chick #1.

Behold, the frightening, scream-worthy Garfield.

I heard, then saw this woodpecker on the way down.

Me.



I notice another gnarly tree on my way down...



I seem to like holes.



This is "she-hole's" sibling.



A beautiful waterfall streaming down the side of the mountain.



Love the tree lined ridge.



Close up of mountain flowers from earlier.




I made my way back down and at the bottom had my first mountain meal/snack. Bihn-deh-duk. Mmmm. Fresh seasoned mountain veggies to go along with it too.