Going to Gyeongju II: Hiking Namsan and Other Soul Satisfying Fare

Our day trip begins at a traditional restaurant that had obligingly opened early to accommodate our group of six. As soon as we settle down onto the floor mats, side dishes (called banchan, 반찬) and mountain vegetable bibimbap (sanchae bibimbap, 산채 비빔밥) mix-ins start arriving on our table. This will be our fuel during the all-day hike ensuing right after breakfast.  Today is devoted to conquering Namsan Mountain in Gyeongju.

 

A bowl of sanchae bibimbap starts with a bowl of sticky white rice topped with vegetables. Ours had spinach, bean sprouts, onions, mushrooms, and various unidentifiable green and twiggy mountain vegetation. To that, we each add some red pepper paste (gochujang, 고추장) or fermented soybean paste (doenjang, 된장).  

I ate up all the spicy, tangy-dressed lettuce salad and most of my bibimbap. Our other banchan included green pancakes, fried zucchini, marinated mushrooms, fish, radishes, and more. At the end, we were treated to some homemade sweet rice drink, which I'm pretty sure is called shikhae (식헤). It was light and sweet and cold, and really really delicious.

                                                                                                                                                          From the restaurant, we started onto Namsan Mountain's (남산) western face, entering near three mounds that are the Samneung Three Royal Tombs (삼릉). These tombs hold the remains of three Silla Dynasty kings: Adalla, Sindeok, and Gyeongmyeong, the 8th, 53rd, and 54th rulers, respectively.

Just a short way up the Samneung Valley (삼릉골) trail that would lead us further and further into the Namsan District of Gyeongju National Park, we see our first Buddha of the day, perched up straight but whose head was taken from him at some point.  

                          

After this one, we pass a handful more of the Buddhas scattered over Namsan. They look relaxed and untroubled. Our group stops and takes photos at each, admiring how long they've been there and the care it took to carve and assemble them. My favorite is pictured below. He's the Seated Stone Buddha, sitting on a lotus petal and expelling evil by touching the ground. It was made in the 8th or 9th century, with some restoration work done just a couple years ago. 

Next, we encounter six figures etched onto the side of a rock. Two are Buddhas, four Bodhisattvas. We have to study the rock for a few minutes to allow our eyes to follow the intersecting lines.

The most awe-striking Buddha of the day is the seven-meter-tall seated Seokgayeorae image carved on the side of Namsan. He directly looks at the Geomobong peak. Our hike takes us directly past the Buddha, and later on, we get a second view from higher up.

When we make it to the peak, we stop and fuel up with some PB&J's. There's no view from this peak, since we're completely surrounded by forest at this moment. The first treasure on our descent is this three story stone pagoda. The view from here is incredible. There used to be a temple here where the first Korean novel, Geumosinhwa, (written in Chinese) was authored. 

Our hike gets a little tenuous when we have to perform some fancy repelling action. Actually, the whole little part where you need the rope is maybe eight feet tall, but still, awesome.

The last major Buddha we pass on the way down is a seated stone Buddha from the eighth century. Like his friend from earlier, his head has gone missing sometime over the years. He's sitting atop a three wheel pedestal.

We're all famished after our hike, so we hop on the city bus and head toward the more central area of Gyeongju. Dwayne and Yuhee lead us to Sampo Ssambap (쌈밥) Restaurant for a little lunch. Ssambap is when you take some sort of leaf, maybe lettuce or cabbage, and wrap it around some rice, a little meat, condiments, banchan, whatever your preference is. This is awesome in an of itself, but this place was serving up ssambap to the extreme! Out came bowl after bowl after bowl! Side dishes, pastes, fish, meats, custards, until the dishes were completely covering our table! And all this for ￦10,000 per person (aprox. $9). 

After dinner, not quite ready to end our day, we go to one more place for a drink before home. We walk along the backside of a park until we happen upon a restaurant. The place is packed, and rightly so. It's incredibly atmospheric, an open-air restaurant with courtyard tables as well as private tables in side rooms. It's called Dosol Maeul (도솔마을), which means "Stone Pot Village."

We order an appetizer, a mixed tempura-fried vegetable platter that included some tofu and lotus, and some Korean rice wine, dongdong ju (동동주). We are told that dongdong ju is makkeoli's more formidable cousin in terms of it's strength. The taste is unique but really refreshing and delicious. 맛있어요!

When we're all sufficiently fat and happy from the snacks, drinks, and fresh air, we start our walk back toward the intercity bus terminal. Once again, Gyeongju has been a revitalizing and relaxing respite away from Busan. I'm sad to see the day over, but there will be at least one more trip back in our future. 

For more on visiting Gyeongju, see my post on our first trip there.

Sister Visits Busan

Note: This guest post was written by my sister, Crystal, who visited Busan with her husband, Nick, back in March 2011. We thank her for her contribution to Soju Cocktail and for visiting way over here.

A lot has changed since we left Busan on March 14th; we found out that we are having a second baby, we traveled to Arkansas for yet another music festival and we traded our responsible family station wagon in for a “ridiculous” VW bus in which to create family memories. 

But one thing that hasn’t changed since then is how much I loved getting the invitation and opportunity to travel across the world to visit Rose & Shane. Visiting South Korea is something Nick and I would have never done if it weren’t for family being there. I’m super glad that they decided to become temporary residents in what Rose calls “The Land of Contrasts” so that we were able to enjoy all that Busan has to offer.

The contrasts Rose was talking about were instantly apparent. One of the most memorable was the obvious division between the generations of women, the younger generation obsessed with perfecting their faces while the older generation was obsessed with gutting their fish. I never encountered a young lady who didn’t have her eyeliner on to go hiking, and I rarely laid eyes on an older woman who could stand straight after squatting over a pail of fishy entrails. It wasn’t just the people that showed these contrasts, but the scene itself. The bustling city streets set itself against peaceful mountain paths in a way that kept making you forget that the other even existed. Then there were the modern technological advances surrounded by the remnants of past wars; people were taking pictures of rusted barbed wire fences with what looked like a smaller, better Ipad. It was magnificent. And it was fun.

The first night we arrived, Rose & Shane took us to a Korean BBQ. As I will most likely say about almost everything we did while in Busan, the Korean BBQ was definitely one of my favorites. The family-sized portion of meat comes to you raw and then you cook it yourself on a hot skillet or grill set in the middle of the table. When done to your liking, you wrap it in lettuce or sesame leaves and choose your other assorted toppings, like roasted garlic, kimchi, or a spicy sauce. You eat the little wrap with a nice, light, watery beer named Cass or with Soju. I liked the BBQ so much, I requested to go back at least three more times during our visit. 

The next two days were spent at temples. The first temple we visited, Beomeosa, is the temple all the traveler’s websites tell you to go to. Although impressive and large, it was nothing compared to the temple we visited next, Hae Dong Yong Gung. Hae Dong Yong Gung is set atop a rocky shoreline of the Sea of Japan. It has many multi-sized Buddhas, fresh spring water to drink, beautiful temples and scores of worshipers. It was a place to be at peace.

It was not quite so peaceful when we made the trek back in the city. We visited the busy markets in the streets and sampled different street foods. Every street was packed with hungry people looking to buy and sell goods and services.  Although they all looked exactly the same in my eyes, Shane was able to bring us to one 3x5 table that was making these crazy pancake type dishes, filled with chives and who knows what else. I will have to say, whatever they put in there, it was delish.  

One of the great things about Busan is that even though it’s a busy city, it only takes the short walk of a block to get back to peace. The city is on the shoreline, so we were able to spend some time on the beaches as well. Even when in a winter jacket, a beach is relaxing. Watching the water come in, writing messages in the sand, taking pictures with your friends to put on your next record cover, life is good when you’re on the beach.

Did I mention this was all just in the first 2 days?

Party Down at The Party Premium

Meticulously prepared, brilliantly colored, course after luscious course, The Party Premium delivers.

I love eating. So does Shane, and coincidentally, our most welcome guests for almost two weeks, my sister Crystal and her husband Nick. They visited Korea over her birthday, and Nick works as a professional chef. This could only point to one thing: a really, really tasty fancy dinner while they were here. 

We settled on The Party Premium, an upscale buffet located in Haeundae in the lower level of the Pale de CZ building. Upon arrival, we were greeted warmly and by one manager in particular who backed away from our table bowing all the way. We were seated in our very own glass room, either because we had made our reservations earlier than any of the other patrons, or because they wanted to put us in a showcase. Crystal chose a bottle of Tempranillo, we ordered a few beers, and off we were. 

We ate forever for an hour and a half, until they began to tear down the buffet at 10:00 pm. Some of the  highlights: gorgonzola pizza, mocha gelato, bamboo steamed squash and beef soup, freshly squeezed mango juice, a wide array of sushi and sashimi, cheese plates, beef carpaccio, smoked duck salad, chicken caesar salad, Peking duck... and that was just for starters.

A meal at The Party Premium isn't your best budget choice; however, this isn't Old Country Buffet. The food's high quality along with the wide variety of options makes it a great place for a special night out. Now, I'm just waiting for another such special occasion to roll around so I have an excuse to go back.

For more info and lots more pictures of food, hit up www.gotheparty.com. 

Food Court Love

Earlier this year, when Shane and I speculated life in Korea, we never imagined what a food haven it would be. Cheap street food on every corner, Korean traditional restaurants, foreign food eateries, and cafes by the dozen leave us with more food choices than we can possibly attempt to try. Yet another of the options is a food court, found in most larger grocery or department stores. After a long day of hiking left us no desire to wash our own dishes, we stopped into this food court at Home Plus:

Korean food courts aren't like the average mall food court in America; you won't find Auntie Anne's, Taco Bell Express, or Orange Julius. What you will find is an inexpensive, quick, adequately tasty meal, with tons of choices ranging from Korean favorites to pizza and hamburgers. 

Drinkin' German, Rockin' Bulgarian, Livin' Korean

Onstage a Bulgarian band rocks out a mix of American, Korean, and Eastern European jams. Friends tell me they play here 364 nights a year. I can't read the group’s name, but I’m already a big fan.

A chilly November Saturday night, and Shane and I are at the HurShimChung Brauhaus, underneath the elegant Hotel Nong Shim. We join friends at a table at the far end of the ginormous beer hall. Most of the group are cast members from the Busan Night Live show a few weeks back. They've already ordered a growler and German-esque sausage plate. A couple hundred rowdy Koreans populate the rest of the room. It’s nice to see this side of the Korean personality, so far removed from the stoic faces on the subway. 

We sit and we drink. The beer is strong and refreshing. Servers dressed in dirndls and lederhosen hurry by. We order Pilsner and Hefewiezen and another sausage and sauerkraut plate. We talk politics, we talk comedy, we talk books, and we laugh loudly and often. 

As the night wears on, the beer starts working, and we start singing. We sing "It's a Beautiful Life," many renditions of the Korean birthday song, and, begrudgingly, "YMCA". I even recognize a poppy version of "Arirang," an old Korean folk song my kindergarten kiddos love to sing. Fathers dance with daughters, women dance with sisters. After we've spent enough money, we stumble our separate ways just in time to catch the last train home. Bauhaus HurShimChung is an out of country experience in our own little city. 

Gwangalli Beach

Gwangalli (pronounced Gwah-nuh-lee) Beach is awesome. I'll just say that plain and simple.

We've spent a few days down on the Gwangalli beach since coming to South Korea. Only once to actually swim. There is a lot to see and do on Gwangalli beach and yet it is not overwhelming.

The first trip we took to the beautiful beach I (Shane) was still sunburnt, crispy and painfully sunburnt. I kept having to adjust my shirt the whole day to make sure to keep my shoulders covered up. We got off the subway at the Geumyeonsan stop and tried to make our across the giant street. It took a while to find a cross walk, and it took a few blocks as well. We spent some time looking at the many bridal stores that line the street as well as traditional Korean garment shops that sell Hanbok's. The color of the smooth silk looked immaculate.

We found a side street that led to another back street with a scooter shop on it that came to an alleyway with a small Buddhist monastery hidden behind the cement walls that entrapped us on our path. Soon we could see The Diamond Bridge and a sliver of blue sea water. Before we could get there we strolled past a bar called The Miller Palace. It looks extremely out of place with romanesque columns and an all-black exterior. We had a good chuckle about that.

We stepped onto the beach just 20 steps later. The sea air in Korea doesn't smell like anywhere else. Like it barely smells like the sea, just very fresh. The water there was very blue, like the blue you only see in pictures, and we live here.

We walked down to one side of the beach and back to the other. (keep in mind, this is about a 2/3 mile long beach) We ran into the opening weekend of the Busan Biennial. Many Korean artists displayed public works of art around the theme of evolution. Lots of creatures and some other ephemeral pieces set the scene and inspired me.

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One week later, we returned to the scene of the blue water and stretching suspension bridge. This time we had to make a quick stop and purchase a set of speakers that we bought from a Canadian who would be leaving Busan soon. They came with us to the beach, and they were heavy. In south Korea, you really don't have to worry about people stealing stuff, so we just left our bag and our new speakers there and ran into the water. There is very soft sand at the beach, and its a lot less busy than Haeundae beach.

When we were out in the water, we met a couple of guys from Calgary who gave us an awesome tip, "Go to Breeze Burns." Breeze Burns is an awesome little burger shop. Rose had a classic hamburger and I had an awesome Veggie Burger with BBQ sauce. We came back to the Beach after lunch, swam around for another hour, and took off for further adventures that day.

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Our third trip to Gwangalli was less adventurous and more of a wander-fest. We walked up and down "Cafe Street (and/or) Theme Street. " It is literally a street filled with almost nothing but coffee shops and quaint Korean restaurants. It's nice. We looked over the artwork again and took many pictures.

We went on the beach and relaxed in the sand. We relaxed in the sunlight. Rose read, I sunbathed and listened to music. I actually have a tan, its quite a revelation.

All in all, its a beautiful place that has a plethora of relaxing activities, and it has to be one of my favorite spots in this adopted city of ours.

Birthday Bulgogi

I turned 27 this September. My birthday fell during Chuseok, one of the country’s most important holidays. Chuseok-- Korean Thanksgiving-- celebrates the fall harvest. Traditional ceremonies honor ancestors and elders. Many families hold rituals in their homes and at cemeteries. Chuseok is always held on the fifteen day of the eighth lunar month, so this year, September 22.

Because of Chuseok, we got the day off from work. Actually four days. Other foreign teachers long had vacations planned, so Shane and I flied solo. Though quiet, my birthday was memorable. We hiked in the morning (see Hiking Seunghaksan: Attempt One) and after some restorative Veronica Mars episodes that afternoon, ventured for dinner.

We wanted to try bulgogi, one of Korea’s most widely-known dishes. According to our Moon Handbook, until about 30 years ago, eating meat wasn’t even that common, but post-war prosperity increased carnivorousness. As we soon found out, Korean barbecue rocks so hard you’d think they’ve been doing this forever.

Searching for the cheapest option, we settled on a corner place filled with locals. Please know Shane wasn’t being a cheap-ass on my birthday. Each bulgogi restaurant is more or less like the next, with variation of side dishes, and you can pay twice as much for the same foods. We pointed to the menu for two servings of beef but successfully verbalized beer order (maekju- the only word we really know so far besides hello, thank you, and car, despite our students’ best efforts to teach us).

The waitress/cook/ dishwasher ran, yes,ran, to our table with a long-handled pail full of red hot coals, which she promptly dumped under our table top grill.Before we knew it, side dishes covered our table. The side dishes (banchan) included marinated cucumbers, super spicy rawpeppers, oil with salt in it for dipping, garlic, kimchi, red chili pepper paste (super awesome), dried anchovies, noodles, and a salad of onions, bean sprouts, red pepper paste, and sesame leaves.

When the heap of rolled up beef slices arrived, we threw some on the grill. In minutes, we were eating. It was like eating bacon-- beef bacon-- for dinner.What a difference a couple months makes for us former vegetarians.

And what’s a birthday without cocktails? Don’t worry, we got some after at Fuzzy Navel bar. Shane got a brandy sidecar, which he needed to end his brandy drought. I got a maitai, probably one of the best cocktails I’ve ever had, tangy and only slightly sweet. Birthday success.