A couple of days ago I met a really nice girl in the Lotte Mart (Maggie) and she told me about a trailhead near where I live, so yesterday after work I decided to check it out. It's literally (I timed it) two minutes from my front door! On my way up (wearing an Adidas hoodie, khakis, Airwalks and a collared golf shirt) I bumped into two Korean hikers (decked out in the usual Korean hiking gear: tight lycra pants, sweat-be-gone shirts, hiking shoes and aluminum hiking poles), who told me the top was an hour away and asked me if I was planning on going up there. I said yes and they laughed. Well, I reached the top in half an hour with plenty of stops for pictures along the way, so I guess I'm not as out of shape as I thought I was haha!
The trail up appeared to be hard-packed clay with loose sand/rocks and stones and roots sticking out everywhere...not exactly home turf for my Airwalks (shout-out to 1998!), but it wasn't too bad. The whole experience was amazing! (Forgive the crappy quality photos, only had my cell with me, but definitely going back with my real camera...in fact, I think it might be a decent place to shoot the moon/star trails from when it gets a little warmer).
This was what greeted me the first time the trees cleared...it was magic hour (right before the sun set) and the light was perfect:
Some shots of the trail...looks grey and boring here, but it's a little nicer in person...in the summer this should all be green, so looking forward to that:
Unfortunately, they have powerlines criss-crossing every hill and mountain around here, BUT I think it may make for an interesting foreground for startrails...
Also...spring is officially here! The first wildflowers I've seen! (Yesterday finally got into the mid-teens and today they're forecasting 20...spring's a little late, but I'm happy to see it!)
At the top, two things waited for me...a mini gym (I told you guys...they put workout equipment EVERYWHERE)...and awesome views. What's crazy is that none of the equipment was vandalized or stolen...back home (and I come from a good area) this stuff wouldn't last a week.
Yes, I actually did a few sets with the freeweights...I think I may make this into a regular routine! When in Rome...
A few feet away:
At the very top, they had an awesome little lookout tower (I'll go back and get better panos with the real camera in a bit):
The view from the tower:
I think that's Masan off in the distance in the valley...I love this about Korea...the valleys are built up fairly densely, but the mountains are largely left alone (at least around here):
Sunset at the top of the mountain...it's just mountain range after mountain range after mountain range around here...awesome:
And, finally...my humble neighbourhood viewed from the start of the trail...my house is somewhere just to the right of the hospital (with the blue/green cross):
All in all, an absolutely awesome hike...took me a little over an hour with all the pictures and stuff...I think if I go just for the exercise (hike up, do some weights, hike down) I could make this into a 45 minute routine, give or take...
After the hike, I went home, watched some TV and ate my dinner then headed out to the weekly expat meeting. The old place we met at closed down and the new place is even closer...I'd be surprised if it was a full minute from my front door :) The meet was great, talked to a ton of people, met a bunch of new guys and girls and met Ross, a fellow photo geek (he even has a few oddball film cameras!), so we chatted a lot about that. He and his wife Nicole live pretty close, so I'm sure some shooting outings are in our future. I was there 'till almost midnight (very late for me these days, since I'm up at 6-6:30 most mornings), but it was well worth it...definitely looking forward to the next one!
Oh yeah...I also had the class from hell yesterday, but I think they're starting to get the idea that they really and truly don't bother me. They were all talking, punching each other, making dumb popping noises with their mouths/tongues, throwing stuff, talking back, you name it...since it was the last class of the day, I had one awesome weapon on my arsenal: keeping them late.
After making a few of them kneel at the back of the class for misbehaving was having little effect I told them that the more of my time they waste by having to get them to behave, the later they will leave because, come hell or high water I'm finishing the lesson. I explained to them that, while they're off at 3:20, I am required to stay at school until 4:30. Whether I sit in my office or hang around in my classroom, it doesn't matter to me, I get paid either way. They thought I was bluffing. When they were still there at 3:30 and I was still going with the lesson, they realized I wasn't....after 3:20, they were angels! I think they got the point :)
Also...randomness:
Apparently private investigators from the 1940s are not welcome in my neighbourhood!
Okay...I have been going through my pictures and slowly processing them...
The Candyman of Jinju (Koreans are generally nice, but this guy has been one of the nicest):
Roughly 500 year old military documents from the time of the Japanese invasion of Jinju:
Gate at the Jinju fortress:
Bamboo forest near the Nam River in downtown Jinju:
Poem about the woman who saved Jinju by killing herself and the Japanese general:
Entrance to a Confucian school (I think)
Sunday market on the smaller streets of downtown...you could probably walk for kilometers checking out all the vendors:
Beautiful church (unfortunately it's really built up around it, so the only pictures you can get of it have to be at extreme angles)
I'll leave you with one of my favourites. I loooooove silhouettes... the general's statue at Jinju fortress:
Have a great day, everyone and thanks for reading!
T.
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