Hiking and World Cup - I love Korea

Wow, It’s been a long time since I wrote. A lot of new exciting adventures. Let’s start with Buddha's birthday in May. Jayson and I joined about 75 foreigners to a private island called Deok Jeok Do. A hotel was arranged for us to sleep in. There was 5 of us to a room and we slept on the floor. The weekend consisted of ultimate Frisbee, hiking, BBQ and campfires. Some travelers were more interested in drinking and at times I felt like I was caught in the middle of a MTV Spring Break. Jayson and I stuck to ourselves. Enjoyed a little drinking and some cards. It was a humid rainy weekend. We made the best of it, but our trip was cut short because a storm was coming and there was only one ferry leaving the island in the morning.

Since Deok Jeok Do, Jayson and I have been bit by the hiking bug. We love it so much. Korea has so many beautiful mountains. We hiked up Mt. Munsu. It took us about 4 hours round trip, but once we hit the top we could see beautiful Ulsan (our hometown). We hiked up Jansam. This hike had a river with waterfalls along the way. Last weekend we hiked up Boemoesa. This was my favorite hike so far. We started at the temple where we experienced daily life of monks and visitors that came to bow and meditate. The top of Boemoesa was amazing. At first we were stuck in fog, but after 5 minutes the clouds parted and we were surrounded with beautiful greenery. We are always planning a hike. It is good exercise and it forces us to explore Korea.

The World Cup has also been an amazing experience. I have never been interested in the World Cup, but the Korean spirit moved me. Jayson and I did not think soccer was such a big deal, but the first Korean match we found we were in for a real treat. We geared up in our red and white. We enjoyed some chicken and beer with some friends. The people in the streets were all wearing Red and shouting “dae han me guk.” Which means Republic of Korea. The best part was when we arrived at the river. There was a huge Jumbo Tron set up with a stage. Hundreds of Koreans gathered to watch the game together. They were yelling, singing, cheering, and booing as if they were at a live game. Luckily the Korean’s won and everybody was happy. The next game we watched at a soccer stadium and the final game we watched at a bar. They lost, so now it is over, but it was fun while it lasted.

There is so much more I could write, but this is all I have for now. I need to write more often. I will post some pics Love everyone and miss you soooo much!