Back in February, around the Lunar New Year, a few friends came to visit whom you’ll recognize from my Thailand escapades! Rachel and Brad made a guest appearance in Daegu that weekend, sparking some intense hiking, dancing and whatever else could ensue.
Rachel and Laurie arrived in Daegu ready for some grub. We headed to Holy Grill, it was Mexican night after all. What better way than to top it off with margaritas and sangria!
We leave these two alone for a few hours while Jodi and I meet up with Brad and his friends to go to G20, one of the few Hip-Hop/ not-anything-electric-finally clubs. The best part about it? Getting two tickets along with admission for a free drink and barbecued treat! That’s right, there was a guy grilling next to the line so whenever you needed a breather, or a cigarette break you could also enjoy your BBQed meat with a small side salad. Amazing.
So by the time Jodi and I met up with them we realized they had taken advantage of the unlimited baggie drinks at Go-Go (seedy hangout for the GI’s here) and had commemorated the night by purchasing matching shirts. Oy vey! You can read about their awesome hilarious night on Rachel’s witty post, where craziness ensues.
It was a successful weekend. Rachel and I challenged ourselves (aka I knew I was going to die, but decided it was worth the experience) and we met up with Brad and his friends from Ulsan to hike Dongbong Peak on Mount Palgongsan so we could see the seated Gatbawi Buddha. The peak stands at 1,155meters, that’s 3,789.3 feet that I climbed in two hours when it was suppose to be a three hour hike.
The biggest blessing was having Brad who (I am ashamed to say this) felt sick and had to stop every once in a while to catch his bearings, AND the fact that it was the weekend of the Lunar New Year and thus hundreds of people were on this same mountain slooooowly making their way up. This mountain kicked my ass. Oh so terribly I felt like I was living Jodi’s personal hell of never-ending stairs. For about two hours….that felt like way more, we climbed this mountain of never-ending stairs. No wonder you feel bliss and enlightenment when you reach the top, it’s you realizing you made it and are still alive! The saddest part? We apparently opted for the easier route, with the added stairs. There’s another side to it with NO stairs. Hijole!
As people consumed the small space next to the mountain, I was busy reflecting how much I sucked at exercising. I was amazed to see children and old people climb these mountains like it was just a breath of exerted air. Wow. Just wow.
AND the worst part was not the climb up, but the climb DOWN! How scary is it having your knees and legs shaking as you are descending these uneven stairs with old women pushing their way to get to the bottom. Almost slipped a few times as I held on to the rail and my mind went numb with the idea of hitting the bottom. Scariest thing in a while to experience. Sounds stupid but it’s really not.
And what should NOT have been a surprise but still was, was the MASSIVE line of people waiting at the bottom to take the bus. Old people are vicious let me tell you. We had to wait for 4 buses worth in order to finally get on one. And this was after some old women blatantly skipped everyone and bum rushed the bus. The other people watching our exasperated tired faces only laughed and pitied the poor waeguks getting walked on.
He was worth it though. The medicinal Buddha was quite a sight, beautifully carved out of the mountain it came from:
From Korea With Love 