The Final Stretch

July is dedicated to tying up loose ends, surviving the humidity, and squeezing in a few more adventures.

You would think that leaving Korea would be easy. Not emotionally, logistically. Okay, maybe a little emotionally, but I'll save that for another day. Anyways, I have a bank account here. A cell phone on a 2-year contract. A utility bill. A gas bill. I owe people thanks in the forms of dinner and cake. I'm trying to manage my expenses so that I can wire a fixed amount of money home, but still have enough to travel and spend quality time with friends. In the next two weeks, I need to terminate my cell phone contract, transfer my dinero, withdraw my remaining dinero, close my bank account, make sure that all of my bills are paid, and keep the accountant in check because I'm waiting on at least 4 more deposits. My apartment needs to be "inspected" to ensure that I didn't damage the deskless cubicle that I live in. I'm starting to practice frugality. Who needs to grocery shop when I can eat leftover beans? There's a lot of waiting involved. I can't transfer my money until I get paid. I can't buy my school a cake because I'm technically not leaving yet. I can't cancel my cell phone contract because I still need it. Blah blah blah. I'm not too worried.

Ok, the weather gods need to keep this humidity in check. The other day, we experienced 98% humidity in Yeongam. What does that even mean? All I know is that Korea has transformed into a sauna. Stepping out of the shower feels like stepping back into the shower. I may as well bathe in my bed and sleep in my sink.

I think the humidity is somehow responsible for the eczema on my eyelids. Over the past week, dry red patches have formed on my eyelids, which are 1.) itchy and 2.) not cute. I may be experiencing an allergic reaction to mold or bacteria, which no doubt must be growing in my classroom or my apartment. This humidity is a breeding ground for disaster.

Here are some photos from the first few days of July:

This is Samsoon, aka Vidal Sassoon. She lives on the corner down the block and is tied up outside of a restaurant. I stop to pet this Jindo dog 1-2 times daily, so she already recognizes my footsteps from half a block away. Hopefully this she won't be the next item on the menu...

My new Summer fragrance: Musky Menthol, mosquito itch relief. 

I emptied out a suitcase and shipped 2 boxes of my winter apparel back to America.

TIP: You can buy boxes from Korea Post. Box #6 (the largest box) can only be sent via airmail, which is significantly faster (a few weeks), but also more expensive than surface mail. I downgraded to two box #5's and shipped them via surface mail, which should take about two months. Fingers crossed that they don't get lost.

I found this June bug buzzing like a bumble bee outside of my window .

I snapped some photos from my bus ride to school. Look how muggy the weather's been lately. No bueno.

Yeongam is known for the annual Formula 1 (F1) Grand Prix

Ongoing construction on the Yeongsan River.
These structures remind me of the Two Towers in The Lord of the Rings

Yeongam hosts a lot of shipbuilding factories such as Husteel

Megaton shipbuilding cranes

Megaton shipbuilding cranes

Boat frames beyond the hedges

Then, there was the 4th of July. Ade invited Joanne and me to blow off some firecrackers in jovial celebration of America's 236th birthday. By the Mokpo shores, we met our friends, some light rain, and a cool ocean breeze. We were the only Americans in sight.

Shooting off the Roman candle firecracker by our apartments

Winnie spinning glow sticks

Joanne and I holding sparklers

♫ Baby you're a firework  ♫

♫ Come on show 'em what your worth  ♫ 

♫ Boom, boom, boom  ♫

♫ Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon  ♫ 

Happy Birthday, America!

Upcoming adventures? TaLK Farewell Reunion at the Yeosu Expo (July 5-6). Muju water rafting and ATVing (July 7). Boryeong Mud Festival (July 14). Last weekend get-togethers (July 20-21). Maybe some last minute shopping? I know I'm a little backed up on blog entries, but stay tuned!

Hiking Wolchul Mountain

Wolchul Mountain (월출산) is located in Mt. Wolchulsan National Park and spans across Gangjin and Yeongam Counties. The name Wolchulsan means "mountain where the moon rises." Cheonghwangbong Peak rises to 808.7 meters and marks the highest point in Gangjin County.

A group of about 30 foreign language (English, Chinese) teachers set out on Saturday morning to hike Mount Wolchul. Most hikers only went to Cloud Bridge, which is about 1-2km from the parking lot. A handful of brave souls hiked ~3km to the peak. Joanne and I were 2 of them. "Let's go to the peak. We've come all this way. It can't be that far!"

Tired already, taking a break.

At this point, we are no where near the peak.

Endless stairs

Taking another break for a photo-op

Stopped by a waterfall on the way up

As we climbed higher, the view became more beautiful. Jagged rocks nestled in lush green foliage. Silhouettes of rolling hills and distant mountains overcast by haze on the vanishing horizon. In the nearer vicinity, we could see perfect rectangles of flat land allotted for agriculture. Jeollanam-do is known for its farmland, and there was no doubt about that from where we stood on Mt. Wolchul.

Cloud Bridge on the other side of the mountain

No one warned us about snakes!

6 Brothers Rocks

Almost near the peak. Hot & tired, but determined!

Finally at the top!

Panoramic view from the top of Mt. Wolchul

Panoramic view from the top of Mt. Wolchul

Champs!

Joanne & me with some fellow English teachers. 

We took a break to take in the scenery and rest our throbbing legs. Snacked on some granola bars and sipped on water, while conversing with some fellow English teachers, who intercepted us on the way up. Then we made our way back down. At the fork in the road, we could either hike back the 2.7km that we came or hike around the other side: 1.4km to Cloud Bridge, then another 2km to the parking lot. We decided to visit Cloud Bridge, a 52-meter suspension bridge that hovers 120-meters high. The second route proved to be more strenuous because 1.) we were already exhausted and 2.) the "path" of rocks & boulders climbed up and down.

I think I should emphasize how difficult this hike really was (especially non-hikers like Joanne and myself!) The trail consisted of endless rocks & boulders that only grew steeper and more challenging as the hike ensued. Some areas were so difficult that there were metal rails and/or thick ropes built in for hikers to hoist themselves over slick boulders, awkward gaps, and around larger stones. Bleary-eyed and light-headed, all I could feel was the dust and sweat-soaked sunblock caked onto my slowly-browning skin. Running low on bottled water and physical energy, Joanne and I realized on our way to Cloud Bridge that we overestimated our abilities to trek this mountain. The hike felt impossible!

Many grunts and "Si, se puede!"s later, we finally made it to Cloud Bridge.

It's like Korea's Golden Gate Bridge!

We did it!

The hike down the Wolchulsan was brutal. With every stride we took, we had to decide which rock would be the safest to walk on or the most advantageous step forward. Our legs wobbled like jell-o. Some rocks were slippery with gravel, so we clung to rails, ropes, and trees to give our legs a break. At times we felt like Tarzan swinging from tree to tree.

Seafood pancake (해물 파전) and strawberry ice-cream never tasted so good. Joanne and I sat with some other English teachers outside of a restaurant at the base of Wolchul Mountain. That night we also treated ourselves to a Caffe Tiamo banana split with chocolate & strawberry gelato. Delicioso!

Banana split from Caffe Tiamo with chocolate & strawberry gelato

When I woke up on Sunday, my legs felt like they had been run over by a train. I couldn't move them, much less get out of bed. Laying down on my back was uncomfortable because the bed pushed into my calves, while resting on my stomach hurt because the mattress put pressure on my quads. I couldn't bend my knees because that movement would flex my quads. I couldn't bend my toes because that motion would stretch my calves. I could barely sit down on the toilet (because that required me to bend my knees) and ended up stumbling around my one-room apartment room like Barbie with a stick up her butt. It was a beautiful day, but there was no way I was leaving my room.

Luckily, Monday was a public holiday: Buddha's Birthday. I wandered out of my apartment for the first time since Saturday to read outside with Joanne.

What fine intellectuals!

Taking the stairs and shuffling over small inclines was painful. We waddled around like the old folks that we see in Mokpo everyday. I iced my legs and applied pain patches, so they feel a lot better. Just in time for tomorrow's provincial cultural trip to ...

... wait for it ...

JEJU!!!!!

My friends and I have waited anxiously for this trip, and now it's finally here! 3 days, 2 nights all-paid vacation to Korea's Hawaii. We don't even have to make up our work hours. Our 1-hour flight departs late tomorrow morning from Gwangju Airport. Can't wait!