What's Happening to the Osaek Springs?

Enjoying the spring waters is one of the simple pleasures I always look forward to during my visits to Korea. ( See the earlier posting on the spring waters of Osaek in Soraksan and at  Naeso-sa. )

One approaches a zen-like moment when one partakes of the cool waters straight from the ground. Well, OK - visitors at Osaek spring No 2  usually had to use the plastic scoops instead of using their hands so it's not totally a primeval and rustic experience and those who wanted to taste the waters at Spring No 1 had to queue up in front of a stone tortoise which spouted out the spring waters. Still, it's a lot more fun than turning on the tap or opening up a plastic bottle of Perrier.

Koreans  may extol the virtues of this spring or that, citing its mineral contents being good for one ailment or another but personally, the appeal lies in getting up close and personal with nature while running the minimal risk of getting the runs.

So I was VERY sorry to read this recent report from the JoongAng Daily:


"At Osek Yaksu, which has been famous for its medicine water for 500 years, we found not the refreshing gusher we expected but a tiny trickle. Seven elderly ladies who had come from across the country to fill up on the yaksu were also disappointed. After an hourlong bus ride, each of them had to spend 40 minutes to fill one 1.8-liter bottle. According to the locals, the yaksu began to dry up after a large construction project started nearby."

James Hadley noted some construction going on in Osaek Creek when he visited the place in June 2007. The previous year, heavy rains had damaged Highway 44 and the work he observed was intended to create steep banks flanking Osaek Creek and to "grade the creek bed to a gradual profile with a flat cross section. In other words, either the creek was being largely converted into a canal, or previous canalization was being extensively repaired."

Hadley raised some important questions about the impact of the construction and I wonder if this particular project has anything to do with the spring waters or if another construction project is responsible for turning the Osaek spring into a sad trickle. Either way, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the isutation is a temporary problem or if not, I really hope the locals can do something to ensure that the springs of Osaek will continue to refresh present and future generations of visitors. The best things in life used to be free but these days with nature under siege on so many fronts, we need to pay the price in terms of greater vigilance.

sources: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=255513
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2923178
http://pr.korean.net/eng/koview/koview_10.jsp
http://www.factplusfancy.com/pbw/kr/11/Osaek_Creek_Construction_Work_2007_06_23

My Fav K Sounds - Part 2

Sometimes the things you don’t seek are the most rewarding. One of my favourite sounds in Korea is something I discovered by chance when I stayed overnight at Baekdamsa in Gangwon-do. I went there just to see what this quiet corner of Soraksan National Park was like and was already taken with the beauty of the maples in autumn there. I sought silence in Baekdamsa but found instead an unforgettable sonic experience.

It was also my first temple stay experience except that there was no formal program here. The vegetarian meal taken in silence was almost over in the communal dining-hall when I heard a muffled but intriguing rhythm building up on a drum somewhere outdoors on the temple grounds. Hastily, I cleared my dining-tray and went out into the nippy evening air in search of the source. In the darkness, my ears led me to a raised pavilion which housed an enormous drum, a cloud-shaped metallic cymbal of sorts, a wooden fish with a hollow body and a bronze bell with a profile reminded me of the Emile Bell. One seonim was facing the drum, his hands wielding two sturdy drumsticks while another was waiting for his cue beside the other instruments.

How can I describe to you what I heard? Definitely not mere banging. Not tuneful but riveting. Surprising because of the variety of rhythms created on the massive drum and so different from the monotonous beating heard in temples outside Korea and it. It had a commanding presence, speaking with authority, except that I wasn't sure what it was saying. But it was magical.

According to Brother Anthony, an expert on Korean culture, sounding the Dharma Instruments (bell, drum, fish, cloud) “represents communicating the call to enlightenment (the Dharma) to all 'sentient beings'.” The bell made of metal reaches out to those below the ground, while the drum made of leather is the call to living things above the ground. The hollow body of the wooden fish is struck to communicate to all the creatures in the sea whilst the cloud shaped gong is meant for all in the air.

Source of pic on left: KNTO website

Seoraksan, Part 6 - Where to Stay in Osaek

Rich Autumnal tints in Osaek

Backpackers and solo travellers would probably opt for one of the many family-run minbaks and yeogwans situated around the shops in the small town of Osaek, in the southern corner of Seoraksan National Park. Mine was a charming minbak, a few doors away from a church which was set up in a traditional-style house with wooden pillars and potted chrysanthemums flanking its short stone staircase at the entrance.

For 30,000 won a night ( in 2004 ), I had a room looking out onto the small street which ran parallel to a tiny stream. The room was also next to the wooden verandah which fronted the house so it seemed like an extension of my room where I could laze and lounge about and try my very limited repertoire of Korean vocabulary on my friendly landlady for the next three days.
 

Bible Verse on Rock outside charming church building in Osaek but is OT or NT?

There was no attached bathroom but hot water was available in the common bath and one could use the kitchen facilities. I was surprised to see my neighbours in the minbak, a foursome of hikers from Ulsan, grilling pork slices on their camping gear inside their room. My assumption that the landlady would go ballistic at the sight of guests cooking indoors but she was joining them and soon enough, the friendly hikers invited me to their impromptu picnic on the floor.

I’m still not sure if cooking in rooms is standard practice in minbaks and yeogwans across the country or if our landlady was exceptionally tolerant and accommodating. Certainly her parting gift of an Andong mask necklace was an unexpected and touching gesture.

If you’re travelling with a big group and can afford to splurge, then book rooms at the Greenyard Hotel -see the KNTO pic above. ( Tel 033 672 8020; http://ns.greenyard.co.kr) Its many facilities include a hot spring, sauna, swimming pool, noraebang and a shopping arcade.

Wanted to check out its jjimjilbang but chickened out and opted for the swimming pool instead much to my regret because they don’t channel any of the hot spring water into the swimming pool ( 6000 won for either baths or pool).

 One plus point of using its bathing facilities is that you can use the free hotel shuttle to get to other places like Yangyang, Naksan and Seorakdong.

sources:
http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=349496

Seoraksan Part 5 - Sample the Waters at Osaek

I didn't think I was a city-slicker till I tried the steep gradients of Seoraksan. They were something of a shock for me when I ventured brainlessly on an uphill trail on my very first day. Happily for my soles and ankles, the kind ajumma at my minbak suggested a novice-friendlier route for my second day.  The route that starts just behind the Greenyard Hotel was more like my cup of nokcha. It goes along the river valley past Mangwolsa and Seongguksa Temples towards Sibi Waterfalls

The trail is on a much more gentle gradient and very scenic as one follows a footpath up a narrow river gorge with two mineral springs to quench your thirst along the way.

The first Osaek Yaksu ( spring)  is easy to spot because it’s near the start of this trail and is marked by a stone tortoise spouting water and surrounded by plastic scoops in red or blue for visitors to use.

The second spring requires a bit more walking to reach. ( 2 kilometers past Sunnyeotang towards Jujeongol Valley). Look out for a footbridge with a sign marked in Hangul –Mineral Spring No 2. Again, just follow the plastic scoops and join the queue to claim your next refreshing and complimentary drink straight from the ground.

According to the Yangyang Travel Guide, the mineral water contains iron and carbonic acid and “the spring produces 12,500 litres of mineral water each day…. Rice cooked in Osaek water turns blue and has a good taste”.

Honestly, I don’t recall the taste of the water except to say that it was cool and refreshing. It didn’t seem highly carbonated to my untutored palate but then again, I was more taken with the novel charm of drinking water directly from a spring and vaguely concerned about developing some Korean version of Bali or Delhi Belly. But the scores of people who kept refilling their water bottles and even 5 litre containers were a reassuring sight.

For more on Seoraksan, click here.

sources:
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264192
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=658326
http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=658327
http://english.knps.or.kr/Knp/Seoraksan/
http://www.osaek.info/
http://www.san.go.kr/english/info/gangwon_seoraksan.jsp
http://pr.korean.net/eng/koview/koview_10.jsp

Seoraksan, Part 4 - Lessons for the Novice Hiker

Here are the lessons I learnt as a novice hiker while struggling alone on the slopes of Seoraksan:

Lesson No 1: FIND OUT BEFOREHAND ABOUT THE TERRAIN and BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF ABOUT YOUR OWN FITNESS LEVELS!!!

Foolishly I assumed buying a simple map from the Ticketing Office would suffice as a guide for my first hiking attempt. Make the effort to learn enough Korean to ask experienced staff or climbers about the levels of difficulty for the different routes. Bear in mind that the locals have the agility and strength to rival mountain goats so if you’re a novice hiker from the city, it’s best to multiply by three the times and distances they quote you.

I should've started with the Osaek Valley instead of aiming for the waterfall.

Also it’s vital to pay close attention to the contour lines on the maps and don’t underestimate the speed at which you can tire out on the hills. Osaek has “the most direct routes to Daecheongbong” which is the main peak in the national park ( 1,707.9 metres) but I mistakenly thought that aiming for Seorak-pokpo ( waterfall) , situated halfway up the route to the peak was a modest enough goal. According to the map, the climb up to the waterfall would be about one and a half hours. No sweat, right?

Pristine-looking stream but still safer to drink from the spring or yaksu

Lesson No 2: Pack ample water and snacks to fortify your body and spirits when attempting these trails.

What seemed more like three hours later, I was still somewhere on the foot of Daecheongbong with the waterfall still nowhere in sight. Dozens of walkers who had passed me had reassured me that the pokpo was nearby but I decided I had been over-ambitious and turned back, listening dutifully to the demands of my raucous tummy. On my way down the steep trail, I paused to admire a squirrel which hopped onto a log across the path. It seemed unusually still and tense and then the source of its nervousness was clear – a snake under the log. Are there poisonous snakes in Korea?

Lessons No 3, 4 and 5 emerged in rapid succession:

3. Pay attention to where you’re walking

4. Carry a fully-charged mobile phone with direct dialling for the tourist emergency number ( Call 033-1330)

5. Avoid walking alone.

Actually I was never really alone – there were many walkers ahead of me and behind me, climbing up or down and if I had indeed had the misfortune to be bitten by a venomous asp, I would probably just have to endure a few minutes before some hikers would come upon me. I could rest assured that they would be amply equipped to help.

Most of the walkers I encountered looked dressed and armed to the hilt for something closer to an assault on Mount Everest. I envied them their competent-looking boots, pairs of sturdy walking sticks, wind-cheaters, gloves, baseball caps and sun-glasses. They would probably also have a first-aid box handy within their backpacks or at least a mobile phone to link to some mountain rescue operation nearby.

Heck, the Koreans looked so fit and strong, I bet even the halmeonis ( grandmothers) could’ve slung me on their backs and carried me down without much fuss.

source:
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=658326

Seoraksan, Part 2: Beware - Traffic Jams on Mountain Roads

Autumn, 2004 – Heavy Traffic On Mountain Highway

Sometimes fortune favours the naïve traveller such as myself who had thought it wouldn’t be so hard to find a place to stay. It just so happened that in 2004, I had boarded and alighted from the same bus at Chuncheon as two ladies who ran a minbak in Anteo Homestay Village, a stone’s throw away from the bus stop in Osaek, a village in the southern part of Seoraksan. ( This was after I had changed from an express bus bound for Chuncheon, taken directly outside Incheon International Airport).

I had to pay 30,000 won per night for one basic room with no attached bathroom ( which was pretty steep, considering such rooms usually went for 20,000 won) but soon realised that room rates tended to balloon just ahead of the surging masses that made their way to Seoraksan during the weekends.

When I took another bus from Naksan into SEORAK –DONG, the traffic jam was even worse. Many passengers, including yours truly, got tired of being stuck on the road, and so opted to walk the last two kilometers. Incidentally, getting out of these places can be just as nerve-wracking and a test of one’s patience as the coaches and cars seem to choose the same hour for their exits from the national parks.

Seoraksan, Part 1 - Not So Easy Getting Away From It All

If you don’t have much time and you just want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, it may be best to take the express bus straightaway from the Incheon International Airport out to places like CHUNCHEON where you can then change buses to go to Seoraksan National Park. Click here for the schedule of bus services from the airport to Chuncheon.

However, you may need to be psychologically prepared for the masses of Seoulites who choose to descend on this famous autumnal attraction in Gangwon-do which makes getting away from it all a little harder to achieve.

It’s a matter of good luck and good timing. You want to be there to see the maples at the height of their scarlet glory but so do thousands of other local and foreign visitors. After all, we all have access to the same information provided by KNTO travel advisory which posts the dates when the autumn foliage reaches its peak in different parts of the Korean peninsula.

pic: KNTO

* You may try to avoid the city only to find the city folk turning the pristine outdoors into bewildering near-chaos with the impatient honks from the long queues of tourist buses on Highway 44 struggling to squeeze into the car parks.

* You may curse yourself for failing to making reservations for a decent place to sleep and end up trying your level best to catch forty winks in a foetal-like position in your seat in the coach.

Above: Very serious photographers vie for best spots to catch the 'dampong'

The usually quiet mountain trails are not unlike the human traffic of the local shopping mall during autumn as you have to share narrow footpaths with endless groups of children out on school trips, ajummas from walking clubs chattering away excitedly or passionate photographers jostling for the most ideal spots for capturing the prettiness of the dampong ( maple ) leaves.

Below: School groups can be scary!

For more on Seoraksan, click here.

sources:
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264219
http://www.airport.kr/airport/traffic/bus/busView.iia?seq=604&flag=E