Chungcheongbuk-do Part One

On Tuesday I celebrated the start of summer break by joining my fellow Guji Elementary school faculty and staff members on an overnight trip to Chungcheongbuk-do Province. Chungcheongbuk-do is south of Gyeonggi-do, and is the only landlocked province in South Korea. I have tried my best to remember the names of the places and towns we visited on the trip, but it hasn't been easy, and I may mess up here or there. One thing I won't forget is what a great send off it was for me, as I prepare to reassimilate to the states in a few weeks' time. The weather was perfect (after weeks of hot, endless rain), the food was incredible and the people, of course, are unforgettable.

The first restaurant we stopped at for lunch was the only place I didn't take pictures of. I regretted leaving my camera on the bus when I saw the spread of food the ajumas brought out. Korean cuisine is famous for its banchan (side dishes), but this was overkill. They actually brought out table tops loaded with dozens of communal plates that they slid onto the empty tables we occupied. It was crazy watching them skillfully maneuver the carts used to wheel the tops. The meal was great- whole fish prepared two ways, pork belly, tofu soups and kimchi galore, but I can't help but pity the person responsible for washing all those tiny dishes.

It wasn't too long after we got back on the bus that our vice principal queued up the karaoke machine. Actually, it started when one of the teachers in charge of the logistics of the trip (the youngest or rookie teachers) came up to me and asked me to pick a song to sing. I thought that I could get out of it by saying that I was shy, but it didn't work. Eventually, I had to step up and belt out some Peter Frampton. Karaoke is funny here, everyone just steps up to the plate and does it. The best singers usually make a show like: "no, no, not me, I am no good." and then they step up and just kill like an Asian Tom Jones or Tina Turner.

Here is my VP up at the front of the bus getting the karaoke started. The best part is the images they show on the screen that have absolutely nothing to do with the words the scroll below. Sometimes during a soft love song you will get images of a car chase scene or something. No one seems to mind.

Our first destination was a ferry boat tour of what I believe was Chungjuho Lake. On the loading dock, I teased my friend Kwan Yang about his lack of a girlfriend, and when I saw one particularly attractive young female with a fat boyfriend, I told him that there is still hope for someone as pudgy as himself. It is nice to be able to joke around with someone, even if they don't completely get what you are saying. Anyway, here are some pics from the ride:

The weather was so nice that most people went out on the narrow deck to observe and take pictures. This was taken when the captain was making his announcement which of course, I understood none of.

Our next stop was to Gosudonggul Cave. This incredible cave is located near the film site of one Korea's most popular historical dramas. There is a huge set that looks just like one of the palaces in Seoul or Gyeonngju, but we walked right passed it to the entrance of the cave where we put on our hard hats. In the last year, I have visited some incredible caves, and they never cease to fascinate me. This one didn't have any bats, but I will always remember how cramped some of the tunnels were.

Walking down to the rack of hard hats which saved my dome more than once inside the cave that featured clearings less than three feet high. You can see the entrance of the cave off to the left in this picture.

More than any cave I have explored in the past year, this one had a solidly built walkway and hand rails. It even had this glass roof over a portion of the cave that receives continuous drippage from above.

After the cave, our next stop was to be the Guinsa Temple at Sobaeksan Mountains. We ate lunch earlier than normal and it became clear that with our pace and agenda, dinner would be late, so someone passed out ears of corn that they purchased from a streetside vendor. I had only tried Korean corn once, and it was gummy and I hated it, but the second time wasn't so bad. I think it is gummy because they steam the hell out of it.

At the temple I walked for a ways with my vice principal who saw a sign offering help to English speakers. I went inside and got set up with a personal tour guide- a young man from Ulsan. He told me of his plans to open a private English academy in Ulsan and said that the reason he visited the temple all the way up here was to pray for the future success of his new business. He is a Buddist of the Cheontae Order. The only thing I learned about that particular branch Of Buddhism is that female monks do not have to shave their heads. My tour was cut short when my vice principal said that we only had five minutes to get back to the bus, so my new friend kindly game me an English book with all sorts of info about the temple.

My tour guide was nice, but he insisted on having me pose for a picture on this spot. I tried to convey my thoughts on the unattractiveness of the construction site, but relented anyway.

At sunset we stopped off for dinner and a karaoke contest. The beers and soju started flowing at dinner, and I was asked to be a judge. Tipsy and clueless as to what constitutes a good Korean singer, I gave arbitrary scores- 99.876 and 99.875 for example. I did give out a 100 and a 101 to a couple of my favorite teachers, but it had nothing to do with their singing ability. Later, awards were given for the highest scores and for the worst singers as well.

Instead of sitting on the floor, we used these bad boys.

A spicy fish soup which was quite tasty.

My scorecard

Some panties were given out as awards. I have no idea why, but it was funny.

After the awards had been handed out half of the teachers took a bus home while the rest drove to the spot we would be staying for the night. We got to the "pension" which is what they call the outdoor sort of hotels or cabins in the countryside here after 10 or so. We six men had our own cabin and got started taking showers and watching baseball highlights. I didn't really feel the need to shower, but didn't want them thinking that all Americans are dirty slops, so I obliged. Then we met up with some other teachers and drank into the night. I used an excuse to sneak out early when my bedtime was near. I knew that the rest of the crew would be up until 3:30, but that just isn't in this old man's arsenal anymore. I was told I stayed up until after 2 in the morning, but I think they were just being nice.

The cabin the boys stayed in

Upstairs loft

Teacher party

I was proud to see that someone brought a bottle of wine from my neck of the woods. However, when I explained that I live near this vineyard, no one was that impressed. Also, the picture quality is terrible because I was good and drunk by this point.

Click Here for Part Two