"Just one snake?"

When Koreans go hiking, they are outfitted to go hiking. It is serious. When an American goes hiking, he or she might throw on some shorts and a t-shirt, grab their runners and a backpack and then they're off! Ready to hike. The Koreans however are completely decked out in full hiking gear - they have proper hiking boots, pants, hats, backpacks, hiking poles. And while I am puffing and panting up the mountain, holding onto trees to help me up, little old Korean ladies, Ajummas, are tearing up huge boulders, like impatient billy goats.

All their gear is wickedly colorful so they are easily spotted on the subways as well as on mountains.


I love hiking in Korea, though. Everyone is very friendly and we say hello (Annyeonghasayo) to everyone we meet. There is a stop and start to let fellow hikers up and down the trails, the way there isn't when people are walking in the streets. When people walk here, they usually move very slowly, as though they are on a leisurely stroll, which I find difficult because I usually have someplace to go. Or they stop suddenly in the middle of a crowd and you have to hit the brakes before you cause an accident. Or you might get shoulder-checked because, well, you were in the way. I still haven't mastered the art of aggressive walking here and half the time I'm looking up, gawking at something, so I probably am walking the same way.


Today we went hiking. Not in the usual place we go (Bukhansan National Park near our house) nor was it in Uidong where I went climbing. And it was a lot of stairs (I don't like stairs). I prefer boulders or rocks or trails. Not stairs. The hike itself was fine, there was a clear view of the city when we reached the top. The way back was much more interesting. C-M and I noticed a little path up over some rocks with a fallen tree over it and wanted to see what was at the top. We crossed a little bridge when another hiker, looking stern, told us "Aniyo!" (No!). We waited until he was out of sight and then we climbed it anyway.

For part of the way down, we started making up stories about pigeon spies who were reporting our activity to the army. (I don't like pigeons. In fact, I'm terrified of pigeons. There, I said it.) I wouldn't be surprised if they had lasers coming out of their little red eyes, guarding gates and keeping tabs on people (ok, not true, but good story, right?). They could probably eat people. They're persistent little buggers, which I would ordinarily find an endearing trait, but there is nothing endearing about a pigeon. (Ok, I will grant that there was that one movie that one time about the cute and brave carrier pigeon, but it was a cartoon; I don't think it counts).

I was being teased about being locked in a cage with pigeons. 100 pigeons, SN told me, and a snake. One of the passing Korean hikers said, in English, "Just one snake?" Haha, yes, just one.


The rest of the afternoon was spent trying to find a way back down, hiking through what turned out to be a fancy ditch (basically), finding MORE stairs which led to a suspension bridge (which I jumped on like a little kid at the playground. It was fun!), finding our way down and into the coolest neighborhood it Seoul-- Let me pause right there. If I could get a job/apartment RIGHT THERE, I would. It reminded me of Cali meet Old City (any city) with narrow alleys and gardens and mountains. It was amazing.


And now I'm home and ridiculously sore (I blame the stairs) and am currently looking into hiring a personal masseuse (ok, not really the last part). However, I would not be opposed to this as a Christmas present. Just throwing that out there.