Weekend to Seorak : A time between sky and sea.

The office in charge of exchanges students suggested leaving discover the time of a weekend, two very known cultural sites in Korea and of a great beauty. I decided to take the opportunity to leave the region of Seoul to discover wilder and more natural places. The schedule was the following one : Departure on Saturday morning by bus from the university to go to visit the temple of "Seorak Mountain", then to spend the night in a hotel and the next day to visite another temple " Naksansa " before returning at the end of the day to the university.

Seorak Mountain. After having slept a few hours in the bus, we woke up in a magnificent place of snowy high mountains and full of charm. A place as " stopped in the time ", wild and mysterious. After a short walking, we have discovered, hid from the glance of the simple visitor, close to a small ice-cold river, a magnificent temple under the snow protected by a Buddha's gigantic statue in the entry. The place was magic and snow as well as the sun made this place shine as one jewels. We had the impression to have returned in past, when this temple was still in service religious.

After this visit we ate in a small typical restaurant, a local speciality very appreciated by koreans "Bimbimbop". Kind of mixture of rice and various vegetables which cooked directly in the flat of terra-cotta brulant in which it is served. Then we came down again more low in lands to go to visit a famous market of fishes and seafoods. The place was rather different from what we know in Europe and we took advantage of it to taste the speciality of the place: fried shrimp. To finish we have took back the bus to go to the hotel in which we had spend the night. An immense building, very comfortable, with big magnificent bright rooms and very pleasant. After one good night of sleep and a copious breakfast we left the next day to continue our cultural discovery. 

Temple Naksansa. Changement of atmosphere compared to the previous temple. This one was really beautiful too and it is one of rare constructed temples of Korea by the sea. The smells are there extraordinary, a mixture of locust tree and marine scents. We find numerous buildings decorated with beautiful paintings and with blue-green tiles, with courses with ponds and trees there which offer a fantastic view over the sea and a magnificent big statue of granite 15 meters high overhanging the sea. It is one of bigger in the country in this material. It was quiet, peaceful and relaxing place which gives easily on second thought and to the meditation.

So I passed an unforgettable weekend of which I saw magic and magnificent things and which allowed me to discover more the Korean culture. A good experience for only 70 000 wons (approximately 50 euro).