Views From Bukchon

I had to make a short stop in Seoul on my way to Chuncheon to run one of Korea's famous full course marathons on the weekend. I spent most of my time unsuccessfully navigating old alleyways in the Bukchon area in search of a traditional Korean guesthouse where I could spend a peaceful night. The Bukchon area used to be the area of town where the well-to-do government officials used to live.

Enjoying a Sunday, Enjoying Korea, Enjoying the Fall

Today we took the opportunity to bask in Autumn's colourful splendor. A long rewarding hike up Daegu's holy Palgong mountains (pal = eight, gong = 0 . . . Eight-Zero Mountains).

The hike took us up a weaving path tunneling through trees bright with yellows, reds, oranges, and unturned greens. We made a stop at three Buddhist hermitages, each had its own charms.
After working up a mighty apatite we enjoyed a mountain-herb inspired version of chicken soup which included a whole chicken boiled in a broth with ginseng, jujube, and other medicinal herbs. We ate perched up on a deck watching the sun set lazily behind similar coloured leaves.

Full from the meal and exhausted from all the fresh air, we must have fallen asleep as soon as we sat down on our bus headed back into the city.

Local Market

I snapped these pictures when walking through a traditional Korean market. This market is located on my way from my first place of employment to my second and takes place about twice a month. It's always a real treat to experience the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and just overall feel of traditional Korea.