The Adventure Leads to a Fortress...Day 9 in Korea

I woke up on Friday morning to the sound of someone trying to initiate a Skype video call. It was my mom and Aunt Mitzie. I Skyped with them for a while, and then Skyped with my old pals Parker and Bastard Travis. It was night time there so they were having an evening beer. I looked at the single beer that I had in my refrigerator (I'd broken one the day before when it fell out of the side door. My mom actually witnessed that on Skype. There she was, giving me advice on how to clean it up from the other side of the globe. Love you, Mom). I noticed that it had a top that you could put back on so I thought "Oh, what the hell, I'll have a sip of it to share the moment with my buds back home." From the look of the frosty green bottle, I expected my first sip to taste like a light, crisp, refreshing carbonated beer...perfect for the summer time. What poured into my mouth from the frosty green bottle tasted like pure alcohol. I almost spat it out! I later found out that the bottle contained "soju," a very popular (and cheap!) Korean liquor. Not how I'd expected to first taste soju. (This is also how I discovered that the 7-11 across the street sold liquor)

Soju. Don't be fooled by the bottle.

After getting off of Skype with Parker and Travis, I decided to make the best of my morning and find something to do. I'd been aching to go hiking, and walking around downtown Gwangju-si, while beautiful, was not quite the same as hiking up in the mountains. I decided that I would make my way to a local tourist attraction: Namhansanseong Fortress. Namhamsanseong Fortress is a huge fortress located up in the mountains, just northwest of Gwangju-si. It was too far to hike to, but there was a bus that went there every day that left from Gwangju-si. After figuring out which bus stop to go to, I packed some water, snacks, and a couple of books into my trusty Deuter backpack and headed out to the bus station.

Don't leave home without it!

This was an exciting day for me, not only because I was planning to go to Namhansanseong Fortress, but because I had yet to ride a Korean bus.

The G Bus

I wasn't even sure how much it would cost or how I would know when to get off at the right stop. All I knew was what Google Maps had told me...which was all in Korean. I was able to use Google Maps to see where the route would go and about how long it should take, so I figured that I'd go mainly off of that. 


Google Maps told me to take a bus into Gwangju City, and then hop on another bus. I figured I just save a little money, some confusion, and get a little more exercise by walking down into the city, so I did that instead. It probably took me about 30 minutes to get to the bus stop that I thought Google Maps was telling me to go to. When I got there, I saw many people waiting under the awning, but I could also see that the Bus number that I was looking for (15-1) was listed at the stop. Success! Or so I thought...

A Korean bus stop. I know you were wondering what it looked like...

After waiting there for about 20 minutes and never seeing the bus number pop up on the electronic display, I decided that maybe I needed to move to another bus stop. I walked a few more blocks on the same street until I found another one. Just as I was walking up to see if the bus line ran there, the bus that I was looking for pulled up at the curb. Hooray! I waited for some older people to board the bus and then I hopped on. One of my books about Korea told me that bus fare was typically around 890 won, so I slipped a 1,000 won bill into the little collection box and waited for the driver to give me change. He cleared his throat and said something in Korean. I looked at him and he held up 3 fingers, so I slipped 3 100 won coins into the box. He nodded and started driving. I guess the prices have gone up!


I went and sat in a seat near the back of the bus and watched as we wound through the city. (Just like Google Maps said we would!) After a while, we got on a highway that led way out into the countryside. I noticed that the driver wasn't stopping much and was a little confused as to how the bus system worked. I also saw a lot of people scanning cards when they got on. I wanted one! Anyway, the bus drove on and on until we took a left at this toll booth and pulled over by a bus stop. The driver stopped the bus and got out...I'm still not sure why. We sat there for about 5 minutes while he walked around and smoked a cigarette. I wondered what what going on. I assumed that he was waiting for people to come by, but I never really found out because no one did.

The driver got back on the bus and we rode onward. We passed through some old towns and started winding our way through some mountains. Occasionally the bus would stop and pick people up...but they never seemed to be at any of the bus stops. I also noticed that when people were getting off, they would scan their little cards at a door closer to the back. I figured that maybe that was a way of signalling to the driver that they wanted to get off at the next stop. I'm still not sure if that is the case. 


After a while I could see a lot of people by a stream, where families were playing in the water. I wondered if that was part of Namhansanseong Fortress. I was also seeing signs that said Namhansanseong-ro, but I wasn't sure if that's what I was looking for or if it was just a town in the vicinity. I was really starting to worry. I didn't really know where I was, I couldn't see any map with the bus routes on it, and I couldn't understand what the Korean lady on the loudspeaker was saying at each stop. I figured if I got lost, I could just catch the same bus going back, since it was my planned route back anyway. We passed some older looking buildings that had very distinct Asian architecture. I saw some people looking at a map that said Namhansanseong Provincial Park in English. I started to panic, wondering why the bus driver wasn't pulling over. 


At last the bus pulled over into a parking lot in a small village, backed into a space for buses, and stopped. Everyone on the bus started getting out, and people started to board the bus from the front. I followed the people out of the exit door, hoping that the driver wouldn't yell at me for not having a little card that I could scan to make the little "bing" sound, like everyone else was doing. I stepped off the bus, walked out into the parking lot, and observed my surroundings. The village that we were in looked much like an Asian version of Helen, Georgia. I still wasn't sure where I was, so I decided to start walking in the direction of the stuff that I saw. I hadn't walked more than 100 meters before I saw a sign that had arrows pointing to various attractions. One said something about a nearby temple only about 0.2 kilometers away, so I decided that I would head in that direction. As I was strolling along, I looked off to my right and saw another Namhansanseong Park Provincial Map. Huzzah! I ran up to it to figure out where I was.

According to the map, which was in both English and Korean, I was currently in the middle of the park. The map showed a "river walk" that went through a lot of the park, and I could see a little river beyond the sign, so I decided to start following it in the direction of the temple. As I walked along, I could see lots of families sitting in groups in the shade on blankets and towels that they'd brought with them. Some were drinking beer, others were just picnicking. The river walk led to the road that we'd come in on, so I continued to follow it. I hadn't gone far before I glanced over at the forest on my right and saw a little trail that was snaking up the mountain. Just what I wanted. I got on it and started hiking up the mountain, hoping that the trail led to something cool. After about half a kilometer, the trail led out of the trees to an open area where I that was next to the wall of the fortress. 

The wall of Namhansanseong Fortress

I followed the wall up the mountain, which seemed to only get steeper. Maybe it was because of the altitude, the incline, or the fact that I was way out of shape, but I was sweating and panting really hard. It didn't help that the sun was beating down on me from above. I had to stop a couple of times to catch my breath before continuing on up the mountain. 

The people I saw weren't wearing jackets like those people are.

Eventually I reached a part of the mountain that leveled off some. There were some picnic tables in the shade where an older Korean couple was enjoying lunch. Next to the little area, there was a place where the wall jutted out and you could see surrounding mountains, as well as several different cities off in the distance. The view was breathtaking (Really. It took me a while to stop panting). I walked up to the wall and leaned on it. My arms and hands left big sweaty marks on the stone. I reached into my pack to find something to wipe them up with, but by the time I turned around the sweat had evaporated. That's how hot it was.

I kept following the wall for a while, passing by some neat little entrances that were fenced off until I reached (trumpet sound) The South Gate.

When I reached it, I hiked down to the bottom and up to the entrance itself. I looked out and could see a path (the one in this picture). I decided to check it out before returning to the fortress to continue exploring. The path led down to some steps, which led to another path, which led down the mountain. I kept following it until it came out by a highway. Above the highway was a big blue sign that read:

"Welcome to Seongnam-Si"

Seongnam? I wondered how the hell I'd ended up there. I noticed signs for a bus stop, but decided that it might be best to turn around. I was starting to head back to the path, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw where the path continued a little further down the sidewalk. I walked over the the edge of the path and looked down. It led to several sets of wooden stairs, which led down the mountain. I started to go down the stairs, weighing the consequences of what I was doing. My inner monologue went something like this:

Rational Side: Hey, you know, the fortress is back that way. It's already some distance back there and a lot of it is uphill. You might want to think about heading back there.

Adventurous Side: Hold on a second. I want to see what's down here.

Rational Side: It's hot, you're really tired, and you're not even sure of where you are.

Adventurous Side: Sure I am. That sign says I'm in Seongnam-si.

Rational Side: Yeah, but you don't even know that much about the city. You really only know about a small section of the area that you work in. The city is pretty big. Not to mention the fact that you're a long way from home, you can barely read the language, you don't speak the language, they don't speak your language, you don't have a cell phone, and you're in Asia. How are you going to get past the language barrier if you get lost?

Adventurous Side: I'll figure it out.

Rational Side: I doubt you'll figure out Korean in a matter of hours if you run into any sort of trouble.

Adventurous Side: But I want to see where this path goes. It'll bother me if I don't. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?

Rational Side: Oh, I don't know. You could die.

Adventurous Side: At least I'd die having an adventure and not like my high school chemistry teacher who died while he was sitting at his desk. And there might be something cool down there.

Rational Side: That's true. Well, Rivers, better get down there!

So I continued onward. The stairs eventually led to an area unlike any that I have ever seen before. There were people in this little Asian pavilion who were working out with weights. Like, there were dumbbells, barbells, ellipticals, treadmills, and a lot of other stuff. And it was outside! Other people were meditating. I wondered if this was all free or if one had to pay to take part in it, but I noticed that the path continued on down the mountain. I kept following it. The incline was so steep that I could really feel it in my knees as I was walking down. Along the way, I noticed tons of people walking up and down the path. There were a couple of other workout stations, several Korean port-o-potties, and even some areas where there were little fountains of water flowing out of the mountain. I noticed that there were little scoops beside each fountain, where people could splash themselves with water and possibly even drink it (I didn't see anyone drink it, so I can't confirm this. I didn't try it). I noticed areas where there were several grouped piles of stones. It may have been some sort of cemetary or burial ground. Further down the mountain, there were some tables where old men were playing some kind of board game with black and white discs that looked like it could be a version of Checkers or Othello.

Rational Side: Okay, this is cool but it's about time to head back.

Adventurous Side: Quiet you.

I kept following the path. I came to an area where there was a stream that many families were playing in. (It kind of reminded me of a very tame version of the Chattahoochee back in Helen) I could see that some families were camping. There were large signs everywhere in Korean. Near the bottom of the path was a performance area, and next to it were some fountains and little pools that Korean children were playing in. At the bottom were little shops (One said "Convenience Store" in English below it's Korean name). I walked out to the road and was startled to find that I was on a road that ran very close to my school. Awesome.

Adventurous Side: See? Told you things would be okay.

Rational Side: Shut up.

I wasn't exactly sure how to get to the school, but knew that I was in the right area of the town. I spent probably 20 minutes walking around some neighborhoods before I decided that it might be a bit further down than I'd thought. At this point I'd run out of water and was very thirsty so I stopped at a 7-11 to get some water and Gatorade. When I took the bottles up to the counter, the girl behind it noticed my backpack and my sweat-drenched shirt and asked "You go to mountain?" "Yes," I said. "Full?" she asked. "What's that?" I asked. "Fall?" she asked, making a motion with her hands. "No, I didn't fall," I said. "No," she said, "see fall?" "No, I didn't see anyone fall," I said. "NO! Did you see fall?" she asked. "OH!" I said, "a waterfall! Yes, I did." "Good," she said. I paid and she bagged up my drinks. As I was leaving, I said goodbye in Korean and it seemed to make her happy.

I instantly recognized the road by the 7-11 and knew how to get to my school from there. I'd been craving gimbap all day, but for some reason I was craving spicy chicken today. I went to visit the shop near the school with the old man. He greeted me and I showed him what I wanted, and he filled up a cup for me. "Mountain?" he asked me. "Ne," I say. (yes) He smiled. I noticed as I was paying that he took the money with a two-handed gesture, where he held one hand under his receiving arm near his elbow. I knew that this was the polite way to accept something from someone and realized that I had been very forgetful of that recently, possibly due to the time I'd spent with Mr. Lee and Mrs. Yoon. I felt bad because I'd only handed him the money with one hand. When he handed me my change, I made sure to take it with two hands and to thank him in Korean. As I was leaving, I said "Stay in peace," in Korean, which seemed to please him.

I walked down to the school and sat on the steps to eat my chicken. After I was finished, I threw the paper cup away and went back to the main street. At this point, I thought that maybe it would be best to try and take a bus home. After waiting at a bus stop for a while, I realized that I wasn't sure what bus I should get on and could end up somewhere very far from Gwangju. I realized that the only surefire way of getting back home was to go back up the mountain and to get on the bus that I'd come in on. 

Adventurous Side: Let's take a bus. It'll be fun.

Rational Side: Yeah, you have no idea what bus number to take, what the stops are called, or where the buses really go. Better get back up that mountain.

Adventurous Side: Yeah, but...uh...shit...

The climb back up the mountain was several kilometers. I was fine at first, going back through the park. While I was walking in, I saw a baby staring at me with an expression that said something like "Holy shit! A white guy!" or perhaps "Holy shit! Look how much that guy is sweating!" Maybe it was both. I'm used to Koreans staring at me when I go walking down the street, but typically they only really do it out of the corners of their eyes. (I can really see them do it when I wear sunglasses) They're simply curious, as they don't see many white people in my area of the country. Babies will gawk, though. It's really funny.

By the time I got to the top of the park, I was less worried about speed and concentrated more on putting one foot in front of the other. By the time I'd climbed the first set of steps, I had to stop on the landing and sit down on the bench that was provided. A Korean guy came by and said something to me in Korean, presumably about the stairs. I nodded and agreed. He laughed.

Rational Side: Told you to turn around, didn't I?

Adventurous Side: Shut up.

I climbed up two more sets before I had to sit down again. This time, a pretty Korean girl came by as she was climbing and sat on the bench next to mine. She asked me (in broken English) if it was the first time I'd climbed the mountain. I told her yes, that it was very difficult, but going down wasn't as hard. She laughed. She told me it was her first time, too. After a while, she got up and kept going. The guy on the stairs came back and laughed and giggled when I said "You're back already?!" before he continued on up the stairs with his kids in tow.

I kept climbing, past the stairs, past the sidewalk by the road, through the forest, until suddenly I was at the South Gate. Huzzah. The pretty Korean girl was coming back down. "You made it!" I exclaimed. She laughed and said that the view from the top was good but that there was a mist around the city. I said "Oh." "Don't be sad," she said. I laughed and she said goodbye in English. I said goodbye in Korean, and she immediately smiled, bowed, and said it back. I headed into the fortress and she headed back down the mountain.

Once inside, I climbed to the top of the South Gate and worked my way back along the wall. After a while, I started looking for the trail that had led back down toward the area where I'd come into the fortress on the bus. I spotted a trail heading in the general direction, and started climbing back down. A few steps down, I stepped on some rocks that slid out from under me and with much control and grace, I proceeded to bust my ass. Luckily, my pack absorbed most of the fall and I got up with little more than a scratch on my arm and a dirty shirt tail. I followed the path back down the mountain until I found the road. I followed the road to the parking lot. I waited there for about 10 minutes before the bus pulled in. I climbed on the bus after all of the older people got on and handed the driver 1,300 won. He smiled, nodded, and thanked me. 

About an hour later, I got off in downtown Gwangju and started my walk back to the apartment. Even though I'd been walking most of the day, and it was out of the way, I took a detour through the city park and enjoyed the nice evening. The temperature was much cooler. There were tons of people in the park. Some were walking around the track, some were riding their bikes, some were playing badminton, some were using the workout equipment, and some were just sitting on benches, enjoying the evening. A man had parked his scooter on the bridge and was playing a drum on the back of it. (I'd seen him riding around town. His scooter is decked out with South Korean flags and other patriotic stuff). Seeing all the people out made me smile.

My feet were killing me by the time I reached my apartment. I unlocked the door, slipped off my shoes, turned on the air conditioner, and just sat on my bed for a while, exhausted. I took a nice, long shower, put on my Young Harris College T-Shirt (which was not nearly as tight as it had been), and Skyped for a little while. I went back into the bathroom to brush my teeth, but forgot to pull out the little knob that connects the faucet to the shower. As a result, the shower soaked half of my T-shirt.

It felt a lot like this (stolen from http://kikinitinkorea.tumblr.com . Hilarious website)

After changing clothes, I fell into bed and was asleep before my head hit the pillow. It was a very long, but awesome day.