Sokcho Part Two

Day two in Sokcho.
Destination: Seoraksan National Park.

This was probably the highlight of my last trip to Korea. I enjoyed seeing the natural beauty of the Park, learning about its history and immersing in the culture of the South Koreans.

Little kachi, South Korea’s national bird. It is a symbol of good luck for South Koreans.

The Bojero (pavilion in the foreground) and the Sinheungsa (Buddhist temple). This temple is believed to be the oldest Zen temple in the world.

The Bojero and the Sinheungsa.

The Bronze Buddha. The Great Unification Buddha, a 48-foot, 108 ton gilt-bronze Buddha statue, called “Tongil Daebul”, sits atop a 15-foot high pedestal, of the same material, making the total height 62-foot.

People put their prayers in stone slabs, while others pile their stones for good health and prosperity.

We rode a cable to car to get a better view of the Park from the top. From the viewing deck, you only have to take few more climbs up the snowy slopes to finally reach the peak. 

The view was indescribably magnificent and inspiring.

Sokcho Part One

Let me take you to South Korea. But not to Seoul nor Busan (will post about them some other time), but to Sokcho.

It is more than a day's drive from main Seoul to Sokcho, specifically to see the majestic Mt Sorak. Seoraksan is the highest mountain in the Taebaek mountain range in the Gangwon province in eastern South Korea. It is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike.

We started off for Sokcho (from Seoul) by mid-afternoon and reached our hotel for the night, Seorak Pine Resort, past 8pm. We checked in and then immediately proceeded to the Taepo Fish Market for some seafood to feed our hungry tum-tums.

Sokcho is definitely one of the best places to sample all the spoils of the sea - including king crabs, manta rays, squirts (first time to see and taste one!) and anything else you can fish out of the ocean. Every seafood was on display in tanks of constantly filtered seawater with everything alive. Talk about fresh.

 

Our main course of the night - King Crabs.

Squirts. First time to see and eventually taste them.

I found the crabs very delicious and filling. On the other hand, I found the raw fish and squirt combo too, hmmm, raw for my taste (Blech!). The presentation is superb though.

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel for some ice cream and coffee while watching Korean pop stars invade the world. Slept a little bit over two hours and then was on our way to Soreaksan National Park early the next day.