We awoke to sunrise over the ocean.
We were in Sokcho, the northern part of South Korea – quiet different from the ocean view of Busan we had a week past.
I was up around 4 am – that’s around 3 am in Singapore time. “You should watch the sunrise” said my guide. Thus I was there, in the morning to set up my camera, braving wind and insects on the very exposed balcony of my hotel. I had a bit of anxiety. What if the birds pick off my camera? What if the wind blows the camera over the balcony?
Nothing of that sort happened of course.
My balcony overlooked the port (?). It was busy the evening before, but at this time of the day, all was still. I enjoyed a quiet dawn, watching the sky change colour, and then headed back to my room for a quick bite and to get pack again for the trip back to Seoul.
Sinheungsa Temple
We headed to Sinheungsa Temple in the the Seoraksan (Mt. Seorak) area. The temple stands on elevated ground, and was re-located twice from its original place after being destroyed by fire.
The temple grounds house several buildings with prayer halls and a large bronze Buddha statue called “Tongil Daebul”.
Even in the morning, there were already many visitors at the temple. Some walked around, some were offering prayers. There was a kind of stillness in the environment. We walked around for a bit, looking into prayer halls and just standing there in the midst of it all, taking in the mountains and the blue sky.
The wind was too strong when we visited, so we had to forgo taking the cable car to the top of the mountains. Instead, we headed for an early lunch. Fortunately, where we had our lunch, we could clearly see the Ulbawi Rock — rocks that seem to be jutting out quite differently from the rest of the mountain.
Hani Lavender Farm
The Hani Lavender Farm is located in Goseong county. Aside from growning lavenders, the farm also had rye, and an assortment of other plants. They hold a month-long flower festival of sorts in June. It seems that the farm is still open to visitors after the festival, just that the flowers may be harvested after that.
Jumunjin / Gangneung Beach
(Picture)
Seeing how we still had more time, our guide kindly brought us to Junmunjin Beach, known for “BTS bus stop”. The sky was clear, the sea was blue — aside from the few random cones and the obvious different season, it did feel as though I was thrown into “You Never Walk Alone”. There was a photo shot indicator where you can place your phone / camera and take a photo of yourself at the bus stop.
If you’re heading there, there are some day tours that can bring you to the beach.
Daegwallyeong Sheep Ranch
Our last stop before going back to Seoul was the Daegwallyeong Sheep Ranch, located in Pyeongchang. The ranch spans over 195 k㎡, with several pastures that are rotated by day. I took some time walking the rolling path, looking for sheep. I smelled sheep before I saw them!
Aside from admiring the fluffy creatures from the other side of the fence, visitors can also feed sheep at a price. I think they keep the sheep hungry – and I do not lie when I say that sheep jumping to get the hay in your hand is scary…
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