Hiking is my favorite passtime. Most Koreans love it and they are always so happy up in the mountains. It isn't unusually to pick up friends along they way or have people offer you food. Mudeungsan is one of the largest mountains in Korea and it is so beautiful.
A view from Mudeunsan looking towards Gwangju. You can kind of see buildings between the mountains.
I had the greatest experience at this little Buddhist temple. It is very small in comparison to most in Korea with only five monks living here. When Jenni, my good gal friend, and I walked in we were greeted right away and offered tasty green tea. Tea time was a great opportunity to ask several questions about the temple and the monk's lifestyle. The monk, Do-myung had actually lived in Philadelphia so he spoke very good English. They start their mornings at 4:30am with the prayer bell and then they gather at ten to meditate. The first and fifteenth of every month, they have darma readings. He welcomed us to come sometime and said whenever we visited the mountain, we need to stop in for some green tea. Most people I have met so far have been so hospitable and friendly. I definitely want to visit him more and also learn more about the temples and Buddhist culture here in Korea.
A colorful Korean dragon in the entrance way to the temple. This traditional art is typical for temples. Dragons are found everywhere, especially at temples, and they serve as protectors.
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