Koyasan

When deciding what do to with my time in Japan I came across the notion of a temple stay while thumbing through my LonelyPlanet guide. As soon as I began reading about Koyasan it was clear making the trek down was going to be completely worthwhile, even just for one night.  I did a bit of research and out of numerous temples to choose from I was able to narrow it down to five. I sent a request email to the Shukubo organization with the names of the temples I requested and left it up to them. A few were booked up by groups of people, one happened to be a high school retreat of some sort. Jealous. It all worked out perfectly though... I booked a garden view room at Fukuchi-in, what turned out to be the most beautiful and relaxing experience of my trip. 

My room - between the lanterns on the second floor

A few days of traveling and exploring had me ready to take it down a notch. After a few hours on a train through lush mountains, a cable car up to the top of Koya Mountain, and a bus into the town - I had finally arrived. Once I checked in a woman walked me around the grounds giving me information about my stay. My dinner will be served at 6:45, temple gates close at 8, prayer in the morning starts promptly at 6, etc. My main concern at this point was getting myself to the natural spring onsen before dinner. Ever since my first jimjilbang experience, I've been dreaming of spas. One of the reasons I was so excited about staying at this temple was for that reason. I threw on my yukata and headed to the spa. After washing I decided I would first take advantage of the few hours the sauna was going to be open. The spa is open all night, whereas the sauna closed at 8. Sigh. I ended up using the facilities on three different occasions despite the fact I was only there for about 17 total hours. They had a beautiful outside rock onsen that I basked in. It was so peaceful, and there were only ever a few people here and there sharing the naked experience with me. It wasn't the least bit awkward seeing them at prayer in the morning ;-)

I made it back to my room in time for my dinner to be served. I have dedicated a whole post to the food I ate throughout my time in Japan, it only seemed fair. If you want to read about it, click here.

After my meal I went back to the onsen and was in and out of the spa and sauna as long as I could handle. My belly was full, I was relaxed, my mind was happy. I spent my evening drinking tea while writing in my journal and listening to the croaking of the frogs in the garden below. There was a little ledge on my window, which I am sure wasn't for sitting, but I climbed out on it anyways because I wanted to look at the stars. It was important. The sky was so clear, and the stars seemed to sparkle they were shining so bright.  I spent a lot of time here, taking everything in. The experiences I've had in Japan, the changes in my life, my new home, and all the things I left (and didn't leave) behind back in Vegas. It was a grounding experience. I realized how, in the grand scheme of things, being happy is one of the simplest things you can be. 

The next morning, I woke up extra early to fit in a little spa time before the morning prayer. I was still able to arrive a bit early. People were already kneeling in front of a large shrine. The monks spoke Japanese only, so I am not entirely sure what they were explaining at the beginning. I wish, so much, that cameras would have been allowed - although I completely understand why they aren't. The monks sat in the corners of a square enclosement in front of us where the massive shrine was. Aizen-myo-oh is a Buddha for fortune and virtue. They started singing the most beautiful mantras. Their voices vibrated throughout my entire body. The monks recited the fundamental sutra, called “Rishu-kyo”, and performed the chanting of Shingon Buddhism called “Sho-myo” which celebrates the grace of Buddha.

The area in front of the shrine was filled to the brim with a wide variety of people. There were people that seemed completely comfortable in the environment they were in, and then there was a family of Germans who were in awe of what was taking place in front of them. Some people, including myself, were lined in a kneeling position at the front of the space while others were seated behind us. 

At one point, a woman at the end of my line got to her feet, walked to the front of the shrine and knelt down again. She pinched a bit of dust out of a bowl while closing her eyes in a meditative prayer and held her pinched thumbs to her head. She then sprinkled the dust over an area in front of her and bowed. Once she sat down, the person immediately to the left of her got up and repeated the process. This continued to happen, down the line. I knew a point would come when I was "next" in line. Now, I know I had no obligation to do this if I wasn't comfortable - but I was. I felt calm and intrigued and there was no way I was going to let the slightest bit of anxiety stop me from participating in the ceremony. The moment I stood up to approach the shrine, the monks took a break from their chanting and started rhythmically beating a golden gong, which made the experience even more remarkable. 

Photo of Aizen-myo-oh, courtesy of the Fukuchi-in website

The ritual lasted an hour or so, and afterwards the monks walked us around the room, pointing things out and explaining them. I wish, more than anything, I had the super human power of communicating with everyone and everything. I wanted, so desperately, to know what was going on. 

One of the monks was substantially larger than the other. The smaller (and younger) one seemed to be the guy in charge. I really liked him. There was just something about him. Later that day I went back to the temple to retrieve my backpack after walking around all day and I lounged a bit near the garden.  I was writing in my journal when one of the staff members walked by. I looked up from my writing and we caught eyes. He gave me the most heartwarming smile/nod. Then I started writing about how much I liked him in my journal. He wasn't wearing the robes her worse during the ceremony in the morning. He wore plain, black clothes - but you could still sense his importance. Moments later, I was waiting at the bus stop and when I looked up - there he was, walking on the other side of the road. We caught eyes, he gave me a head nod - and turned the corner. I couldn't begin to justify or explain why I am writing so much about my few measly encounters with this little guy. Just seems like it makes sense to have it written down.

My next day I spent wandering the adorable little town of Koya. I walked in and out of almost every little shop along the main street, checking out the knick-knacks and finding the most adorable post cards to decorate my home with. I walked along until I found the cemetery I was so desperately looking forward to visit. You can read about it here. I spent a lot of time there and by the time I was done, I was absolutely spent. I moseyed around for a while, waiting for my bus to come. I grabbed a hearty lunch consisting of fried pork, curry, and rice before I headed over to Danjogaran, a complex designed to replicate a mandala with nearly 20 structures. I checked out a few of the buildings, but mostly watched people as they sketched the Konpon Daito, pictures to the left.  I loved my quick, little escape from the busy streets of the Osaka Prefecture. I would absolutely go back, hopefully next time I will have more time to relax and reflect. All in all, this was my favorite experience in Japan. 

Land of the Deer

Seriously. So many deer. And they've been here forever. They are so used to tourists and are quite pushy when it comes to getting their biscuits. They're addicts and they aren't afraid to nudge, buck, and nibble to get their dose. 

After getting of the train with a Korean friend (Mars) I made at the station in Osaka we headed toward a few temples we wanted to check out. When I first saw deer ahead of us on the side walk, I was beyond exited. It wasn't long after that I realized these guys are everywhere. I found a cute old lady selling treats to give them and Mars and I were immediately bombarded with deer. Pushy little guys. We had a blast leading them around the park, teasing them and playing with them. They are so forward and pretty domesticated. 

I watched many shopkeepers shoo them out of their stores when they would venture a little to far into the shop. One of the shopkeepers was able to tell me that one of the deer that hung out around her shop was only a year old, and she pointed out the mother. How she was able to identify them out of the hundred of deer living in Nara was beyond me. As pesky as they may be, the locals love them like you would any other 4 legged furry friend. They are considered to be sacred messengers of Shinto gods

                      

We strolled through the small little town of Nara and checked out whatever temple was in our way. There were loads. We chose a nice, shady path lined with huge stone lanterns on the way to Kasuga. This temple is known for the thousands of bronze lanterns, but it was nearly 5 bucks to walk through them - we decided peering through the would be sufficient and saved our precious money for something we REALLY wanted to see.

I could have easily spent hours aimlessly exploring every nook and cranny of this little place. Around every bend there was something new that caught my eye. A little river here, a cluster of lanterns and statues there. Temple after temple, it was hard taking it all in. Mars and I found a beautiful temple situated at the top-ish of Nara. It was nice having him around cause he was able to help me figure out how to properly interactic with all these Buddhist things I have no experience with. Water fountains with cups, bells with brightly colored fabrics, incense and candles. He showed me the ropes when it came to these things and added a lot to my experience in this little town. 

                           

The view from this temple was unreal. I could see the tippity top of Todai-ji - The massive wooden structure  and main attraction in Nara. I really, really wanted to see this baby. Seeing it peaking over the trees got me so excited that I was able to ignore the growls from my stomach begging for food and frolic on in Todai-ji's direction instead.

It was so massive and so beautiful, I have never seen anything like it. Before walking in Mars and I lit some incense meant to clean the surrounding air of unwanted spirits and energies and made our way inside. I sat and stared at for at least 5 minutes before even bothering to take pictures of the huge Buddha that was sitting in front of me, situated peacefully on a lotus flower.

You are able to walk completely around the giant statue. It has two smaller shrines on either side with golden statues and smaller things to look at while you make your way around. There was a place you could practice calligraphy and a small hole in one of the wooden pillars that had a line accumulating around it. Thankfully Mars was there to explain why people (including grown men) were crawling through it. Apparently being able to fit through the tiny space guarantees you a spot in heaven. Challenge accepted. Once I get around to making a video compilation of my Japan footage you will be able to witness my attempt first hand :)

Land of the Rising Sun

Kinryu Ramen - Dotonbori, Osaka

I'm going to have to post a few different blogs about my summer vacation to Japan. I couldn't possibly fit everything into one without it being massive. Especially considering that between my SLR, GoPro, and iPhone (rip) - I took over 1,000 photos/videos.

However, in summary - my time in Japan has opened up my eyes to a whole different world. Although Korea and Japan are next door neighbors (lucky me) they have so many cultural differences, traditional and modern.

I loved so much about Japan, especially the people. They all seemed so damn COOL. The way they dress especially. I loved the style. There were people rocking wild hair with a grungy look and then there were the ones who look like they just popped out of a comic - big eyes and porcelain skin with cute clothes. The Japanese love cute things, much like the Koreans. The younger crowed seemed to care at lot about their appearance and being original. I saw a huge variety of styles from head to toe - and I definitely spent a lot of my time stopping in almost every single shop in almost every shopping district in Osaka. Whoops. I have plans for a trip to Tokyo, which I am assuming will be similar to Osaka, except amplified.

Osaka, Japan

I was able to couch surf most of my time there, my budget was thankful. A 50something year old Japanese man in Osaka hosted me for a few nights as well as a  girl from New Zealand who's teaching English in Kyoto. Couch surfing is hands down one of my favorite ways to travel. I'll tell you all about it in a separate blog. 

Per typical tourist standards, I didn't do much. I didn't spend all my time visiting every single temple in Kyoto or Nara. I certainly didn't do any museums. I didn't even see the castle in Osaka. However I did eat myself silly and do what I do best, wander. No plans set in stone, those hardly ever work out. No rushing to the next "sight" to see - I did not have enough time to even try. But I saw a few important things and appreciated the time I was able to spend aimlessly exploring these new places. 

I was able to experience a temple stay in Koyasan. I'm actually writing the majority of this blog while listening to the croak of frogs in the garden underneath my window as I lounge in my Kimono style robe planted right in the middle of a Japanese style futon and drinking green tea. Yes, it is as perfect as it sounds.

 In Japan I was reminded what it feels like to really travel. Anxious about figuring out public transportation, waiting for trains, trying new food, hearing a new language, walking to no where in particular. I missed that feeling of being in action. Although I've been in Korea for over a month, It has been much more living that it has been exploring. I think back to my three months backpacking through Europe last year and think to myself, "HOW DID I DO IT?!" After 6 days in Japan I was well spent.

With that being said, I am happy to be home - especially because home is Korea. Which is still, in my eyes, a massive adventure. But being away made me realize how much it already feels like home. I missed Hangul. I missed saying annyeonghaseyo and kamsahmnida. I missed kimchi so much I went and bought A KILO of it when I got home (mainly because I didn't know how to ask for less). I missed my bare apartment and am so excited to fill it with pictures and memorabilia from Japan. I am so comfortable here. 

Traveling alone and having time to reflect on the craziness that has ensued since I moved to Korea was well needed. Every since I've been here, I have been on the go. Exploring here, eating this, meeting new people and adjusting to the culture.  It has put a lot of "life" things in perspective. I was able to take a step back and look at how lucky I am. My dreams are coming true on an (almost) daily basis. I have had so many opportunities and experienced so many different things in the past few years of my life. I am excited about the direction I am heading and all the adventures that are to come. I am so thankful for my ability to have a positive, no fear attitude when it comes to most things. So many doors are open and available to me - and I'm gonna keep on opening them. 

Independence Rings

This years Fourth of July tops the charts for the best one I've had in a while. After Karyn and I got off work around 9 Friday night our adorable Korean coworker, Claire, took us into town where we met up with some of Karyn's friends at a bus terminal. Two cute girls, who were not American, seemed almost more excited to celebrate the holiday than myself. Andreas from South Africa and Rizza from the Philippines. One of my favorite parts about traveling is the friends you have the opportunity to make from around the globe - not just the country you're visiting.

After the hour long bus ride to Busan. We were ready to get started. Busan has a huge foreign population. It's the second largest city in Korea and there are loads of English teachers and military guys. I'm not a big military guy fan, but they were excited to be celebrating our national independence so it made for a fantastic night out, especially since most places were playing very typical American music in honor of our holiday.

At The Wolfhound Karyn requested the bar to play the national anthem for us, and they gladly abided. It was really, really cool to see everyone stand up and drunkenly belt out The Star Spangled Banner. I'm not extremely patriotic, but goosebumps lined my arms regardless.

We bar hopped around Busan until we were properly drunk, and then made a stop at a convenient store which conveniently sells cheap Roman Candles year round. We bought a few sojus with a chaser and made our way to Heaundae beach. 

There was the most adorable group of Korean boys playing music in the sand when we arrived. We all settled down on the large steps and enjoyed ourselves singing along and dancing. One of the guys spoke English very well and congratulated us on our holiday and we had a quick little conversation before they continued their show. 

The rest of the night is a big blur. There were fireworks and adventures to find a bathroom, getting down with dancing Koreans at a bar, and a hookah lounge that I fell asleep in. 

The goal of the night was to need our sunglasses since we would be partying until the sunrise, and we did just that. 

Trying to stay hydrated, the morning after

                             

The next morning I have zero photos from, except the one above from Rizza. My phone was left with Andrea and we somehow split up at the end of the night.We ate hangover soup for breakfast - haejangguk (해장국). Super Korean and super delicious, made with pork bones and blood. YUM. Then we lounged on the beach until Karyn's boyfriend, Q, came to retrieve us and play your guide around Busan. 

He took us to a traditional Korean restaurant, I couldn't have been more excited. You don't order, they just bring you out loads of side dishes called banchan (반찬). Would you believe me if I told you the picture above doesn't even show the entirety of our meal? I couldn't be bothered to take the time to snap another photo because I was so ready to dig in and start eating.

My favorites were the two soups in the middle (one with tofu and the other a soybean soup) and the dish to the left, chapchae (잡채) which are transparent noodles stir fried with deliciousness. 

After, we ventured on to Haednong Younggungsa Temple (해동 용궁사) - My first temple visit in Korea, and certainly not my last. This temple was situated right on the water. There were market stalls leading up to it selling souvenirs and food (including larva looking bugs). The colors were incredible, and the view was unreal. I felt very relaxed here and could have easily spend hours wandering around and looking at all the statues, temples, and mini Buddhas that filled the place.

                   

The only downside was the amount of tourists, it felt very crowded. It did make for fun people watching. There were so many families with the cutest children. From what I have seen, Korean men have a really good time being fathers. Thy tend to be the ones carrying the babies in backpacks and playing with the kids while out in public. 

There was also an elderly man who seemed as though he probably frequented the temple. He had no legs. One was longer than the other, but they were both stubs. He climbed the hills of the temple grounds by laying his torso on a contraption with wheels and pulling himself where he needed to go. It was quite sad, although I had a sense that this fact probably saddened me more than it did him. It was humbling to see, that's for sure.