bamboo and temples

South Korea has hundreds of festivals.  This is no exaggeration.  These festivals are spread throughout the year and throughout the country.  Different regions and cities are known for different things, and so festivals spring up in order to celebrate and honor that special something.  It has always been my goal to frequent such festivals, or at least those that I found interesting!

In early May, Stuart and I ventured south to Damyang for the Bamboo Festival.  This was exactly what it sounds like: a festival celebrating bamboo.

Early Saturday morning, we took the train down to Gwangju and then a bus to Damyang, which was about 40 minutes outside of Gwangju.  Although we had booked accommodation in Gwangju for the night, we decided to instead sleep in Damyang so as not to rush to catch a bus back in the evening. 

We made quite an amusing friend on the bus from Gwangju to Damyang.  He could not speak much English, but tried his hardest to communicate with us.  He was a magician, and so did a variety of tricks for us.  He also gave us candy.  When we arrived in Damyang, he walked with us and helped us to find our way to the festival.

First, Stuart and I took a walk in the famous Damyang bamboo forest.  Old plastic pandas were scattered throughout the park and provided for amusing photo opportunities for Korean tourists and us. 

The forest itself was stunning.  The bamboo provided a beautiful ambiance and much needed shade from the sun.  Stuart and I sampled bamboo ice cream and drank fresh strawberry juice while walking through the forest.  Various souvenirs were on sale, and I bought a small bamboo flute for my sister.  I couldn’t play it to save my life, but I hoped that she would be able to!

Next, we ventured across the road to the more festival-y portion of the festival was.  We walked through aisles of vendors selling their homemade (and mass produced) wares.  There were bicycles to rent, paddleboats to paddle, big boats to ride, a parade to watch, and fish to catch with bamboo woven baskets.  We walked through the vendors for a while, and through the exhibition halls, admiring what there was to admire.

parade participant

catching fish

We found a local hotel to rest our heads for the evening and ventured out again in search of the best tteok galbi in town.  Tteok galbi is some sort of kneaded chopped meat that the Damyang area is famous for.  Being so famous, it is darn expensive!  Perhaps even more so was my Daetongbap, or rice cooked inside a bamboo shoot.  It was good enough, but not worth the price we paid for it.  Our evening out turned into a really expensive affair so accidentally!

The following morning, we took the bus back to Gwangju, and, on the recommendation of a friend, found Art Street, a street lined with art galleries and studios.  However, being a Sunday, everything was closed.  Luckily, we found a tourist information center where the guide was able to direct us to a beautiful mountain hike to a temple that was nearby. 

Deciding we had the time and inclination to hike, Stuart and I took a bus to the Jeungsimsa Temple.  The bus dropped us off at the base of the mountain and before the hike started.  We took the opportunity to buy popsicles, since it was so hot out!

We must have looked rather ridiculous hiking up that mountain!  Koreans wear full hiking gear whenever they venture upwards, even though the path was paved.  Not an inch of skin is exposed to the sun.  We, on the other hand, were outfitted in shorts, t-shirts, and sandals; not exactly trekking attire!  That being said, the hike was easy and the views were incredible.

Two kilometers up the mountain, we found the Jeungsimsa Temple.  It was lunchtime and the monks offered us a meal.  We ended up declining their kind offer due to time, and instead wandered around the temple and taking pictures.  When we were leaving, a monk gave us from sesame candy from his pocket.  It was a lovely gesture, but the candy was not to my liking!

On our hike down, we made a detour to stick our feet in the small river.  The water was oh-so cold, but the plethora of tadpoles did not seem to mind very much.

We were able to bus and subway it to our train station with ample time to spare (I always get nervous in new cities that the transportation will take longer than expected, and therefore I always give us extra cushioning time).  After a long train ride, we found ourselves home and thoroughly exhausted.

These weekend trips are so wonderful, but they sure are counterproductive to being refreshed and ready for the workweek.  And, trust me, I need all the energy I can get!