Sunday at Seorksan National Park

Thanks to a holiday weekend, Eric and I headed to Seoraksan National Park for a few days. I was amazed by the beauty and serenity of the park. What a needed break from the hustle-and-bustle of Seoul.



I loved how the rest areas became quaint and deserted the farther we drove from Seoul. (A typical rest area contains hundreds of cars and buses, bathrooms with fifty stalls, and people everywhere.) At this convenience store, men drank tiny paper cups of coffee while huddled around a table. Eric actually needed to use his Korean language skills (and the universal language of hand gestures) to order his cappuccino.
The seating area doubled as a stock room for fresh produce:


We stopped by Naksan Beach for lunch at Buy-the-Way market. We avoided local restaurants based on the plethora of seafood places. Even the souvenir merchants were selling fish: We hiked to a Buddhist temple overlooking the ocean. Hikers lined up to taste the fresh water on tap:

Four metal ladles hung next to the fountain. Though I'm used to ladles by now, I'm still surprised by the number of people who actually use them.