Seoraksan Trip Pt. 2

The second day of the trip was spent admiring nature. Our day started off bright and early like the other IES trips, but this time everyone was better rested. 

Our first stop was to Gyeongpo Beach. Not many people were at the beach this early in the morning, so it was pretty peaceful. Unfortunately, it was a little too cold to go for a swim or dip my toes in the water. I enjoyed listening to the waves as I slowly became fully awake for the rest of the day though.

The next stop was Seoraksan!! I had never heard about the national park before, so I went on this trip with no expectations. The nature around the mountain was beautiful, and the fall leaves were stunning. My phone doesn’t do the colors justice in the vlog. I didn’t have many chances to see autumn foliage growing up, so I was in awe walking around the park.

Our tour guide taught us more about Buddha and the meaning of each pose when we see statues. She also recommended that we try the natural mountain water. As someone who is not Buddhist, it was really cool to learn more about another religion and witness people pray for various reasons. Suyeon, one of IES Abroad’s program managers, explained that a lot of parents come to pray to Buddha for their kids to attain good grades. Considering that midterm season just finished at Yonsei University, I definitely was hoping for good test scores too!

The trip ended with a six-hour long road trip back to Seoul. On the bus, many of us slept. When some of us woke up, we started to play Heads Up! on the way back, which was super fun and made the time pass by quickly. 

If you’re craving less city life and more nature, I’d recommend visiting Seoraksan, especially during the fall. The weather isn’t too hot or too cold, and you can enjoy the picturesque foliage. Anyways, I plan to keep making more videos of my adventures abroad, so stay tuned!!