Be Fearless, Travel Solo

I am soon woken up with the ringing of a wooden Buddhist bell, rung by one of the monks as he walked the balcony waking us temple-stayers. We grumble out of bed and walk out in the cold outside. It was 4:00 am and still dark out. We walk up the hill on the trail that leads to where we eat our meals and past the monks quarters and up a steep hill. We soon arrive at a small temple, half dug out of the hill, but painted in brightly colored patterns with fuchsia lotus lanterns coving the entire ceiling. I could appreciate its beauty even in my sleep deprived state. We performed three bows on a mat and then sat crossed legged and heard a group of monks, and to my enjoyment, the 5 young monks, chant their Buddhist hymns. The chanting was powerful and calm at the sametime. I was almost lulled asleep by it. Every now and then we would stand up and perform more bows. After about an hour of chanting and bowing we meditated for half an hour. We were told to clear our mind and think of nothing...

Golgul Temple, Head Center of SUNMUDO, Buddhist Martial Arts An Accidental Adventure It was a frigid December morning when I stumbled sleepily to the bus station to catch a bus for another Adventure Korea trip, the same company that I went to Ullengdo Island with. I was all ready for a hike up Mt. Daedusan in the Joellabuk provenice; a gondola on the way up, and a 4 hour hike on the way back. Not being one for carrying much of anything, I bundled up and stuffed my pockets with what I thought I would need, water, Kleenex, and wallet. I found the bus, it looked identical to the last one I was on for the Ullengdo trip; same upholstery pattern, same curtains, tassels and TV screen. I walked to very back of the bus so that I could catch up on some sleep. As I dozed off I wondered why the fellow hikers on the bus packed such big bags for a quick day trip as the bus left 20 minutes sooner than it should of. Two hours down the road we stopped at a rest stop and I chatted up with ...