HALF MARATHON IN SOUTH KOREA AND OTHER ODDITIES

Let me just apologize for my long hiatus. Unfortunately, the Army is pretty busy in Korea. Between administrative nonsense and this asshole (pic below) I don't have much time.

The good news is that in the past 3 months or so I have been able to do a few exciting things including traveling to Samcheok, South Korea to run a half marathon with the wife. And believe me, in Korea there was some strange oddities along the way. If terms like "boat hotel" and "penis park" don't mean anything to you, after reading this post they will.

Let's Start with the Race

The race was in the Samcheok area of South Korea about 4hrs north of Daegu and 3hrs east of Seoul (right). The race route was pleasant with seaside views, daisy fields, and a strawberry farm, however there are some key differences between marathons in the U.S. and Korea. These became readily apparent. They are:

-THEY DON'T CLOSE ROADS
-THEY DON'T BABY PEOPLE

The small waterfall and stream along the marathon route. After passing the bridge its up uphill on the highway and through a tunnel. This eventually runs along the coast and to farmlands.

THEY DON'T CLOSE ROADS- Lets talk about that one for a moment shall we. In America when we say the road is closed there are no cars on it. In Korea when they say the road is closed it means its closed (sort of) as in (sometimes) as in a bunch of Korean public/government officials running around like 10 year olds with batons playing traffic cop. I almost lost my life as tour buses flew past feet away from me. It did get my blood pumping but next time I would appreciate something less than a near death experience.

These couriers of death nearly got us but we made it.

What your thinking when you haven't seen a water point in the past 5 miles.

THEY DON'T BABY PEOPLE- I'm not as upset about this one as I think most would be. Marathons usually have frequent rest points (a.k.a water/gatorade stations) along the route. In Korea, its a about half of what you would expect. If your looking for some chocolate or a banana maybe twice every 13miles, and gu packs; as the Fonz would say "Forget About It". And medical support?- I saw a minivan on the side of the road with someone passed out laying across the back seat like a corpse so I guess the answer is yes they have medical support.

AND YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT A "BOAT HOTEL"?

Indeed, I wasn't being facetious. Someone took a commercial cruise liner and reconstructed it atop of a mountain overlooking the ocean. It was  definitely a good way to catch some attention. I didn't want to like it but it was just freaking awesome. We stayed for two nights and it was steep ($200 a night) but the views were spectacular from the balcony. And no sea sickness to worry about!

Your right Ron.. it is amazing!

AND THEN THERE WAS THE PENIS PARK....

Let me preface this by saying there are a lot of normal parks in Korea. However, this is not one of them. It sounds like a joke but believe me, when the Koreans make a penis park its not just a couple drawings and a funny sculpture, its acres of phallic statues everywhere. Unlike in the U.S. and many western cultures, phallic symbols don't always draw the same connotations. This is the only place where you will see whole families and hordes of old ladies walking around a bunch of penis statues laughing and halving a grand old time. I'm still not sure what to think about besides it was definitely weird. It's not normally my idea of fun to walk through the disney world of 20ft tall penises.

The Legend Behind the Park-
As the story goes a virgin woman was once left by her man on a rock in the sea while he worked, the man was later unable to retrieve her because of a storm, and the woman drowned. After that, the village people were not able to catch fish. The village believed it was because of the dead woman. One day a fisherman peed into the water and afterwards he was able to catch fish, so it was thought that exposing the deceased virgin to male genitalia pleased her. To soothe her spirit further, the local village people made several phallic wooden carvings and held religious ceremonies on her behalf. After a while, the fish slowly returned and the villagers were able to live comfortably again. The place where the woman died was named Aebawi Rock and the building where the religious ceremony is held twice a year was named Haesindang. The ceremony is still honored today as a traditional folk event. And there you have it, the source of the penis park. It still seems like some serious overkill but I guess it got the job done.

Yes this is a motorized penis in the penis park. I wasn't kidding they went all out on this thing. It must have been one hell of a curse on those fishermen because they built penis cannons to make the fish come back.

How about a bunch of old Korean ladies playing on a penis seesaw. Yes, I said a "penis seesaw". And a child standing in front of them with the WTF look on her face.

Hwanseon Cave- The Largest Caves in Korea 

Tucked away in what looked like a scene from Indiana Jones (above) was the Hwanseon Caves. This network of caves is said to be the largest in Korea so we didn't want to miss the opportunity on our way back home. After taking a spectacular cable car ride up the sheer mountain cliff face you find yourself at the entrance bellowing a wet cool air (below). 

This cave was incredible. The sheer size and depth was astounding. I can only imagine walking through the cave in its natural state with no lights and just a headlamp. To peer out and see spaces as large as football fields underground. It was truly an experience that helps you recapture a true sense of adventure. Anyone coming to Korea would want to do this, especially if your a nature lover.

One of the most fascinating anecdotes about this cave is that the location has always been a place of meditation for monks. Wether its a gimmick or not I couldn't tell you but the park claims there is still a monk who actively resides and meditates in the caves.

YOU THINK THAT STUFF WAS WILD- ITS JUST THE BEGINNING

To see ALL THE PICTURES from my Samcheok trip go to the Korea tab>Samchoek or click here. If you thought this stuff was strange believe me there's more where that came from. Stay tuned for a post about my latest trip to Jeju Island, South Korea and REMEMBER, if you find yourself in a travel situation just think what would Chuck Norris do?