Muju Mountain

Two hours outside of Gwangju lies Muju Mountain; a popular ski resort in Korea. Since we finished school on the 30th of December, a group of us thought it would be a good idea to rent out a cabin for the New Year’s weekend. While Muju looks like only a large hill when compared to Mt. Hood, there is something cozy and beautiful about it. Maybe I think of it in this way because the mountain and surrounding town don’t resemble your typical Korean city or maybe it has something to do with the fact it was covered in snow. Regardless, I found myself intrigued by this small mountain community.



We spent our weekend in a small, two story suite equipped with a kitchen. However, true to typical Korean accommodations, there were no beds; just blankets and pillows. The compact lodgings combined with the large amounts of snow made for quite the cozy weekend. On Saturday afternoon Eric and I explored our small corner of town. We walked along back allies and winding roads to take in the nature around us. It sounds weird, but I’ve really come to miss being surrounded by trees. Gwangju, like most Korean cities, are just landscapes of bright lights and tall concrete high rises. Not especially appealing. So to be in the mountains, surrounded by snow and trees was a real treat for both Eric and I. After our walk, Eric and his friend Matt took it upon themselves to “break ice”. This activity involved them throwing large chunks of ice into the frozen river below, trying to break the frozen top layer. Somehow they managed to kill a couple hours doing this activity. As fascinating as it was, I found my time better spent reading my book and watching Gone With the Wind indoors.



On Sunday, we made our way to the main street of town. There we would ultimately catch our bus home, but we decided to head in early to see what it had to offer. There, the trees are lined with lights and Timberline-esque wooden shops. If I knew any better, I would have thought I was in some American ski town. Since we didn’t have any need for ski gear, we decided to plop down in one of the coffee shops. There I indulged in my first bagel with cream cheese since I’ve moved here. Let me just say, a bagel has never tasted so good. I found myself licking the little container my cream cheese came in. Can you tell I’m cheese deprived?!

However, all good things must come to an end and we soon found ourselves on a bus back to Gwangju. Even though we didn’t get to spend as much time as I would have liked in the great outdoors, I’m thankful for the few short days I had.