Haeinsa Weekend

We arrived at Haeinsa (or the “Temple of Reflection on a Smooth Sea) on Friday for a lunch that was miraculously on the table and hot when we sat down: bulgoki, zucchini fried with egg, red and white kimchi, salad with yogurt dressing, some kind of pan-cooked fish, and other assorted vegetables. Aside from individual rice and seaweed soups, the whole meal was collective. It felt weird at first to reach across the table to one platter of food for four people and nab a bite with chopsticks, but I tend to be sort of a selfish food-hoarder, so this was a good start for my foray into the more group-centered lifestyle that Koreans embrace.


After lunch we settled into our empty marble rooms (in which we would later unroll sleeping pads, as per common Korean custom) and checked out the breathtaking view from our balcony.


Our first hike to the monastery that afternoon was a bit damp: it drizzled most of the time, and I had to blow dry my soaked, solo pair of pants when we got back to the hotel. But the hills of Gayasan were all the prettier for the rain, and the low misty clouds added to the ambiance of the temple town.


Friday night was one of firsts: first time enjoying Hite beer and the company of 20+ people in a convenience store, first taste of my new favorite adult beverage, makgeolli (a rice wine served iced in a wide bowl), and my first real time singing and socializing in a Noraebang (karaoke room).

Needless to say, after such an entertaining evening, I was not too pumped about waking up on the early side of Saturday morning to head back to Haeinsa for a hike to the meditation ceremony; I envisioned sitting straight-backed with my legs crossed on a hard floor and listening to chanting for an hour (which in retrospect would have been pretty cool!)


I am so glad I opted to go though, because we arrived just a few minutes before the drumming began. Apparently the monks drumming that morning were the “freshman class,” and it was funny to see them laugh with relief and pat each other on their backs like athletes or actors after each drummer finished his segment.

Drum 1 (With Path of Peace) from Eileen Ryan on Vimeo.

Buddhist and tourist visitors alike filed through the maze-like “Path of Peace” praying or reflecting during the ceremony, and the whole courtyard of Haeinsa was pulsing with color and beat. As hesitant as I had been to get out of bed (out of pad?) that morning, I was a bit sad to leave the monastery on the 1:00 bus back to our hotel.

After a lunch of bibimbap and an afternoon nap, I headed to the hot springs with a few female friends. While it was a bit unnerving at first, being in a room full of naked women in hot and cold pools and salt-rock and amethyst saunas, the experience wound up being one of the most relaxing of my life. I don’t think I’ve ever sweated that much! I will certainly be incorporating that part of Korean culture into my weekly routine during the next year.

I’ve posted more pictures of the weekend trip on my Picasa account if you want to check them out: http://picasaweb.google.com/home

Thanks for reading! 안녕히계세요 / Anyong-hi kaseyo!