Journey to Jeolla Nam Do - Day 2

I awoke sometime after daybreak, but decided to snooze a bit longer in an effort to make up for the upright, seated sleep that I tried to get while on the bus the night before. With four of us padded down on the floor of a room about the size of a walk-in closet, the three shortest butted up against each other in a parallel fashion, and the tallest laying perpendicular at our feet, no one dared be the first to make a move...or a sound. So, I lay in stillness doing morning eye-calisthenics around this antiquated architecture called a chogajip. Traditionally, this hut-like house with its rice-thatched roof was built and occupied by commoners, and this morning proved no different. It was only appropriate since the start of our second day of the journey was here in the middle of Nagan Traditional Folk Village. As soon as someone else stirred, I followed suit, and peered out a window to catch a glimpse of this village (dating back to the 1800's) as it came to life with town 'folk' going about their morning chores. For me, a quick, cold shower outside, a change of soggy clothes and a dixie cup of tepid tea, and I was off to join in the morning rituals of the village. There was a light mist coming down that soon turned into steady rain. Dancing to dodge raindrops and the puddles that were now forming in the dirt roads, I hip-hopped into a small shop where a family was minding the store while eating their breakfast of hot steaming noodles. Immediately, I spotted the perfect umbrella -- a conical hat with chin strap and a brim wider than my shoulders! It must be the traditional Korean farmer's hat, I thought. It was the perfect solution at the perfect price, so I donned my new rain gear and took off to turn up more traditional treasures. In the short time I had to spend there, I found treasures not only in the shops, but also in the people, the scenery, the culture and the incredible wonders of this way of life.

Back on the bus the windows were fogged over and the rain pelted the glass creating an abstract painting of whatever the landscape was outside. There were swirls of brown, gray and green and blurs of white and pale blue, and an occasional stained glass effect whenever we passed the random town. When we finally came to a stop somewhere high in the hills, a rich and brilliant shade of green was all I could see for miles. The endless rows of green tea bushes looked like a giant blanket of plush, wide-wail corduroy had been draped down the mountainside. As a huge tea aficionado, this was the highlight of the trip for me -- I would soon be in those hills, hand-picking green tea leaves, drying, roasting and rolling the leaves to my heart's content, and preparing my own batch of organic green tea to take with me to enjoy at my leisure. After the hands-on processing activity, I would then learn about, and participate in, a Korean tea ceremony. To say that I was in my element is an understatement! In fact, at this point, I was certain that Heaven is not white and waiting for me, it is green and lush and I have already arrived -- I have passed through the pearly gates into the Organic Gold Tea Estate! So, here in my Heaven on Earth, I steeped myself in learning the practice and honoring the rituals involved in the making of this divine drink. I felt the whole experience to be much like the tea I helped to create -- rich, exotic, golden, refreshing, and oh so easy to drink in.

Having spent the "better part" of the day at the green tea estate soaking up knowledge and experience and being drenched in tradition and history, not to mention the pouring rain and ankle-deep mud, we made a brief stop at the Gangjin Celadon Museum. Celadon is a type of pottery that is light green (celery colored) and is famous for the Goryeo Dynasty and is easily recognized in museum and shops around the world. However, this experience was not just another sight-seeing mission, but yet another hands-on activity in which I was allowed to carve my own design into the side of an unfired cup that will be processed to completion and shipped to me in a few weeks. I don't claim to have any artistic ability, but after the heavenly experience earlier, it was as if the angels of art were released through my fingers. The black clay was cool and soft in my left hand, and the carving tool seemed to take on a life of its own as it penetrated and pared out a perfect sideways-cascading plum tree branch with the words, "Land of the Morning Calm" resting under its delicate arm. Okay...I know... the proof is in the pottery. For now, I will just have to rely on the old adage, "good things come to those who wait" (and will keep you posted:>).
It was just after 7pm when we arrived at our accommodations for the night. The itinerary promised a complete opposite of the straw shack of the night before. Tonight we would bed down in a condo-hotel overlooking Yulpo Beach and be treated to a 50% discount at the exclusive jimjibang (pronounced: jim-jee-bong; it means a bathhouse/sauna/spa). As I have become a jimjibang junkie here in Korea, I opted out of the reserved dinner of spicy tofu stew, and immersed myself into the boiling brown bubbles of a green tea bath. For the next 45 minutes, I alternated my basking and bathing between the tubs of gurgling green tea and bubbling buoyant seawater. Unfortunately, our agenda was not in alignment with the operation hours of the hotel facilities, so a few minutes before 8pm, with my body afloat, but slowing sinking in the draining water of the sea tub, I vowed to get up early tomorrow and begin my day in my usual way -- drinking up, and relishing in, green tea!

That night, my 3 roommates and I spent a glorious evening sharing our stories of what brought us to Korea, what we hoped to get from the experience and how we were handling the whole matter. A diverse yet connected quad of independent women made for a lively and lovely gab fest that went on for more than 4 hours, although it seemed much shorter. But then time always telescopes when you put four women together who are eager to share what's on their minds. Through the course of conversation, I was especially enchanted by two of them. Both were strong and sure and sensitive. They were calm and considerate and projected positive energy. I found them so engaging, so inspiring and quite full of humor. When the four of us exchanged "good nights", it was almost midnight, but I lay awake with the indigo sky spilling into the room casting a blue net over our 4 stark white duvets lined up on the ondol floor. I remembered a quote from a Hallmark card that I received recently that said, "It's the friends we meet along life's path who help us appreciate the journey". Truer words were never written. With a sincere sense of satisfaction, I smiled, rolled over and went to sleep.