These Boots Are Made For Hikin' - Obongsan Mountain and Seongjeonam Hermitage

 The International Ladies have been faithfully meeting once a week for over 20 years. That has been put to a halt because, Covid. Private gatherings are still limited in numbers, so I dusted off my hiking boots and tagged along with Kate when she met Ming and Deok Soon at Obongsan Mountain.

Along the steep road up to the hermitage we stumbled across this little family cemetery plot. It is a very fancy one.

Even though this was a paved road leading up to the hermitage, it was not as easy as you would think.

It was very steep!

 Chuey was sure there was a creature down there that was moving. She would have been disappointed to know it was just water from that drain, so I let her believe there was something exciting to chase.

We finally made it to the end of the road to the Seongjeonam Hermitage. A hermitage is a fancy word for a secluded place of residence, a retreat or a hideway. So I guess only a few Buddhist monks live in a hermitage.

Seongjeonam Hermitage is home to a seated wooden Buddha statue. The statue dates back to 1694. Once the hermitage was bombed during the Korean war and burned, and once it was set ablaze by arson, but the statue has survived both times. Buddhism belief says that 'all who call the name of Amitabha while reflecting on his meritorious virtues can be reborn in the Buddhist paradise of the West.'

Fun Fact: Seongjeonam Hermitage was the home to the Seventh Patriarch of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism at one point in the 60s. It was here that he spent 10 years practicing jangwa burwa, which is sitting in the lotus position for long periods of time with minimal interruption. He abstainted from going outside for that entire ten years.

This little building houses the big bell that is rung periodically during the day.

Even though we came to the end of the road, our hike was just getting good.

This little girl likes to be the first one up the mountain.

We stopped for a short break at the picturesque lookout point.

Kate, Deok Soon, Ming, Trish and Chuey

We made it to the peak!

Picture time once again.

That's a big 'H' for a helicopter landing. I'm not sure if it's for the hermitage below or what. Seems kinda rando.

We made it back to the to the hermitage.

[April 7]