Browsing the archives for the Samneung Valley tag
There are many times in this country when I’ve wished I had a better grasp of the Korean language. Standing in Mr. Seo Seung-am’s workshop at the foot of Mt. Namsan (남산) was definitely one of those times. On display all over the shop are literally hundreds of hand-carved wooden penises. There are big ones, [...]
Gyeongju’s Mt. Namsan (남산), or literally “South Mountain”, may not be among the tallest or most beautiful mountains in Korea, but to me it’s one of the most magical. It might look gentle from the side, but up close Namsan’s got enough steep valleys, twisting peaks and craggy boulders to give any hiker a run [...]
Along with temples, ancient Buddhas, and funny-shaped boulders, Mt. Namsan (남산) has also been blessed with a fair number of kalguksu (칼국수) restaurants. If you’ve not tried it before, Kalguksu is a hot and hearty noodle soup; perfect after a hike. Kalguksu literally means “knife noodles” as the noodles are cut by hand and quite [...]
