#37 Hiking Bukhansan with the U.S. Marines

Like most <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> diplomatic missions, the U.S. Embassy in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Seoul</st1:place></st1:City> has the good fortune to be supported by a small Marine Security Guard detachment.  They are required to stay fit and strong, and they do a lot of training to stay that way.   I knew I couldn’t keep up with their training, but  I invited the Marines to hike together in  Bukhansan (북한산), where at least I had the slight advantage of having done it before.  For the others, it was a first visit to these amazing mountains so close to our Embassy, and while these young men went up the mountain much faster than I did, they like me found themselves stopping often to enjoy the views.   <img src="https://t1.daumcdn.net/cfile/cafe/2055F00F4A52A4885A" class="tx-daum-image" style="CLEAR: none; FLOAT: none" actualwidth="640" hspace="1" width="640" vspace="1" border="0" />     <img src="https://t1.daumcdn.net/cfile/cafe/1155F00F4A52A4885B" class="tx-daum-image" style="CLEAR: none; FLOAT: none" actualwidth="640" hspace="1" width="640" vspace="1" border="0" /> Group photo with the U.S. Marines   Since we decided this was “training,” we went out on a weekday, avoiding the weekend crowds.  By starting off early in the morning we were able to get to Bukhansan, scramble up some rock faces to take in the views, visit a historic temple, and descend in time to go to work after a mid-morning meal.  And what a meal it was:  We tried out one of the dozens of restaurants that cater to hungry hikers at the bottom of the mountain.  I went for “naeng-myon (냉면),” one of my favorite summer dishes, but several of the Marines tried haejangguk (해장국).  The Marines learned haejangguk is considered a cure for those who’ve overindulged the night before.  While no one was in need of that kind of “cure,” they ate the meal with gusto.  <img src="https://t1.daumcdn.net/cfile/cafe/1255F00F4A52A4885C" class="tx-daum-image" style="CLEAR: none; FLOAT: none" actualwidth="640" hspace="1" width="640" vspace="1" border="0" /> Trying 'haejangguk'   <A title="[http://cafe.daum.net/_c21_/bbs_read?grpid=uEi0&emoticon=&mgrpid=&fldid=I2bV&dataid=&page=1&prev_page=0&firstbbsdepth=&lastbbsdepth=zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz&content=N&contentval=0000hzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz&espam44=&viewcount44=&regdt44=&mode=&num=&pardataname=&parbbsdepth=&e_paruserid=&pardatatype=&parregdt=&move=&userlist=&issueregyn=&changerolecode=&cmttype=member&f_cdepth=0000100000&l_cdepth=0000400000&n_cdepth=0000400001&comment_view=&comment_view_open=&emoticon=&nickname=&grpcode=&act=&seq=&return_url=&parseq=&comment=]로 이동합니다." href="http://cafe.daum.net/_c21_/bbs_read?grpid=uEi0&emoticon=&mgrpid=&fldid=I2bV&dataid=&page=1&prev_page=0&firstbbsdepth=&lastbbsdepth=zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz&content=N&contentval=0000hzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz&espam44=&viewcount44=&regdt44=&mode=&num=&pardataname=&parbbsdepth=&e_paruserid=&pardatatype=&parregdt=&move=&userlist=&issueregyn=&changerolecode=&cmttype=member&f_cdepth=0000100000&l_cdepth=0000400000&n_cdepth=0000400001&comment_view=&comment_view_open=&emoticon=&nickname=&grpcode=&act=&seq=&return_url=&parseq=&comment=" target=_blank> <IMG class=txc-image id=tx_entry_1694 style="CLEAR: none; FLOAT: none" hspace=1 src="https://t1.daumcdn.net/cfile/cafe/17741C0E4A56C00A53" width=269 vspace=1 border=0 actualwidth="269"></A> <A title="[http://cafe.daum.net/_c21_/bbs_read?grpid=uEi0&emoticon=&mgrpid=&fldid=IYIQ&dataid=&page=1&prev_page=0&firstbbsdepth=&lastbbsdepth=zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz&content=N&contentval=0000ezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz&espam41=&viewcount41=&regdt41=&mode=&num=&pardataname=&parbbsdepth=&e_paruserid=&pardatatype=&parregdt=&move=&userlist=&issueregyn=&changerolecode=&cmttype=member&comment_view=&comment_view_open=&emoticon=&nickname=&grpcode=&act=&seq=&return_url=&parseq=&comment=]로 이동합니다." href="http://cafe.daum.net/_c21_/bbs_read?grpid=uEi0&emoticon=&mgrpid=&fldid=IYIQ&dataid=&page=1&prev_page=0&firstbbsdepth=&lastbbsdepth=zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz&content=N&contentval=0000ezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz&espam41=&viewcount41=&regdt41=&mode=&num=&pardataname=&parbbsdepth=&e_paruserid=&pardatatype=&parregdt=&move=&userlist=&issueregyn=&changerolecode=&cmttype=member&comment_view=&comment_view_open=&emoticon=&nickname=&grpcode=&act=&seq=&return_url=&parseq=&comment=" target=_blank> <IMG class=txc-image id=tx_entry_2091 style="CLEAR: none; FLOAT: none" hspace=1 src="https://t1.daumcdn.net/cfile/cafe/18741C0E4A56C00A54" width=269 vspace=1 border=0 actualwidth="269"></A>