Rakhi: My legs have been so sore this week, I've hardly been able to walk! On Saturday, Joel and I woke up at 6:30am to travel to Bukhansan National Park in the north-west of Seoul. A significant section of the capital is bordered by the park which is a major landmark easily visible from most areas. We made sure we got an early start in order to beat the crowds as the park gets notoriously busy due to its central location. The early start was tough and when we arrived at the park entrance at about 9am we were still half asleep. The crisp air and immediate steep ascent soon woke us up though! Initially we had decided that we were going to tackle ‘Baekundae’ which at 300m above sea level is the highest mountain in the park and takes a total of 6hrs to climb. After an hour or more of strenuous hiking we came to a crossroads, one path lead up to Baekundae and the other path to Bukhansanseong fortress wall (which was originally built in the eighteenth century to protect Seoul from foreign invasions) and to the summit of another of the mountains. We decided to go with the fortress path which we envisaged would be less gruelling than Baekundae. However, the rock faces were so steep that at times we had to haul ourselves up using metal cables secured into the rock. In total, it took us nearly two hours to reach the fortress wall and then another 10 minutes or so to the peak. Although it was already crowded with hikers the view was incredible. After finding a semi secluded spot on a stretch of jutting out cliff, we settled down to take in the scenery and a spot of lunch.

The descent was nearly as strenuous as the ascent but thankfully more peaceful with hardly anyone around. Part of the route back down guided us up, on and over a little ‘nodule’ which poked out of the side of one of the mountains. Again, we had to use a metal cable to hoist ourselves up but once at the top the view was even better than the last peak. We were surrounded by forests of beautiful autumnal leaves of reds, yellows and browns. Far off in the distance you could make out a huge stone Buddha statue and in the background were other mountains. The rocky path back down to the base also included walking on top of the fortress wall, along a river bed and past two ornate buddhist temples. Next time, we’ll take on Baekundae! From the top you get a 360° view and you can see most of Seoul and the Han River. I’ll wait until my legs have thoroughly recovered first though!

On Sunday, Joel and I attended Hani’s wedding. Like so many Korean weddings, it took place in a garish wedding hall. Marriages in wedding halls are like marrying on a conveyer belt; the wedding ceremony takes only 30 minutes because other couples are waiting their turns. Hani’s wedding took place in a hall on the 6th floor of a building which had weddings going on on 3 other floors. When we arrived on Hani's floor we were lead to greet her and have a photo taken with her. She looked stunning:

It's customary to wear Western wedding attire for the main public ceremony and then change into traditional Korean Hanbok for a private ceremony which only immediate family can witness. After all the initial photo's, the bride is lead down the aisle by the father, then the ceremony begins. During the vows, all the guests were chatting and walking around, hardly anybody watched closely and I'm pretty sure nobody cried. It was all very informal. After the ceremony, photo's were taken. First of the immediate family, then extended family, next was close friends followed by co-workers. Check out 'our pictures' link for the 'Where's Wally' style picture of me and 50 other Koreans! After my photo was taken, it was time for lunch. When we first arrived at the wedding hall we were taken to a desk to hand in our 'gift money' and in exchange we received a lunch token; in effect we were paying for our food. It's not as personal or exciting as receiving a gift but I suppose it is very practical as weddings are huge, expensive businesses in Korea. We went to the fifth floor to the self service style canteen for lunch. There was so much food and most of it was absolutely delicious although there was baby octopus and other raw fishy delights on offer. Joel wanted to get his money's worth but as we were sat with my co-workers he didn't feel comfortable doing so! After lunch it was home time. All in all we were at the wedding for 1hr 3omins. Slightly longer and a helluva lot pricier than a quicky chapel!