In need of some nature and some head space, I decided to venture out to Apsan Mountain. Billed as the largest natural park in Daegu it did not disappoint. The bus trip on the 410 from my home base in north Daegu (Bukgu) to Apsan Park station took 45 minutes. I didn’t mind. I’m always curious to see other parts of the city. Once at Apsan Park management office it was a further 15 minute step climb through paved forested pathways to the Apsan Cableway, where an adult return ticket for 9500 won was ready to whisk you to the top in a comfortable two minutes. A much better option than hiking up for several hours on a sweltering and muggy June summers day.
The journey up was smooth with breathtaking views of the sprawling city of Daegu in one direction, glistening white from all the high rise buildings, and in the other, the green thick canopy of pine trees beyond and below.
At the top, visitors were offered two pathways. To the left, a woodland path to the peak, a further 1km away. To the right, a winding white paved path to the Observatory. A slightly mislabeled landmark. It is really an observation deck, but whom am I to complain. At least there was an English sign in this area rarely visited by foreigners.
Decked out in flip flops, I choose to go right to the Observatory. Near the edge, I found a bench overlooking the city where I decided to sit for several hours. I stared off into the distance for a time to let my head clear from the stress of the previous teaching week, letting myself relax to the rustling of the trees. After some time, I indulged in some people watching. Korean hikers are a fascinating and curious lot to me. Here on this 30C summer’s day, I was sweating in a skirt and a light weight t-shirt, just sitting on a bench, when a male hiker in his late 40s came into view. He had clearly had just ascended from the bottom after a reported 2.5 hour climb. He was decked out in long hiking pants, a long sleeved shirt with a long sleeved windbreaker over that, a scarf around his neck, a hat and some gloves. Seriously, I don’t hike with this much gear when I’m trekking through the snow. I don’t get the over dressing, but from my observations, the relative norm here. I wish someone could explain to me how they don’t overheat.
Feeling bemused, I opened by a book I had brought along for some reading before heading back down. Just as I had settled into a peaceful tranquility, I heard behind me the welcoming accents of Londoners. Feeling homesick, I broke British norms and bide hello. The older British couple were in town for the week to visit their son who had moved there in December for work. We chatted for a while. It’s hard to explain to someone who’s never been abroad before just how lovely it is to converse with someone, even if only small talk, in your native language. Whilst there are a fair amount of Americans, here I rarely encounter British. It was just the tonic I had needed to lift me out of a bad mood.
Refreshed I headed back down. I had noticed an intriguing looking coffee shop at the bottom and felt I needed an afternoon pick me up. Inside the modern interior with rustic wood accents, I opted for an iced Dutch latte and some almond and chocolate chip cookies. I’m not entirely sure what Dutch coffee is, except that it seems stronger and smoother to me, like cold brew drip coffee. Maybe that is what it is, but with a fancy name. Anyway, it was delicious! The locals were having a bowl of what looked like shaved ice topped with almonds and chocolate. It looked very tempting on this hot day, but the size was definitely for sharing. Maybe next time. My favorite part of the coffee shop though was the outside deck area nestled amongst the trees. The most chilled space that I’ve found in Deagu so far and definitely a place I’ll escape to again.
And maybe next time I won’t be so lazy and I’ll hike up. Well as long as the weather is cooler! And if not, I’ll be a little wiser and buy a coffee and a cake at the bottom and take it up with me. The restaurant at the top didn’t look of much. And then indulge in the dessert on the way back down.
