Today I was happy. From start to finish.

I think there are limited days where we get to make a statement like that, but for me, today was one of them.

And honestly, there wasn’t anything extravagant that happened. It was just one of those days when everything I wanted to happen, happened. Where everything that I hoped would be good and worthwhile, was good and worthwhile. And that made me happy.

It seems that during my travels I am learning that it’s not necessarily the large or extraordinary things that provide me with happiness, but the smallest ones; the minute details that I am most thankful for, that make me smile wide and wild, and allow me to feel astonishingly and wonderfully content inside.  

Today I hiked. I love hiking. I love discovering new sights and sounds in the forests and on mountain tops. I love how easy it is to hike here in Korea. I love collecting my National Park stamps. I love meeting people who seem to like walking as much as I do.

This morning I hiked Geumsan Mountain, the only mountain in Hallyeohaesang National Park. That’s right, just because I’m relaxing down here on Namhae Island doesn’t mean I can slack off on my national park stamp quest!

It is a lucky coincidence that although Hallyeohaesang is actually a marine ecosystem national park comprised of six districts spread over a fair few islands, Geumsan Mountain here on Namhae is included in the designation and is the easiest section for me to reach on my road trip without having to catch a boat to an island.

My morning hike starts off with a chuckle. I arrive at the designated car park and stroll over to have a look at the map of the trail before getting geared up. There happen to be two rangers setting up a table with a clipboard as I approach, we exchange greetings, and they ask if I am hiking today and have a reservation. Oh, bugger it. Nothing I had come across in my planning had mentioned a reservation system, so I apologise and ask if I can still hike. No problem at all it turns out, I just need to sign the clip board. Well, that I can do.

As I am writing my details I hear the rangers talking together in Korean, one is worried about my shoes for I am currently booted in Crocs that I wear to drive. I look up and tell them not to worry I have hiking gear in the car, but I also can’t help giggling to myself inside as I catch the quite horrified look on her face as she is staring at my feet (I love the fashion judgements of Koreans) which then turns into a surprised and slightly embarrassed look on her face as she realises I can understand her Korean. They were both very nice and we proceeded to have a short English and Korean chat about me visiting and where I had been. While talking, I can see the shoe police ranger surreptitiously taking photos of me and I am sure those either ended up in a ranger chat session later in the day discussing inappropriate hiking footwear or on another website about foreigners visiting Namhae to see the national park. 

It feels good to properly stretch my legs again after a couple days off from hiking. Geumsan Mountain isn’t a particularly large or tough climb, it has the usual forest elements and stairs of course, but a few things I do enjoy are….

The fact I can clearly see where I have hiked from, the road in the centre of the picture is where my car is parked, I’m only about half way through my hike here.

The friendly faces that greet me along the trail.

Climbing the first spiral staircase I have encountered on a hike (which you might notice ends randomly in mid air).

Trees with amazing bark that I must touch (I spend a decent amount of time hiking and touching trees, it makes me feel happy and grounded and I have lots of photos documenting this odd behaviour of mine).

Additionally, there is something a bit special waiting at the top of this hike; Boriam Temple, complete with sea views.

Now I am down here at the coast, I have to say there is something extremely alluring about being in a place where the mountains and sea meet. To be able to see and experience both together is a little bit like a drug to me, I’ve begun to realise that it is quite intoxicating and I never knew before how much I would relish having these two elements in one place. The people living here are so very lucky to have this and be able to access it whenever they like.

Speaking of the coast, it’s time to go in search of some sand; I am on the hunt for two specific beaches today – Sangju Eunmorae and Songjeong Solbaram. The first features in Off the Grid, the second in Travel the Ladder; both are lovely places to while away your time, especially if you visit in the off season as I have and find yourself pretty much with the whole stretch all to yourself.

Sangju Eunmorae is the smaller of the two beaches, formed of silver sand and with a small rock breakwater that divides the beach into two sections. I spent a pleasant hour wandering up and down enjoying the sun, watching the rippling waves, and searching the ground for shells and sea glass.

Without a doubt, Songjeong Solbaram was definitely my favourite beach on Namhae. The sand here is soft, the view out to sea is scenic, and the shore is long and almost devoid of people. The water is pleasantly warm and the small waves are sparkling and hypnotic to watch.

The moment I set foot on the beach I felt as if I’d walked through my TV, I can see exactly where EXO filmed the games they played here. I scan up and down the sand, look out across the water, check out the small hills that wrap around beach forming the bay. I glance up to my left and am slightly surprised but happy to spot the Seolri Skywalk off in the distance, another EXO filming site and my final destination for the day. I hadn’t realised it was so close by and some part of me is comforted to see it up there.

This is a place for delight and relaxation.

I don’t know how long I spent here or how many times I ambled from one end of the sand to the other, my feet gently splashing through the bright, gently lapping waves. I come across two sea creatures, one of which is incredibly exciting and surprisingly beautiful, a sea slug!

There is only one other person on the beach with me, a gentleman scanning the sand with a metal detector.     

Very much as with Seolmi Garden the other day, I feel a little sadness to leave this place behind. I am not usually very good at letting myself just be at ease and enjoy a moment as it happens, but here at Songjeong Solbaram I have been able to do just that for a short time, and that makes this place special to me.

And speaking of special places, another unexpected pleasure comes to me in the form of the Seolri Skywalk.

Perched upon a small hill and looking straight out to sea is the massive skywalk structure. There is no hiding or blending this construction, it sticks out like a sore thumb in some ways, but come night time it also becomes rather pretty and dare I say beautiful in its own way.

The happy giddiness hits me the moment I arrive. I really like experiencing this overwhelming sense of familiarity from visiting these places. It somehow makes them more…real to me.

I take the lift up to the platform and am swept up in the joy and satisfaction I feel from being here. While the skywalk does indeed feel real to me, it also feels unreal; that I am standing and walking in this place, over 5,500 miles from home.

And the skywalk really is a cool little place. It consists of platforms laid in a straight and triangular shape, a large swing that sweeps off the platform and over the sea, and several sections of see through floor panels looking down to both the forest and sea. It also has a booming sound system that is constant, and multi-coloured flashing lights that come on at sunset. And what Korean location wouldn’t be complete unless it had a café on site to keep up with the constant craving for caffeine in this country?

My initial wander up and down is done in a state of wonder. Then of course the photos to remind myself I am here and that EXO was too.

I would have loved to have tried the swing, but unfortunately due to the recent typhoon that came through not long before I arrived in Korea, it was sadly out of action. I did however try my hand at the claw game inside the café (had to do it once) and also had an iced caramel latte – the first time I have ever ordered a coffee drink in my life (I hate coffee, but they were out of tea) and actually it was drinkable enough that I enjoyed the whole experience (I shan’t ever have another anywhere else, a Korean experience only).

And finally, the enjoyment of sunset. And Seolri really is a fabulous place to see the sun set in Namhae. The combination of water, islands, clouds, and sun are beautiful. So perfect, I actually came here on two separate evenings I enjoyed it so much. Such a special and peaceful place for me, one I shall keep close in my memory.

And it is with the sunset I shall leave you now…