Hardcore Camping in Korea

 I've been bugging Wil to go camping since the beginning of the year. We did camp out one night while on Jeju, but it was on the beach and so it didnt really count. I told him I want to go real camping! Like hike up a mountain, scavenge for food and make our own fire. He said no. He wanted to go to a designated camp ground where lots of people go. I said thats for pussys and I didnt want to be annoyed by drunken ajummas and ajashis.

So we compromised and took a nice walk up to the resevoir a few miles away and tried to find a spot to set up camp. We both had heavy bags filled mostly with food. We brought a portable stove with us and water (since he didn't trust my iodine tablets to sanitize our own water).

After a few minutes I complained I was tired and my back hurt from the heavy bag. We hurried and found a secluded spot off the mountain trail to set up tent. Just as it was getting dark, we had the meat frying, kimchi ready to eat and beers half empty.

Our meal was satisfying, but it was very cold outside and dark so we went in the tent and covered up under our sleeping bags. Wil insisted on bringing his netbook so we could watch a movie but we were too tired to watch anything. We were talking (and maybe argued a bit) and suddenly we both jumped up, startled by a howling noise nearby.

Wil reached outside and grabbed his big stick he had found earlier to protect us from the dangerous wild pigs he said were in the mountains of Korea. I made fun of him earlier about it, but now I was thankful we had something to protect us with.

I imagined a herd of wild beasts running towards our tent, smelling the cooked pork we had for dinner, and ripping through our tent-sharp teeth and foaming mouths quickly tearing our bodies apart. And all we had was a stick! I was so scared. I asked Wil if he was scared and he said yes. The howling continued. I've heard coyotes and mountain lions and wolves before, but this sound was different. And when you are all alone in the middle of the wilderness with no cell phone service and just a stick to protect you, the animal noise is more frightening than you could imagine!

We heard leaves and sticks crunching beneath the animals feet. Of course I was crying, fearful that our lives would end that night. Wil and I sat up in the tent, holding eachother, listening to the sounds, anticipating the beast's attack...

Not only did we not get any sleep that night due to fear of the unknown, but also because it was terribly cold and I had to pee but was too afraid to go outside the tent. Lucky for Wil he could pee in a bottle. We woke up probably every hour, and when the morning light came, we were both thankful we were still alive. We laughed and Wil pretended like he wasn't scared then we ate a big breakfast of eggs, avocado, tortillas, more sam gyup sal and fruit. We packed up and headed home; a journey that felt like forever after a torturous night with no sleep.

Our friends laughed when we asked them if they wanted to go camping with us. Now I know why Koreans go to designated campgrounds. All of those wild animals out there could have eaten us alive! Anyway, I am happy we went real camping, and I am looking forward to going again. Nextime I will bring a gun though (or maybe just a knife since guns are illegal in Korea). Then we could hunt the animals and cook 'em up for dinner! That would be really hardcore.