Sunrise Solitude on Inwangsan Mountain
I had planned a solo trip to see the 'Hambaeksan Sunrise' early on Sunday morning.
But plans are just plans... The late-night drinking session with friends the previous day forced me to abandon my plan.
I promised my friend we would have a quick bite, but reality had other plans.
However, I don't regret drinking.
Because the time I spent chatting with friends might be more meaningful to me than the Hambaeksan sunrise.
Perhaps spending enjoyable time with friends is more important to me now than a solitary trip.
I even considered leaving at 2 AM after a short 2 hours of sleep, after getting home around midnight...
But since I had drunk even a little, I reluctantly gave up the idea, worried about drunk driving...
Well... so what if it's not Hambaeksan? Behind my house is Inwangsan Mountain, a well-known sunrise and sunset spot...
I dozed off for a while, woke up at 3 AM, hurriedly grabbed my camera, got dressed, and left home.
Perhaps because it was after Ipchu (the beginning of autumn), the dawn air felt quite cool.
Stepping out of the apartment entrance, the hiking trail is right there, but unfortunately, the gate is locked at this late hour.
I walked down below the apartment and went up to Gaemi Village again.
Climbing this road is more difficult than hiking... 'Seoul's Shantytown'.
The grass, glistening with morning dew, sparkled like stars in the flashlight.
As if becoming a 'guide for the path I must take'.
Looking down at Hongeun-dong from the top of Gaemi Village...
Hiking alone at night is... spine-chilling...
As I started to feel scared, hesitation also began... Should I just go back down...? I briefly considered it, but
I quickly pulled myself together and looked ahead.
It's almost 4 AM now... and it's a Sunday...
But the city lights haven't gone out. Is it only my world that has found darkness...
Why is my life so dark...? Should I even have hope...? Is it okay to just stay like this...?
Would the countless people in that city understand my heart...?
Maybe there are people living with more painful wounds than me...
How are those people overcoming it...?
Lost in these thoughts, step by step, I somehow reached Gicha Rock.
Gazing blankly at Bukhansan Bibong Ridge from Gicha Rock, memorizing the names of the ridge peaks, my雜thoughts are briefly forgotten.
So many mountains have given me strength during difficult times...
Sometimes, I forgot my pain while laughing and sweating with friends as we climbed together, and on other days, I secretly shed tears while hiking alone.
Mountains where I went when I wanted to cry and when I wanted to forget.
For the past year and seven months, the mountains have been that kind of place for me.
Sitting for a moment, staring blankly at the east... before I knew it, a warm, reddish light began to envelop the sky.
As if that person was approaching me...
The eastern dawn brightens, but in the western sky, the round moon is still shining...
Two different faces of the world in the east and west just make me chuckle in vain...
The east beyond Bukaksan Mountain was the most beautiful in the world today.
The clouds under the mountain silhouette in the east are simply mesmerizing.
Today's sunrise is perfect in every way.
The clear sky, the clouds, the visibility were all perfect...
And the scenery too...
Namsan Mountain and even Lotte Tower far away... are so clearly visible.
The opposite of the east, the west, shows even the Han River, creating a perfect world...
Also, even the moon, bathed in the sunlight rising from the eastern sky, is turning red.
Before the Blue House was opened to the public, I couldn't take pictures looking east from Inwangsan Mountain.
There were many guards... and I was stopped before, but now I can enjoy the sunrise and even take pictures without any problems.
Beautiful... I need to take pictures, but I keep spacing out.
Today's sun, just for me, fully reveals itself... I pour out all the complex and subtle emotions and stare blankly at the red sun.
I blankly shed tears, and when hikers pass by, I turn around for a moment to wipe away the tears...
That's how I slowly overcome my pain again.
I also felt a bit of regret that if I had gone to Hambaeksan as planned today, it would have been the best sunrise trip ever.
The sun began to cast its light on the western country...
Soon the sun of today will shine on that place where you are.....
From left to right: Jokduri Peak - Hyangnobong Peak - Bibong Peak - Samoba Rock - Seungga Peak - Munsu Peak - Bohyeon Peak
Truly... this seemingly endless, dreadful heat... seems to be slowly retreating...
I survived another difficult summer... but I'm still not used to this life.
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