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THE WORLD'S GINSENG CAPITOL
PAGE 4 OF 5
When ginseng extract was given to rats the weight of male rats testicles is increased as well as weight of uteris and vagina of female rat.
Ouch! I was unsure whether that effect was in any way healthy and was sure in any case that it was not something I wished to have happen to me -- or any part of me. Then:
The Buddha at T'apsa Temple |
In 1905, in an American hospital there was a great uproar (from) patients who took ginseng at the clinic... (They) could not sleep due to feeling of agitation and sexual desire could not be suppressed. Consequently hospital ward was enwrapped momentarily with strange excitement.
I bet.
We spent most of the ride back to Kumsan reading sections out loud:
Opposite of such impotence is constant erection whereby male sexual organs stand up erect without coming down always. Some people may envy such condition.
Indeed they might.
It is well documented fact that ginseng is particularly effective to womenıs ailments. So called womens ailments are numerous and complex. It is because women's reproductive organ is made of a hole and thus susceptible to outside influence.
[CONTINUED BELOW]
Arriving in Kumsan, we lunched on bibimbop, a large bowl of rice topped with cooked vegetables and an egg. You add kochujang (red chili paste) and stir the ingredients together creating a delicious result not unlike fried rice. At mealıs end, Valerie, from England, wondered if the village restaurant had any pudding -- "I could really go for a creme caramel right now." The Corean server's expression was priceless since outside of hotel restaurants or western style eateries, dessert in Korea is most likely to be a sliced orange with toothpicks.
Thanks to Dana's persistence, our group headed off that afternoon for a rare non-ginseng related activity -- climbing Mt. Taedun. After a cable car ride from the base of the mountain, we then climbed for 20 minutes until we reached a suspension bridge stretching between two mountain tops over a deep valley. Crossing the bridge -- known to locals as the Bridge in the Sky -- was a breathtaking experience, but not for the weak of heart -- Guido looked quite green. Nonetheless, the view was stunning with a soft blue mist hovering over the lush emerald slopes. We also found the chance to wander free -- off schedule as it were - invigorating. The somewhat claustrophobic leash the KNTO had us on was starting to chafe -- some compared our strict adherence to official itinerary to the group tours in Soviet-era Moscow circa 1975 when you were protected from any casual encounters with civilians while being herded from one "authorized" place to another. (It was perhaps no coincidence that my dinner conversation that evening with Michel, a charming and witty gentleman from Canada, centered around his adventures travelling through Dictator Enver Hoxha's Albania during the height of the Cold War.)
T'apsa Temple on Mt Maisan |
Entering Kumsan, the bus got stuck in a hole on the unpaved dirt road. Following Mr. Parkıs suggestion, we moved to the back of the bus and squeezed together by the smokers' table until the bus lurched out of the rut. I should note that while Seoul is quite tourist-friendly, the rest of Korea is not yet ready for Western tourists and group tours are perhaps the best way to travel since English was spoken only rarely in the towns and cities we visited. To fully enjoy travelling through an area like Kumsan, not just for the festival but for the various scenic sites, mountains, and temples -- one should arrive with a certain sense of adventure. Indeed, much of Kumsan's charm -- and of the festival itself -- comes from its rustic old-fashioned village ambience.
After checking in to the Imsan Hotel, the sole Western style hotel in Kumsan, I wandered the night market which was chaotic and carny-like in the manner of a psychadelic country fair. While my most vivid images are of the positively Todd Oldham-esque wardrobe choices that are uniquely Korean, my favorite memory is of the portable karaoke machines set up next to the many food stalls. Individuals would wander up, select a tune, stand in the street and sing, then move on.
Traditional drum at Mt Maisan |
The next day we enjoyed another rare ginseng-free moment touring the T'apsa Temple site at Mt. Maisan, undoubtedly one of the highlights of our trip. The small valley is a stunning vision of over 80 stone pagodas of varying height formed solely from rocks and pebbles and built without any mortar by a single Buddhist monk who dedicated his life to this achievement.
After touring the pagodas, we hiked to the other side of Mt. Maisan, rendez- vousing famished and triumphant at a quaint restaurant for a delicious lunch of barbecued pork strips, the regional specialty.
Languid from the hike and soporific from the meal, we reboarded the bus and settled in for our four-hour drive back to Seoul. I discovered a video on the bus -- a ten year old TV movie about terrorists called "Viper" -- that had us, a captive audience if ever there was one, hooting and howling all the way to Seoul. The relaxed camaraderie and lively banter was a sharp contrast to the nervous pleasantries at the outset of our trip. Just as the credits rolled on our tv monitor, the bus rolled up to the Shilla hotel. We encouraged Mr. Park to go home to his family and we would arrange our own dinner at the hotel.
That evening I joined my new friends for dinner in the Shilla's Italian restaurant where we enjoyed being cleaned up and dining "civilized" courtesy of the KNTO (especially since the Shilla is not for the budget conscious). PAGE 5
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"It is because women's reproductive organ is made of a hole and thus susceptible to outside influence." |