Part 2: Things get a little bit rapey...

It continues…

On Wednesday we arrived in Samcheok. It took us about 5 and a half hours to get there and it was raining copiously so we were unable to do any sightseeing upon our arrival. Anyway, I think the only sight within the actual town itself is the ‘Mystery Caves Exhibition’ that takes place in a building that looks like a giant wedding cake with melted brown icing… However, on Thursday the sun had got his hat on so we were able to journey forth into the great unknown! 

We got a bus from Samcheok that deposited us in the hills outside the town. We then huffed and puffed our way up the slopes until we reached Hwaseongul. Hwaseongul is a vast Cathedral-sized limestone cave. The dissolving limestone has taken the shape of majestic mucus-like monuments, gnarled popcorn rock and even the Virgin Mary herself! The cave was quite spectacular but the neon staircases that weaved through the cave spoiled the natural look a tad. As did the army of school children who kept racing along the stairs making ‘whoooooo’ noises that then echoed and rebounded off the walls. At least I hope they were schoolchildren and not an actual army of child ghosts…

After visiting the cave we took a bus to the fabled Haesindang Park also known as the ‘Penis Park.’ This park is devoted exclusively to showcasing phallic sculptures. There are penis totem poles, penis statues, penis cannons and a penis-shaped lighthouse to guide lost fishermen back to shore. All they have to do is follow the cock. They even had a semi-circular arrangement of peni representing the zodiac. And a knob bench from which to admire it. At first I thought that it was a tad bizarre that a country as conservative as Korea should construct a park solely for the purpose of worshipping the male member. But it turns out that there was a perfectly logical explanation for it all; the penises were merely erected (ha, erected) to appease an angry virgin who drowned at sea. The local fishermen sculpted over 50 giant penises in order to sate her spirit so it would stop taking its frustration out on the sea and scaring away the fish. As you do. The townspeople even used to hold a ‘Penis Sculpture Festival’ but it was shut down by Christian protesters. I can see them now, marching around with their placards saying ‘DOWN WITH THIS SORT OF THING’ and ‘CAREFUL NOW.’ 

All in all the Penis Park was very surreal and just a little bit rapey. :) My next post shall tell the tale of the DMZ and the Giant Buddha. Don't hold your breath until then though, as you would surely perish if you tried...