Ahn nyeong from Anyang, South Korea: Dynamic Eco Adventure: Zip-lining in Moongyeong, Kyongsang

As a semi-newbie in South Korea, people are always telling me how everything is, works, will be, was, etc. (generally without being asked and in assumption that I couldn't possibly already know). Anyway, many told me that it would get cold, like really cold. Not that I didn't believe it, I just ignored the voices. I needed to experience it myself and now that it is -14 C, I understand. Geeesh! Somehow, someway, though, I'm getting used to it. I'm trying as hard as possible to resist hibernation.

This past weekend I traveled to Moongyeong in Kyongsang province for some zip-lining. Myself and 45 fellow MeetUp-ers loaded a chartered bus early in the morning and about 4 hours later, arrived at Dynamic Eco Adventure, Zipline. We split up into 4 groups that departed for the courses in increments of 20 minutes. My groups name: TEAM AWESOME and dangerous. I might be a tad bit bias, but I think we were the coolest ;)

When it was our groups turn to head up the mountain, we loaded into the back of a truck and hit the road. The ride to the start was an adventure in itself. Icy roads and steep cliffs were a frightening combination. The though of zip-lining had yet to scare me, but I must admit, butterflies filled my stomach as the top of the mountain approached. Then, the truck stopped and suddenly, I wondered what in the world I was thinking in signing up for the trip. We unloaded and the instructor began with the overview in Korean. Luckily, we had an English+Korean speaker with us to translate. The rules were pretty basic, but at the time seemed like too much to remember.

To determine who would zipline first, we were to spin a wooded wheel. If you were to land at a certain place, you'd be the lucky candidate. Simple as that. When the time to spin arrived, all went silent as each of us looked around to check for hands in the air. In hopes of alleviating the awkward moment, I raised my hand and at that very moment, so did my friend, Faraz. But the all too kind instructor was quick to say: "Ladies first!" So, I spun and was safe with the result. And so, the guide moved the wheel to the unluckiest of positions. How could I argue with the language barrier? I thank him now.

At the top of the wooden staircase AKA the launch pad, I took a deep breath. The only thing I could do to continue was draw an absolute blank in my mind. So I did. I counted to 3 and ran down three stairs and about 3 feet of flat platform and then, WHAM, I was flying over trees. Every Team AWESOME and dangerous member experienced a teensy bit of fear at first, but we all let go after that first plunge.

Throughout the rest of the 8 courses, the guide had three phrases for me: 1. "You are a Doberman!" 2. "You are superwoman!" 3. "You are hell!" OK, he barely spoke English, but pulled these statements out of his pocket. I wasn't sure if they were positive or negative, but I was certainly impressed.

Gift that made my evening. From Jillian :) Thank you!

Flying and viewing trees from above were not the only splendors of the trip. Also, as with all MeetUp trips, I made new friends and became closer with older ones. It was grand. Oh, AND, I think the guide's statements were positive because at the end, I won a set of pencils. It was never clear why, but they were made solely of paper and lead. SCORE!

I could probably go on for much longer about the end details and gloriousness that accompanies the people in this group, but I'll stop because I have some dancing with my Ipod, wooden floor, and socks (new from my lovely, Jill Peer) to get back to.