Apsan...OWNED

Look at that stunning panorama shot of the muggy, yellow dust infested skyline of Daegu from afar. That's what the commanding views from atop Apsan (or Ap Mountain for those who only now know that "san" in Korean means "mountain") offer you after a surprisingly arduous hike or a quick cable car ride wherein you pay money and stand.

And I had forgotten about the random gym/playground that rests in the woods about a quarter of the way up: Who climbs into the woods a kilometer upwards to go work out? Granted, just about everybody was using it as a rest stop and not for its intended purpose (except for all those meddling kids!). Still, I can't help but wonder if there was some government mentality that they would be raising a legion of super soldiers who trained by climbing mountains and then working out at the conveniently placed gym. Or, maybe it's a coincidental relic from the Korean War. I don't know.

Anyway, so Sunday some friends and I made the journey to Apsan Park on a whim to conquer a mountain. Conquer a mountain we did. If you remember from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I came here with my landlord Mr. Lee and we began the trek only to turn around a quarter of the way up (before the hard part) due to inclement weather. I now wonder if he was saving face and really wanted to turn around because it was, indeed, too difficult for a 60 year old jolly landlord. Although I wonder, I still doubt. That man may very well be capable of flight. He was keeping up with me admirably on the route that we took and probably would have surpassed me on the steeper incline. I digress. Back to my journey Sunday.

Once you get to the top (if you get to the top) you are rewarded with a stunning view of trees and sky. What you thought was the end of your journey is just a change. Now, after climbing straight up for 2.4 kilometers, you must make your way across three more mountain peaks to reach the end, where the cable car sits to whisk you back down. This is where the views lay:

You can just about make out me house from there, but it's a little to the right of this picture, most likely behind that shrubby little mountain top. But I did like Daegu's Woobang Tower and Duryu Park that I got in it.

Luckily, they have a restaurant (actually two) on the top of the mountain to satisfy your now ravenous apetite. You better like Korean food though.