Last weekend I had the Monday off work, as it was a public holiday, so we signed up for a 3 day camping trip.Before going on the trip I had a 'foreign staff' meal on the Friday night with my fellow co-workers.We went to a Galbi restaurant downtown which is well known in Gwangju.The large restaurant was packed out, and the BBQ pork and mass of side dishes were amazing.It was great to be able to relax and have time to chat with my co-workers, as we are all so busy at work at the moment, and some days I hardly see them due to our conflicting timetables.

On the Saturday morning, we headed to the bus terminal, laden with all our camping gear, to meet Pedro Kim.Pedro is a Korean guy who in the last couple of months has started to organise trips to various places and sites in Korea.He organises everything through Facebook, by putting down the trip details and the cost and then letting people sign up.He does this at no profit, just splits the cost of the van hire, fuel, accommodation, etc.This was the first camping trip he had organised, so we thought we would go along, as he was going to the Jirisan National Park, which is difficult to explore if you don't have your own transport.

The weather wasn't looking brilliant, but we were excited anyway.Seven of us, plus Pedro piled into the van with all or stuff and headed to Jirisan.When we arrived it seemed like the whole of Gwangju had the same idea and the first few campsites were packed.Unlike England, you are not given a plot, you just put your tent where you like, and they were all packed in pretty close.However we persevered and eventually found a campsite which was practically empty because the running water station was not working.We had all come well prepared with bottled water, and it was right next to a running stream, so this was perfect for us.We set up camp, had lunch and then Graham and I went for a quick swim.The water was freezing, but it was nice to feel cold for a change in this humid season.In the afternoon we went for a hike up the Nogodan Gogae.It was raining a little, but this made the heat a little more bearable.It was a great hike with nice views and small waterfalls, and a variety of different terrains.After the hike Pedro started the BBQ and Graham got a fire going.We had a fantastic dinner, followed by much drinking and chatting around the campfire.After a few hours everyone had gone to bed except for me and another English woman called Helena.As we were not tired, we decided to go and join a group of Korean guys who were camping near to us.They welcomed us to join their group and we ate drank and chatted with them until the early hours.

The next morning we packed up camp after breakfast, as we were moving to another campsite.The weather was much better today, so we went to a stream which had several waterfalls for a swim.This was great fun, as we left our stuff and just made our way slowly down the stream, exploring all the swimming pools, waterfalls and finding deep places to jump in.There were also lots of huge butterflies and dragonflies which were beautiful.When we first arrived at the river there were lots of cars and people, and I was worried that the stream would be packed.However, many Koreans cannot swim, so they just stay at the top of the stream and play in the shallow water, so where we went was empty.After the stream the group went for lunch and had Bibimbop.I was feeling tired from the night before, so I took a nap in the van whilst the others went to eat!

In the afternoon we went to Ssanggyesa Temple, which dates back to 722AD, and is the oldest temple in Korea.We spent the afternoon walking around the complex, and saw some of the monks doing their daily chores.The temple and surroundings were so peaceful; it was a great contrast to our morning playing at the stream.We then drove to find a campsite and look at the rafting, as a potential activity for Monday.The rafting looked more like a boat ride, as there were few actual rapids, and many of our group had already done it, so we decided not to do this.Also the campsite at the rafting was packed out, and the extra camp ground they offered us was boggy and next to the road, so we continued on to look for somewhere else.On the way we passed an old train track, which had been turned into a tourist attraction, as you could hire small bikes/carts to ride along the track.This looked like great fun, so we decided to come back the next day.We eventually found a campsite, which had enough space for our 3 tents, and was not too crowded, and had showers.It was great to feel clean after two days of being dirty!We had another BBQ, and then sat around the campfire again - it was another great night.

On Monday we packed up our tents after breakfast, and drove to the rail bike place.We had just missed the 11am bikes, so had to wait for the 1pm ones, but it gave us the opportunity to take photos, relax and play cards.There was also a shop there so we could get snacks, and I bought a sunhat, as it was a hot and sunny day.The bikes were great fun, the only problem being that you can't go too fast, as there are several bikes in front of you and no overtaking!It was a great way to take in the scenery and get some exercise at the same time.There was also a fake steam train (along with fake horn) which you could take a ride on if you didn't want to do any peddling.The track was just over 5km, and at the end a bus brought you back to the start.In true Korean style this was decked out with frilly curtains and had neon lights on the ceiling (see photos).

So it was a fantastic weekend all round.It was great to explore somewhere different, and all the easier when you have a Korean speaker with you! Thanks Pedro! We shall definitely try to get on another tour with him soon.

Maggie x