Day 1-3?

This is my first blog EVER!!!! but this is also the craziest thing i have ever done. It has been a crazy start to this adventure but i want to be able to reflect on the moments so I decided to start a blog. Please share your thoughts, opinions, and questions.

So after almost 20 hours of traveling we arrived in Icheon. From there we took about a 2 hour bus ride to The Korean University in Jochiwon. The bus ride was epic. The scenery was just amazing farms everywhere, and Mountains on every horizon. I have never seen views so majestic. The driver was crazy, drove super fast and the roads are narrow and it was just a very frightening situation. Got my room assignment and i have a fellow eagle Stephen as my roommate. I was glad to hear that, he is a very cool guy. We left the apt at 4am Friday morning and I landed at 4pm Saturday. One long day.

On Sunday there was tour to a  Buddhist Temple on a mountain side in Gyeryongsan National Park. It was a cultural experience like none other. After a walk about a quarter mile up the mountain there was a series of several buildings/temples. Before them we went in a small building that had for statues like the one below there. 2 one each side, they are there to protect from the devil. Under their feet were demonic looking creatures. Once you passed by them you could see all the temples it was breathtaking. We then went into one, taking our shoes off first. There a Monk spoke to us telling us about Buddhism. He then asked us this question, you put a duck in a bottle when it is young. then it grows and you cant get it out. How can you get the duck out without killing it or breaking the bottle? feel free to answer below. After a vegan Buddhist meal we were able to tour around. That is when i found the thunderous instruments. One was a drum (pictured below) that was about 12 ft in circumference and 15ft long. Being able to play it literally gave me chills. I felt very honored. Meanwhile we all were looking at the massive steel bell in the middle of the place. I motioned to a monk to play it so he did and he invited us to as well. The sound was so loud you could hear it throughout the mountain side. It was one of the coolest things i have ever done. being around the monks and shown how to play it. Can't ask for much more. We were then taken to another temple and made prayer bracelets. Having this privilege is amazing. I will never forget it. we then went back to the campus and ate dinner and relaxed the rest of the night. But what a day. I could never have imagined any of that happening.