에스라성경대학원대학교의 5대 총장직무를 마치고 지난 2월 중순에 울주군 범서읍 큰 마을로 다시 돌아왔습니다.
그동안 돌보지 못한 정원은 초목으로 무성해졌습니다. 특히 무성한 나무들을 어떻게 하나 고민하는 중에 울산시청에서 시민들을 위해서 나무관리 봉사를 한다는 소식을 듣고 신청을 했습니다. 그랬더니 해외에 있는 동안 몇 차례 연락이 왔고 귀국한 후에 나무관리팀이 나와서 작업을 했습니다.
오전 한나절 동안 무성한 울타리를 깔끔하게 다듬었습니다. 벚나무, 개암나무, 꾸지뽕나무, 죽은 복숭아나무, 웃자란 백목련과 자목련 나무, 개나리, 측백나무 등을 정리해 주었습니다. 참 좋은 나라 대한민국, 울산시민으로 돌아온 것을 자랑스럽게 생각합니다.
우리가 울산으로 내려오게 되자 서울에서 주말에 함께 하던 <등산팀 519부대>가 영남알프스 산행을 기획했습니다. 5월 5일에 내려와서 6일에 산행을 하기로 거사일을 결정했습니다. 5일 오전 10시 반 울산역에서 접선을 했습니다.
세 대의 승용차에 나누어 타고 바다가 내려다 보이는 돌섬횟집으로 향했습니다. 점심을 먹은 다음 동구 대왕암공원을 돌아보며 기암절벽과 푸른 바다를 즐기고, 곧바로 국가정원 태화강으로 가서 십리대밭을 비롯해서 공원의 아름다운 꽃들을 배경으로 사진을 찍었습니다. 5시 반 경에는 울산 호스트를 맡은 우리 마실안집에 도착해서 그 유명한 양고기 바베큐 식사를 했습니다.
5월 6일 D-Day입니다. 아침 7시 30분, 울산의 맛집인 ‘터미날식당’의 식사는 특별했습니다. ‘집에서 아침밥 안 줘도 걱정 없다!’며 울산 남자들의 기를 세워준다는 식당입니다. 문제는 점심입니다. 12명을 위해서 김밥 20줄 말고는 답이 나오질 않았습니다.
등억주차장에서 등산을 시작해서 홍유폭포를 들렀다가 간월산 임도 방향으로 올라갔습니다. 산길은 스페인의 산티아고 가는 길을 무색하게 하는 아름다운 5월의 신록이 소복이 담긴 길이었습니다. 김밥을 먹은 간월재 휴게소는 서울팀들의 부러움을 유도한 멋진 공간이었습니다. 1시 15분에 하산을 시작해서 3시 30분에 주차장으로 돌아 올 때까지 비가 내리지 않았습니다. 10시부터 비가 내린다는 일기예보가 있었지만 계속 비 내리는 시간을 연기하다가 저녁 식사시간에 가서야 비가 내리기 시작했으니 감동이었습니다.
그러나 마지막 감동은 저녁식사를 한 언양 두울원에서였습니다. 우리 가운데 두 사람은 카드를 들고 가서 음식 값을 치르겠다고 경쟁하고, 우리를 대접하겠다는 언양의 두 목사님은 이미 카드를 맡겨놓았지만, 정작 18인의 밥값은 두울원 주인이 대접하는 것으로 낙찰을 보았습니다.
다녀가신 분들의 반응들입니다.
After concluding my duties as the 5th president of Ezra Bible Graduate University, I returned to the large village of Beomseo-eup, Ulju-gun, in mid-February.
The garden, left unattended for so long, had grown thick and wild with vegetation. While wondering what in the world to do with the overgrown trees, I heard that Ulsan City Hall offered a volunteer tree-care service for citizens, and I promptly applied. Several calls came through while I was abroad, and soon after I returned home, the tree-care team came out to work.
Over the course of a single morning, they neatly trimmed the unruly hedges. They pruned and tended the cherry tree, hazelnut tree, cudrania tree, a dead peach tree, overgrown white and purple magnolias, forsythias, and arborvitaes. What a truly wonderful country the Republic of Korea is; I feel profoundly proud to be back as a citizen of Ulsan.
When we moved down to Ulsan, the "Hiking Team Unit 519"—a group of friends who used to spend weekends together in Seoul—planned a hike across the Yeongnam Alps. The fateful date was set: they would arrive on May 5th and hike on the 6th. On the morning of the 5th at 10:30 a.m., we rendezvoused at Ulsan Station.
Dividing into three cars, we headed to the Dolseom Raw Fish Restaurant overlooking the sea. After enjoying lunch, we toured Daewangam Park in Dong-gu, reveling in the rugged coastal cliffs and deep blue ocean. From there, we went straight to the Taehwagang National Garden, taking photos with the ten-ri bamboo grove and the park’s splendid blossoms as our backdrop. Around 5:30 p.m., we arrived at our courtyard home, serving as the Ulsan hosts, and savored our famous lamb barbecue dinner.
May 6th was D-Day. At 7:30 a.m., breakfast at "Terminal Sikdang," one of Ulsan’s renowned eateries, was exceptional. It is a place said to boost the morale of Ulsan men by reassuring them: "No worries, even if your wife doesn't make breakfast at home!" The real dilemma was lunch. For twelve hungry souls, twenty rolls of kimbap seemed like the only sensible answer.
Starting from the Deungeok parking lot, we stopped by Hongnyu Falls and climbed toward the Ganwolsan forest trail. The mountain path was brimming with the lush verdure of May, beautiful enough to rival the Camino de Santiago in Spain. The Ganwoljae Rest Stop, where we ate our kimbap, was such a magnificent haven that it stirred the envy of our Seoul companions. We began descending at 1:15 p.m., and right up until we returned to the parking lot at 3:30 p.m., not a single drop of rain fell. Although rain had been forecasted from 10:00 a.m., the skies held back until dinner time, filling our hearts with deep gratitude.
Yet the crowning touch of grace occurred over dinner at Duulwon in Eonyang. Two of our members rushed up with their credit cards, competing to pay the bill, while two local pastors from Eonyang, wishing to treat us, had already handed theirs in advance. In the end, the owner of Duulwon insisted on treating all eighteen of us to the meal, declaring the honor his own.
Here are some of the warm reflections shared by those who visited.
Nadat ek my amp as die vyfde rektor van Ezra Bybelse Nagraadse Universiteit voltooi het, het ek in die middel van Februarie teruggekeer na die groot dorpie Beomseo-eup in Ulju-gun.
Die tuin, wat so lank sonder sorg gelaat is, het welig oorgroei geraak met plante en struike. Terwyl ek kopkrap oor wat om met die ruie bome te doen, het ek verneem dat die Ulsan Stadsraad ’n boomversorgingsdiens vir burgers aanbied, en ek het dadelik aansoek gedoen. Terwyl ek in die buiteland was, het hulle ’n paar keer gekontak, en kort ná my terugkeer het die boomversorgingspan opgedaag om aan die werk te spring.
In die loop van ’n enkele oggend het hulle die ruie heinings pragtig netjies gesnoei. Hulle het die kersieboom, haselneutboom, cudrania-boom, ’n dooie perskeboom, oorgroeide wit en pers magnolias, forsythias en lewensbome netjies versorg. Wat ’n wonderlike land is die Republiek van Korea tog nie; ek is waarlik trots om weer ’n inwoner van Ulsan te wees.
Toe ons na Ulsan verhuis, het die "Bergklimspan Eenheid 519"—ons vriende wat naweke saam in Seoel deurgebring het—’n staptog in die Yeongnam-Alpe beplan. Die groot dag is vasgestel: hulle sou op 5 Mei afkom en op die 6de die berg aandurf. Op die oggend van 5 Mei om 10:30 het ons by Ulsan-stasie ontmoet.
Ons het in drie motors verdeel en na die Dolseom-visrestaurant gery wat oor die see uitkyk. Ná middagete het ons die Daewangam-park in Dong-gu besoek, waar ons die skouspelagtige kranse en die diepblou see bewonder het. Daarvandaan is ons reguit na die Taehwagang Nasionale Tuin, waar ons foto's geneem het met die tien-myle bamboesbos en die park se lieflike lenteblomme as agtergrond. Teen 5:30 nm. het ons by ons binnehofhuis aangekom, waar ons as Ulsan-gashere opgetree het, en ons het die aand geniet met ons beroemde lamsbraaivleis.
6 Mei was die groot D-dag. Om 07:30 was die ontbyt by die bekende Ulsan-eethuis 'Terminal Sikdang' iets besonders. Dis ’n plek wat na bewering die mans van Ulsan moed inpraat met die leuse: "Geen sorge as jy nie tuis ontbyt kry nie!" Die eintlike uitdaging was die middagete. Vir twaalf mense was twintig rolle kimbap eintlik al raad.
Ons het vanaf die Deungeok-parkeerterrein begin klim, by die Hongnyu-waterval aangegaan en toe verder op met die Ganwolsan-woudpad gestap. Die bergpaadjie was versier met die welige groen van Mei—’n skoonheid wat beslis nie hoef terug te staan vir die Camino de Santiago in Spanje nie. Die Ganwoljae-rusplek, waar ons die kimbap geniet het, was so ’n manjifieke uitkykplek dat dit ons vriende van Seoel groen van jaloesie gemaak het. Ons het om 1:15 nm. begin afdaal, en totdat ons om 3:30 nm. weer by die parkeerterrein was, het daar geen druppel reën geval nie. Hoewel daar voorspel is dat dit vanaf 10:00 sou reën, het die hemel die reën bly uitstel tot etenstyd die aand—’n wonderlike seëning wat ons harte diep geraak het.
Maar die mooiste oomblik van almal het tydens aandete by Duulwon in Eonyang plaasgevind. Twee van ons reisgenote het vorentoe gestorm met hul kaarte om te betaal, terwyl twee plaaslike predikante van Eonyang wat ons wou onthaal, reeds hul kaarte vooraf ingehandig het. Uiteindelik het die eienaar van Duulwon besluit dat hy self die rekening vir al agtien van ons sou dek—’n hartverblydende gebaar van gasvryheid.
Hier is enkele van die hartlike terugvoeringe van diegene wat kom kuier het.