At about 8:30am this morning, we departed Yongin for an excursion to the port city of Yeosu on the southern Korean coast! Today was a really valuable rest day for the group after a thrilling concert the night before, and we got to take in some stunning natural beauty as well. Yeosu was quite a far drive from Yongin and the Seoul Metropolitan Area, so we stopped a few times along the way for snacks and bathroom breaks. Similar to Germany and a few expressways in America, there are travel plazas along the major thoroughfares with restaurants and convenience stores all under one roof. Unlike many coastlines in America, the land around the coast is not flat at all. I kept expecting the mountainous terrain to turn gentler as we neared Yeosu, but the mountains run all the way to the sea (at least in this part of Korea).
Before we got to our hotel, we stopped for about an hour at a beach in Yeosu. As you can see in the photos below, I wasn’t overstating the beauty! For many of the Cardinal Singers, today was their first time seeing the Pacific Ocean, and it was my first time since seeing the portion of it flanking southern Alaska in 2019. Seeing the majesty of the Pacific from the opposite side of the world puts into perspective just how vast it is, and the mist-shrouded ridge-lines flanking the water’s edge only exaggerated the dramatic, awe-inspiring shoreline we found ourselves on. We had about an hour to take it all in, and several group members waded, walked the beach, hunted for sand dollars, and quietly appreciated the wonder before us. Today is also our own Manuel Tapia’s birthday (a freshman tenor), and we all sang happy birthday to him on the beach before we left!
Our hotel in Yeosu is called the Venezia Hotel & Resort, and it truly is a resort. It sits right on the port of the city with dramatic view of the ocean and the hilly landscape inland, and our room’s view is fantastic. Some of our singers swam in the rooftop pool, but I was content to relax in my room, make herbal tea, and rest for a while before writing today’s blog with the view of a lifetime beside my desk. Today was not event-filled, but I appreciated the slower pace and the chance to see such a marvelous part of the country and take some time to reflect on our trip so far. Korea’s choral culture is excellent, and I feel incredibly lucky to have gotten to perform with so many wonderful musicians in such a short time. Some of our biggest concerts are on the horizon (we’re not even halfway through the trip) so stay tuned for more travels and updates!
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