Bongeunsa Temple in Seoul

         Forget about Gangnam style…when in Seoul there is so much to see beyond the glitz and the glam. Beyond the hustle and bustle (Korean women are ALWAYS running and nobody patiently waits for elevator doors to close…they repeatedly hit the close button), there is a quite retreat known as Bongeunsa.  Bongeunsa is a Buddhist temple where like many other unique and interesting places, I found through geo-caching. Needing to drop off a travel bug, I discovered an interesting monastery only blocks away from my hotel.

Founded in 794 during the reign of King Wonseong by the monk Yeon-hoe, at the time the highest ranking monk of Silla, It sits on the slope of Sudo Mountain in Samseong-dong, across the street from the ultra-modern COEX Mall. Buddhism in Korea was violently repressed during the Joseon Dynasty.

Bongeunsa was reconstructed in 1498 with the support of Queen Munjeong, who revived Buddhism in Korea for a short time in the mid-16th century. In 1551 it became the main temple of the Zen (Korean Seon).

Today it is a revived temple complex with several buildings and rooms for followers and guest to meditate in. There is an air of friendliness to visitors and I even had the opportunity to sit for a very humble meal of rice and soup.

After dropping off my travel bugs and picking up a few in return, I stuck around to just relax on one of the trails on the side of the mountain. Later in the evening, I returned to watch the drumming ceremony. As an avid percussionist, I was completely captivated by the experience.

I believe that to understand a culture, you have to first understand that culture’s faith, food, and recreation. This is something my time in the military taught me, and lessons I still carry today. I am very solid in my faith, and though not a Buddhist, I found I could go into one of the buildings where others were praying, and I could simply relax and enjoy the atmosphere as I prayed on my own (Celtic Daily Prayer).

I was glad for the visit and I was more aware of the 4am gong and 6pm drumming. I made it an evening pilgrimage most nights to watch the four percussion instruments be played as part of a faith-based ceremony.

I won’t pretend to understand the faith, but found its followers very open to me being in their presence and very thankful for their acceptance of me. Great photo opportunities and it made me with I had my Dad’s technical expertise for taking great photos. At some point I need to get a great point and shoot digital and save my iPad and GoPro for other things…

Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Taipei

As you know I love exploring history. Visiting Taipei I had a chance to visit the memorial for democratic pioneer, Dr. Sun Yat-sen. Many don’t realize this, but Taiwan is was the first democracy in Asia. Founded on the premise that Taiwan was starving from lack of educational nutrition, Dr Sun helped to point the way towards literacy.

A Chinese revolutionary, he participated in as many as eleven, he was the first president and founding father of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and is referred to as the “Father of the Nation”. Sun Yat-sen played a critical role in the overthrow of the Qing dynasty in 1888. In 1912, he was appointed to serve as president of the Provisional Republic of China In addition, Sun who is still revered today, was a uniting figure in post-Imperial China.

I enjoyed visiting the memorial hall in Taipei and encourage anyone visiting Taiwan to stop by. I found it because of following a geocache. My how this activity takes me to unique places! The grounds are simply beautiful and there are diverse activities taking place on the grounds.

You might see prayerful monks next to hip-hop dances. The unique thing I have learned about Asia in general, parks can have many different groups congregating in close proximity, and no one is affected by the other group. For a photographer, this is a target rich environment.

The main entrance to the hall contains a huge statue of Sun Yat-sen. Every hour, there is a formal changing of the guards, which I highly recommend seeing. It is popular, so get a spot early. Also a gift shop to collect that much needed postcard or travel stamp.

The building itself is sited on a beautiful campus, Chung-shan Park. It includes lush gardens, decorative historical walls, and an exhibition and performance area surrounding Lake Cui. There are also great views of Taipei 101, the world’s second largest building.

For more information and to hear some great audio podcast, check out our audio blog

Puppy First-Aid Kits

“Dad…can we go….can we go?” Trigger sits patiently while the Jeep is warming up for a run in the desert

I have a podcast out there – make sure you check www.AdventureIQ.com for the link, its pretty easy if you follow us on FACEBOOK, then you get all of our podcast…

So I was only going to post this as a list on the AIQ FB page, but after Dan from The 4×4 Podcast asked me to do a blog….well here it is… The more time you spend with your pup in the outdoors, the more exposure there is to them getting injured. Even a minor injury can dampen your trip and nothing is worse than seeing your pup limp along in pain. I have had to deal with burrs, impaled object, large lacerations, and both heat exposure and borderline hypothermia in my dogs.
Even though there are plenty of kits you can buy on-line, I believe in putting your own kit together, simply then you know what is in it.

We have a main kit for the house, one in the rig, and then a small field kit that goes a doggie day pack. I will only list out the items that goes in our kit that the pups pack with them. We have larger pups, so if your adventure pup is a small breed, well you get to hike with the kit…no K-9 EMT kits on your Mini-Rat Terrier

Trigger ready for a day of adventure

We highly recommend that you seek out classes that are specific to first-aid for dogs. Get a good solid field manual to keep with the kit. Finally, dogs are different from us two-leggeds- human medicine unless noted is not for puppy consumption.

BIG DISCLAIMER— THIS IS MY LIST YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONSULTING YOUR OWN VET. WE DO NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBLITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS OR ACTIONS TAKEN ON BEHALF OF THIS LIST 

• K9 EMT Gel- This stuff interacts with the wound and maintains much-needed moisture that helps a wound in healing. In addition, it acts as a tissue adhesive to help prevent bacterial infection. It also reduces bleeding and pain. Keep it current though, it will expire.
• Tweezers- When your pup is hurt and you are trying to remove a sliver, they don’t always hold still. One poke with sharp or pointed objects and your pal will not likely lay still for you again. I use flat slant tipped tweezers.
• Scissors- I carry both small dull-ended snips and EMT shears. The small snips are excellent for trimming out goat heads in the fur areas in the paws or burrs on the belly. EMT shears are good for cutting medical tape.
• Tick Removal Tool. These are designed to remove nasty ticks, which, if left in, can lead to infection or worse, diseases like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever or Lyme’s.
• Cotton balls
• 4×4 Gauze Pads and 4” Rolled Gauze.
• Hibitane Disinfectant- Learn to use BEFORE you use it
• Saline solution. We live in a sandy area and this is great to get dust and sand out of the eyes. Can also be used to clean wounds.  DO NOT USE Contact solution.
• Flush Syringe
• Benadryl- Trigger bit a wasp one day- and I was pretty worried that he was going to swell up and not breathe. A fellow vet-tech of Melissa’s gave him a Benadryl. It reduced the swelling, keeping his airway open…and put him to sleep.  Antihistamines can be used to calm itchiness, swelling, and hives caused by insects,  but, as with any medication, please with your vet for dosage.
• Antibacterial Wipes or skin soap.
• Bag Balm/Skin & Paw Cream – When feet get torn up. Keep it in a labeled zip-tight bag.
• Rectal Thermometer. A dog’s average is around 101°F.
• Petroleum Jelly. For use with the thermometer…and be sure to scratch your pup’s ears after the intrusion….
• Emergency numbers- I keep three sets of numbers in my kit. My regular vet, the 24-hour vet, ad then when traveling, numbers of vets at each destination.
• Latex gloves
• Emergency contact numbers. The digits for your vet, the closest animal emergency hospital, and the poison control hotline.
• Triangle Bandage to use as a muzzle
• Corn- starch- To stop bleeding of nails (not wounds) that have been broken or cut to the quick.
• Vet Wrap
• Small Space-Blanket (Compact Size)
• First Aid Manual for Dogs (small pocket-sized)
  

  Harper was a rescue, that when we got her, required lots of medical love…