The Andong Mask Festival part 2

After riding the shuttle bus up to the center of Hanoe village we started walking.... Yes the dancing was REALLY out there.  It was incredibly beautiful up there though.  Surrounded by mountains and trees I imagine living up there must be impressive.  Perhaps a bit isolated though...

This is apparently where old masks go to... well be rather creepy actually...

Rice fields.

Some rather disturbing scarecrows decided to join the festivities by donning masks of their own...

Of course we felt the need to run out there and take photos with them...

A river that wrapped around the village.  There was a rather impressive rock cliff that people could hike up.  Sometime I'd love to go back and hike.  To many other activities this time around...

Downtown Hanoe Village.  It was amazing to walk around and think that people lived here.  Then I felt guilty... Bet they really hate this time of year...

This village really had some truly spectacular houses.

Traditional Mask dances!  They were actually quite lovely even if I couldn't understand what they were about...

I think he was a monk... Or a scholar...

Little shop selling souvenirs of the festival.

Picture of the village from a dirt road that ran parallel  to the river.  Looked like something out of a historic drama...









After we left Hanoe village we rode the bus back to Andong village where we were staying in a hotel for the night.  It was rather late when we got back so we decided to try jimduk made with Andong chicken.  This is supposed to be a specialty dish that the region is famous for.  I'd had jimduk in Gyeongsan and it is one of my favorite dishes.  It is a spicy dish with glass noodles, vegetables and steamed chicken.  A rather healthy and delicious meal in my opinion!  We visited until the restaurant was closing.  A couple of very drunk and rather hilarious Korean guys stopped to try and talk to us, it was entertaining.  Apparently one of them had been/wanted to go to Hawaii.  At least that was all I could gather from that conversation.

After dinner a couple of us decided to be brave and try a jjimjillbang.  There were a couple of 24-hour spas near our hotel.  I'd definitely made it a goal to try going to a jjimjillbang while I was in Korea.  Well after last weekend that's one thing I can check off my list.  It was amazing!  Their was a steam sauna that was really great and then a giant tub with some kind of soaking salt in it.  So we spent nearly 2 hours in the jjimjillbang before going back to the hotel for the night.

The next morning we got up and wandered around buying souvenirs and such for people.  Then rode the train home.  It was a fantastic weekend!