The hike

We were only ten minutes in before we’d lost our first hiker. It would go on for another three hours. The start was the steepest, winding up into the trees from the temple to a village of rock piles. There was a rope to pull yourself up and into flatness, where we stood wondering what happened to our leader.

He re-appeared some ten minutes later, dragging the last of the group up by the arm. Then we steered ourselves further into the bushes, descending down steps we hoped not to have to climb back up in the hike’s remainder.

Gathered whispers told us a coin toss would decide who would hike back to van, then come and get us at the path’s end. Louder Korean voices laughed that we’d only half finished.

When we did reach the tree tunnel’s split into a parking lot we sighed at the sight of a cell phone, pulled out to call on another driver. Stretching labored limbs we flicked on iPods and hoped to be carted to dinner.