September 30, 2010
I’m sitting on the heated floor of my room as I type. In SK they heat homes through the floor rather than vents. It definitely kept my room cozy last night. I’m also savoring sleeping with a couple of heavy blankets over me because after Sunday I won’t need blankets. It was also nice falling asleep to the crickets (although the symphony of my snoring neighbor I could have done without) and waking to the birds. I’ve included pictures of my new abode. It is such a nice treat to have my own room and be able to spread out all my stuff.
Somehow in the span of a week I have managed to drop my toothbrush twice! So off I went again this morning to buy yet another. I’m going to have an iron grip on this one.
I walked the city centre of Gyeongju today and the best part was seeing the burial mounds. The Shilla dynasty buried their royalty in these mounds of different sizes (I guess even kings and queens aren’t equal). The idea is similar to the Egyptian pyramids, but these are more subtle. The Choseon rulers preferred more frugal and less ornate architecture and maybe they got this from the Shilla. These mounds were fascinating though and completely unexpected. The tomb itself is a large wood box/room where the body and items for the afterlife are placed. Then rocks are placed over the wood and then some clay. In this one park there are over 22 tombs! There are other places in the city with the mounds and you just sort of stumble across them.
The Gyeongju National Museum was lame compared to the one in Seoul, but it was amusing because the place was packed with school field trips. Some of the bolder kids said hi to me in English or asked where I was from. One even said, “I love you.” I guess those heart seeds are working – but on the wrong age group!!! :)
I wandered quite awhile finding a place for dinner and settled on one that had a lovely setting and I saw the prices fit my budget. The menu was only in Korean with no pictures so a gentleman guest patiently went through the short menu to explain the options. It is a traditional tea and entree place. For 3000w (~$2.50) I got 8 delicious dumplings, a chili soup, and a boiled rice tea (I had trouble drinking this one down). Most meals aren’t this cheap so I was pleased; especially considering it was a quaint restaurant.
Side note: One thing that was confusing at first is that many Koreans say twenty thousand won instead of two thousand won and thirty thousand instead of three thousand. So a few times my heart skipped a beat when I heard the price.
October 1, 2010
My feet are throbbing after a big day of hiking. When the bus dropped me off in town I had to sit on a bench and read for awhile before I could muster the walk back to the pension. I went to the Bulguk-sa temple which was the center of Silla Buddhism for awhile. It is a large complex and had some beautiful temples. However, I’ve “ODed” on Korean temples. They all begin to look so much alike. It makes me think of European tourists who tire quickly of the churches and cathedrals. However, I do spot something new and interesting with each temple and I’m sure they wouldn’t feel so redundant if I was more educated about them. Today, I enjoyed seeing the little painted scenes under the eaves. Again, the temple was teeming with students who enjoyed practicing their English. I wish I’d gotten a picture with one of the groups I chatted a bit with. One woman and two nuns also practiced their “hello” with me. I could have used a cool drink after walking, but the “sweat” drinks just didn’t appeal! LOL
I was hesitant to visit the nearby Seokguram Grotto because I was eyeing the time and wanted to get to Namsan Mountain to hike. I’m so glad I did! This really was the highlight of the day even though the excursion took two hours and I was only in the grotto for 10 minutes. A dome housing the Buddha is built into the rock and there is a square antechamber with guardians to ward off evil. It was built in 751 and the dome ceiling reminds me a bit of the Pantheon because of the recesses in the rock to make it lighter. The pictures cannot do it justice and I wasn’t allowed to take any so I’ve attached a website for you. The Buddha grabs your attention and calms you. The simple sculpting of Buddha makes him exude a sense of confidence, peace, calm, compassion and strength all at once. The surrounding structure adds to this sense. I wish there had been a place to sit and meditate (and no glass between us), but it was a steady stream of tourists. (The picture of the grotto is the one of a structure with a mound behind it.) http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/CU/CU_EN_8_8_5_2.jsp
I then had my lunch, which was the green onion pancake you see here. I think it had squid on it. It was pretty tasty with the soy sauce.
After getting my nourishment I made my way by bus to Namsan Mountain. I was going to the less touristy trailhead because there was a direct bus, but wasn’t sure how easy it would be to find. It wasn’t easy, but with the help of a few locals who spoke no English I found the general direction. I had to walk through a neighborhood and had to pass a scary dog – twice! (Fortunately, he was on a leash.) I stumbled upon another Buddhist temple at the end of one street, but a modern one this time. The buildings were inexpensive constructions, but there was a nice outdoor area with stone pagodas (?) and a small shrine. I wondered if the trail went off from there, but the trail dwindled and didn’t look like much. So I headed back feeling rather discouraged and doubtful that I would find the trailhead. But never despair! I found a turn in the road I had hardly noticed before so I ventured up there and low and behold THE TRAILHEAD. You can see how happy I was to have found it. The trails were also well marked in hangul and English, which was the opposite of what I’d been told.
I reached the summit in just over an hour, but it was a bit anticlimactic. There were no views! The trees came up 360degrees. I did see views in other spots though. I hiked down the other side of the mountain and this side had a lot more Buddhist relics to see. The mountain itself has 122 temples, 57 stone Buddhas, 64 pagodas, and 19 stone lamps!!! These were built during the Silla dynasty and many aren’t on the main trails so you have to detour. I judged the side trails by the distance to the site and if it was uphill or not. By this time my muscles were starting to tire. My ligament (I think that’s what it is) in my right knee has been hurting a bit on stairs the last few days so I didn’t want to push it too much. My knee that had reconstructive surgery is rockin’ though!
I am down to less than $1 in won and the banks closed before 5pm so I’m a pauper for the evening. I spent my last bills on a cup-a-noodles and a roll, which I’m about the scarf down...
P.S. I’ve included some flora pictures for my gardening readers.
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