Wednesday May 6 Day 8
Our chariot awaits us out front of the hotel and we all load up after breakfast. There’s a Bollywood feel to the chosen décor, I can’t help but snap a picture.
Pretty Girl & That Guy enjoying our Bollywood bus
We are road tripping to Gyeongju for some sight seeing. Still grumpy from yesterday and not sure what sort of treatment to expect from the locals today, I let my guard down completely when we learn from our guide that a large percentage of the Korean population is Atheist. This wins them back some points lost last night during my Busan experience.
The landscape is beautiful and reminds me of Switzerland in a way. Except that the fields we are passing are rice crops, a sight quite foreign to me
I ate at the first stop, so am not hungry when we stop for lunch. We can’t check in to the hotel yet but it is right next door, so I roam the area to see what is around.
I’ve been gone for a while now, so I start heading back after finding Tylenol for Bestie across the road. I bump into her on my way back to the bus so we meet up with the rest of our group and set out for more sights. Not surprising, the next place on our itinerary is up a mountain. The Korean’s do this different than Japan and there are not shops along the way, but it is nice to enjoy the fresh air. There are lanterns lining the trail, and larger displays at a few points where the land was flat.
At the end of the path sits one of the most majestic statues I have ever seen. We are at Seokguram Grotto, a small cave on Mt. Tohamsan that holds a breathtaking stone statue of Buddha. I wish I had a picture, but none were allowed so I pick up a magnet instead.
The souvenir shop is fantastic and I get a little monk statue I can’t stop touching and a gift for my mom. I also find a cool gift for a friend, but our instructor advises me to hold off until Seoul where I will find it for a much better price. I get the items I think I won’t find somewhere else and make my way back down the lantern trail.
Next stop is Bulguksa Temple and it’s back up the mountain we go. The Temples are always impressive, but I liked the look of these fellows.
The sun begins to set, a perfect last chance for pictures before going to check in to the hotel. I welcome the opportunity to freshen up, this has been a really long day. We are having a traditional dinner as a group tonight. I have been assured that it will be fully cooked before I have to consume it. We arrive at the restaurant famished, so it is befitting that they teach us the right way to eat Bulgogi which is with your hands. This is the kind of tradition I could indulge in again. The food is delicious and hits the spot.
Sleepy from dinner, I’m looking forward to returning to the hotel and getting a decent night sleep. Our tour guide has a different plan and we are now en route to some pond. A few of us groan; the real disappointment being that we had intended to go shoot guns at a range by the hotel before heading in for the night. That wasn’t happening now.
Wearing silk pants with high heels I am not amused with the impromptu walk in the park. I didn’t sign up for this so less than 100 meters in I turn and head back to the gift shop.
That was a good call because I find these really cool paper dolls there and pick up a few for some co workers back home. This find has made the “Moon Pond” a worthwhile excursion, and I still make it to bed with enough time to sleep. Up and at it early tomorrow to catch a train, the alarm is set for 4:30 am and I am already packed to go.
Talk Nerdy To Me: 