-Bulguksa Temple, Namsan Mountain, Gyeongju, Korea-Even though that number seems high, I would venture to say that most of the "professed" Buddhists here aren't very active, at least from what I've seen. I would definitely NOT call Korea a Buddhist society. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Korea is one of the most materialistic societies I've visited. So I don't see the whole Buddhist connection thing. But I did get the day off work, so chalk one up to Buddha.
So I decided to join some of my friends who were going to hoof it to Gyeongju for the long weekend, just to relax and visit some of Korea's historic-ness. I got up at dawn's early light and made my way to the Express Bus Terminal, arriving around 7 AM. As it turned out we weren't the only zealous adventurers to plan a Gyeongju visit...and the earliest bus we could get was to leave at 10:50 AM. So it was off to McDonald's for a nice leisurely breakfast and coffee.
Gyeongju Trip Realization #1: Korea needs Denny's and IHOPs. Koreans' idea of breakfast is rice, kimchi and side dishes, which also happens to be their idea for lunch and dinner. I just want some PANCAKES!!!!
The bus ride was LOOOONG...like 5 hrs long...and my time was spent alternatively having deep discussions with JCrew, trying to make her laugh and pee her pants (because the bus driver refused to take a rest break until 3 and a half hours into the ride), and trying not to get bus-sick due to the TREMENDOUSLY warm temperatures and stale/smelly air inside the confines of our hot and stinky motorcoach. But I was with good company, and we laughed a lot.
Gyeongju Trip Realization #2: I think Korea has taught me to make the best out of uncomfortable situations...mostly because it has put me in a lot of those situations, and there's nothing to do but get absolutely stressed, irritable and irate or just laugh and laugh and laugh at the complete ridiculousness of what you're experiencing. Just take a deep breath and enjoy the view, mon.
So we got to Gyeongju around 3:30, ate and wandered around after dropping our stuff at a little hotel near the bus terminal. Much to my surprise, Gyeongju looked an awful lot like...Pardeeville, Wisconsin. Just a few lazy streets and a Piggly Wiggly...or in this case a Korean equivalent (it was the first normal-looking grocery store I've seen in months!)
For the first time in a loooong time, I was in a town, surrounded by one-to-two story buildings - no high-rises!! There were farms just outside of the tiny town. The town itself was DOMINATED by infamous "Gyeongju bread" factories and shops. Much to our dismay, all of the bread in Gyeongju is filled with Korean red bean paste.
For the first time in a loooong time, I was in a town, surrounded by one-to-two story buildings - no high-rises!! There were farms just outside of the tiny town. The town itself was DOMINATED by infamous "Gyeongju bread" factories and shops. Much to our dismay, all of the bread in Gyeongju is filled with Korean red bean paste.
-Gyeongju Bread shop-
-Red bean paste...YUCK!-
-Finished product-Gyeongju Trip Realization #3: I will never, ever learn to like red bean paste. I have learned to like seaweed. I have learned to like cucumbers. I have even come to love stinky fermented bean soup that smells like smelly sweaty gym socks. But red bean paste...I just can't do it. I guess I'm not as strong as I thought I was.
We talked for a long time in a nice coffeeshop that took us FOREVER to find...we were wandering the deserted streets screaming "Suh-taaah-bucks isseoyo???" (literally: "Starbucks is there???"). We talked about EVERYTHING. Literally. I think we solved all the world's problems, and it only took about 3 hours. It was cool to just sit back and ponder the incredible goheffity of our world's current situations.
Then we headed back to the motel...I wanted to go to the Shampoo NightClub that was next to our motel, but I was outvoted. Us girls talked for a long time and then finally it was lights out.
Gyeongju Trip Realization #4: I love, love, LOVE sleeping on the floor. I would rather sleep on a Korean sleeping mat, called a "yo", on the floor than in any bed any day of the week. Especially with the heated floors they have here...pa-ra-DISE!
Sunday morning we went for breakfast and by the time we met up with Nate and Erik we found that they had rented scooter-like motorized devices. They were kind of like a hybrid of a kids' scooter mixed with a Hoveround. They were very proud of their new toys. We'd been trying unsuccessfully to rent scooters all weekend and no one would rent them to foreigners...so we were getting desperate. We had some fun in the morning cruising around the city.
-I believe this to be the single greatest picture of Jessica Jo Crew to exist on the planet Earth.-
-Erik taking Alicia for a spin-Then it was off to Bulguksa, the famous Buddhist temple near Gyeongju where there was supposed to be good hiking and nature-ish things. The bus ride was...interesting. Let's just say that Alicia has the physical bruising to prove it.
-Part of Bulguksa Temple, Namsan Mountain, Gyeongju-We hiked to the top of Namsan mountain (Note: there is also a Namsan mountain in Seoul...basically the name Namsan in Korean just means "South Mountain"). Its peak is at about 500m (about 1640 ft.). We made it up in about an hour and a half. The hike itself was either uphill or stairs the whole way (it was a mountain after all).
When we finally made it to the top, we looked around and saw about a billion people. We saw babies, women in heels, old ajummas and ajoshis, the elderly, the disabled, and the generally ill-prepared-for-hiking-looking-people. It was then we realized that you can just drive to the peak, and that you still have to pay to get inside to see the famous historic relics.
My exact words when I realized that were: "Ahhh!! BLURG!!!!"
But we did take in the view for awhile at the top - it was beautiful! We could see the Sea of Japan and the other mountains in the area. We could smell the clean sea air, and the sun was shining brightly. For just a second, the billion people sharing my mountain melted away and it was just me and God's beautiful creation. I breathed in and knew that this natural beauty was what I had been missing living in ol' dirty Seoul...it was just what I needed!
-View from the top of Namsan Mountain, Gyeongju, with the Sea of Japan in the distance-After climbing back down, eating dinner, and taking a much less treacherous bus ride back to the town, we hung out in our motel room and played cards for a few hours before Erik and Alicia headed to the train station to make it back to Suwon. After they left, things were pretty quiet...Nate and I played Go Fish, War, and I taught him how to play Manipulation. The next morning, it was off to the bus terminal bright and early to head back to the concrete jungle in which I dwell.
The bus ride back was MUCH nicer, we had seats that reclined and had footrests. We had A/C and a nice and timely rest break. And it took only 3 hours. I actually slept...I think thats the first time I've ever slept for more than 15 minutes on a bus or plane. Nice.
So all in all it was a good time spent with good friends. We laughed a lot. A LOT. It was so nice. Now I just gotta make it to Busan sometime...
Until next time~
JB
PS. Thanks to Eric for taking these pictures and posting them on Facebook so I could mercilessly pillage them and use them as though they were my own.
PPS. Congrats to all you new college grads!!! WELCOME TO LIFE! If you're having trouble finding a job, Korea's always looking for teachers :)
1 comment:
Awe JB I love you.
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