FINAL TRAVELS
Yesterday and today I completed what will probably be my last travels in Korea. Me, Justin and Charles, piled into Justin's brand new SUV and took the four hour trek to Gyeongju, home of the ancient capital of Shilla, where great kings once ruled Korea. Unfortunately, we took that trek on Sunday, and it was packed. The traffic was heavy and the tourist attractions of the city were overflowing, sometimes with many tour buses parked there.
Not being bound by time and work schedules like the rest of the crowd, we decided to simply try for another destination. Although we did check out a great ancient temple complete with a huge gold Buddha and other statues before we left. It's amazing to consider what these ancient civilizations were capable of. Why don't we create such things today? Anyway, we drove another couple of hours to the seaside city of Pusan.
Pusan, often spelled Busan for whatever reason, was an amazing site. Standing on the beautiful beach there and looking at the town, it seemed like something you would expect to see in Greece or Italy rather than an Asian city. Large rock hills, covered in fashionable buildings, sat right upon the sea. I can't imagine how awesome, and probably expensive, it must be to live in some of these seaside apartment complexes or hotels.
We took a boat ride around the bay, passing the beach and this incredible bridge connecting the mainland to another small piece just off the shore. The area was filled with tall rockj hills protruding from the water, some capped with green bushes, others with the occasional building. It was really like being in a different world. Needless to say I got a lot of inpsiration for future art endeavors. It was day when we took the boat out, but night when we returned, this time seeing the bridge and the city in all its lighted glory. I wish I had the pictures to show you. Luckily, Justin and Charles had their cameras, so I will try to get them to email me some of the shots so I can put them in the gallery. They even got shots of the seagulls, which followed the boat and would fly right up to people on the deck holding out french fries, or something similar. I haven't had that much fun in ages.
After that we went to a large fish market to eat and then looked around for other attractions, but it was unlikely that anything could match what we just experienced. We returned to Gyeungju to sleep, planning to explore it the next day. Contrary to my expectation, we did not go to a hotel. We went to a lodge out in the country which was more like a spa. There are no rooms for individuals. There is a men's locker room and a women's locker room where guests can shower and change into the spa "uniform". There are a couple of large rooms for TV viewing, saunas, a lounge or two, a cafeteria and large rooms full of mats for everyone to sleep on, wherever. I had stayed at a similar place for many days my first trip to Japan, so it wasn't new to me, but I can imagine many western people would be put off by the communal quality of the place. There were quite a few couples there and I heard it was a popular place for couples. I had to wonder, though, where and how they would "get busy" in such an environment. No one seemed to have an answer for that one.
The next day we explored the ancient capital. We say tombs of great kings, covered in pyramid like mounds. What is it with ancient peoples and this style of burial? Where did they learn it? They even had a large tower which served as an astronomical observatory, also popular in other ancient cultures. We learned about wars, kings, queens (Yes they even had a queen or two in the past) and princes. If you're into history, Korea's 5000 year history is a subject worthy of study.
We capped our journey with a visit to the traditional village of Andong, known for the great 16th century leader Ryu Seong Yong. Charles, who was with us, is distantly related to the Ryu family. Many Koreans can trace their family history all the way back by their name, because they have been so isolated and their are few famous families. Charles' grandfather apparently still lived in that 16th century village, as did many others. In fact, because of its prime location, many famous people also lived there, I am guessing in second homes though. We ate many traditional foods according to custom on this journey.
The areas we travelled were gorgeous. Sakura, or cherry clossom, trees lined the roads in many places and it looked like something out of a fantasy. At a distance, the sakura trees looked like clouds hanging on the mountains. Many views contained almost art like images of mountains, trees and sea. It was more inspiring than words can describe. It definitely makes me see Korea in a different light. Not to say I am planning to stay or anyting, but I can at least say I might one day return.
We finished our journey and returned to Suwon City. Justin was sleepy, almost falling asleep at the wheel, so we stopped at a rest stop. Rest stops are not what you would expect based on what can be seen in the U.S. Here, rest stops are huge and have full food courts with many different types of restaurants. One even had live music. Back in Suwon, though, things return to normal and no one is at the house, so I am back in my favorite PC Room, one of the few things I will miss, writing this post.
In two days, I am off to the Philippines, assuming all goes to plan, and a new adventure will begin. I want to create a new life for myself. I remember some of the things I originally set out for and had forgotten up until recently. I want real life, not boring routines where every day becomes the same as the last. It is time to take another big risk and see what I can make of it. Even if I fail miserably, it will likely be a great adventure.
Not being bound by time and work schedules like the rest of the crowd, we decided to simply try for another destination. Although we did check out a great ancient temple complete with a huge gold Buddha and other statues before we left. It's amazing to consider what these ancient civilizations were capable of. Why don't we create such things today? Anyway, we drove another couple of hours to the seaside city of Pusan.
Pusan, often spelled Busan for whatever reason, was an amazing site. Standing on the beautiful beach there and looking at the town, it seemed like something you would expect to see in Greece or Italy rather than an Asian city. Large rock hills, covered in fashionable buildings, sat right upon the sea. I can't imagine how awesome, and probably expensive, it must be to live in some of these seaside apartment complexes or hotels.
We took a boat ride around the bay, passing the beach and this incredible bridge connecting the mainland to another small piece just off the shore. The area was filled with tall rockj hills protruding from the water, some capped with green bushes, others with the occasional building. It was really like being in a different world. Needless to say I got a lot of inpsiration for future art endeavors. It was day when we took the boat out, but night when we returned, this time seeing the bridge and the city in all its lighted glory. I wish I had the pictures to show you. Luckily, Justin and Charles had their cameras, so I will try to get them to email me some of the shots so I can put them in the gallery. They even got shots of the seagulls, which followed the boat and would fly right up to people on the deck holding out french fries, or something similar. I haven't had that much fun in ages.
After that we went to a large fish market to eat and then looked around for other attractions, but it was unlikely that anything could match what we just experienced. We returned to Gyeungju to sleep, planning to explore it the next day. Contrary to my expectation, we did not go to a hotel. We went to a lodge out in the country which was more like a spa. There are no rooms for individuals. There is a men's locker room and a women's locker room where guests can shower and change into the spa "uniform". There are a couple of large rooms for TV viewing, saunas, a lounge or two, a cafeteria and large rooms full of mats for everyone to sleep on, wherever. I had stayed at a similar place for many days my first trip to Japan, so it wasn't new to me, but I can imagine many western people would be put off by the communal quality of the place. There were quite a few couples there and I heard it was a popular place for couples. I had to wonder, though, where and how they would "get busy" in such an environment. No one seemed to have an answer for that one.
The next day we explored the ancient capital. We say tombs of great kings, covered in pyramid like mounds. What is it with ancient peoples and this style of burial? Where did they learn it? They even had a large tower which served as an astronomical observatory, also popular in other ancient cultures. We learned about wars, kings, queens (Yes they even had a queen or two in the past) and princes. If you're into history, Korea's 5000 year history is a subject worthy of study.
We capped our journey with a visit to the traditional village of Andong, known for the great 16th century leader Ryu Seong Yong. Charles, who was with us, is distantly related to the Ryu family. Many Koreans can trace their family history all the way back by their name, because they have been so isolated and their are few famous families. Charles' grandfather apparently still lived in that 16th century village, as did many others. In fact, because of its prime location, many famous people also lived there, I am guessing in second homes though. We ate many traditional foods according to custom on this journey.
The areas we travelled were gorgeous. Sakura, or cherry clossom, trees lined the roads in many places and it looked like something out of a fantasy. At a distance, the sakura trees looked like clouds hanging on the mountains. Many views contained almost art like images of mountains, trees and sea. It was more inspiring than words can describe. It definitely makes me see Korea in a different light. Not to say I am planning to stay or anyting, but I can at least say I might one day return.
We finished our journey and returned to Suwon City. Justin was sleepy, almost falling asleep at the wheel, so we stopped at a rest stop. Rest stops are not what you would expect based on what can be seen in the U.S. Here, rest stops are huge and have full food courts with many different types of restaurants. One even had live music. Back in Suwon, though, things return to normal and no one is at the house, so I am back in my favorite PC Room, one of the few things I will miss, writing this post.
In two days, I am off to the Philippines, assuming all goes to plan, and a new adventure will begin. I want to create a new life for myself. I remember some of the things I originally set out for and had forgotten up until recently. I want real life, not boring routines where every day becomes the same as the last. It is time to take another big risk and see what I can make of it. Even if I fail miserably, it will likely be a great adventure.
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