Weekend: Back to Busan and Gyeongju!

Sat. 7/20  Back to Busan!

This weekend I stayed with Young-mi, another English teacher at Gyeongwon High School, and her family.  We did a lot!  First stop, Busan.

Since Busan is a big city with so much to see and do, I had the chance to experience different sites of the city compared to my visit a few weekends ago.  In the afternoon we hiked around Taejongdae park.  Here are some pictures from our day in Taejongdae:

In the evening we walked around the markets and shops, grabbed dinner at a restaurant called “Spoons and Chopsticks,” then headed to Busan Tower for a nice night view of the city.

Busan Tower

Photo op bench at Busan Tower!

Sun. 7/21  Tongdosa Temple and back to Gyeongju!

On Sunday morning we headed to Tongdosa Temple.  When we arrived, we noticed that the parking lots and side roads were packed with cars.  We wondered how all of these people got there so early – even earlier than us! J  So instead of heading to the main temple first, we sought out one of the smaller, less busy ones.  Here are some pictures from the smaller temple:

Once we made our way to the big temple, we realized why it was so crowded today.  There was a well-known monk speaking at Tongdosa today.  The temple was almost overflowing with people!  And for those of you who have visited temples before, it is customary to take your shoes off before entering the temple.  There were piles and piles of shoes lining the outside walls of the temple.  I don’t know how everyone found their shoes in the end J.  Here are some pictures from the area around the big temple, Tongdosa:

After Tongdosa, we headed to a nearby restaurant for lunch that is famous for its bulgogi, specifically called Eonyang bulgogi.  Bulgogi literally means ‘fire meat’ in Korean.  Eonyang bulgogi is minced and marinated for a few days then broiled on a charcoal grill. 

The lotus leaves are huge!

After lunch we headed to Gyeongju.  This is the same city that we visited with the Office of Education during our first week here, but since we were fairly close, Young-mi and her family wanted to stop by again.  Gyeongju is one of their favorite vacation spots.  We spent some time walking around the vast fields of lotus plants.  Lotuses in every direction!

This is the national flower of Korea – mugunghwa.  In Korean, mugunghwa means “immortal flower.” 

Sadly by mid-afternoon I was not feeling very well, so we headed home early.  I’ve had to stay in bed for the past two and a half days, but I am starting to feel a little better.  Just in time for English camp!  Starting tomorrow, I am scheduled to help out with a three-day summer camp program offered for the students at Gyeongwon High School.  I hope I am feeling up for it!