This morning, we woke up early. We checked out of the motel and got breakfast at a nearby Paris Baguette. After, we took a taxi to Bulguksa Temple, which is the head temple of Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It was about 20 minutes outside of downtown, but well worth the trip. The paint on the temples looked brand new and you could smell incense while people knelt for prayer. It was hard to believe that the complex was hundreds of years old.
Bulguksa.
There were actually many temples to walk around, each with its own beautiful representation of Buddha inside. There were also various sculptures and incredible architectural features everywhere. I am a huge fan of dragons, and I had to take pictures whenever I saw them.
Dragon and Bulguksa.
When we were done exploring Bulguksa, we took a cab to Seokguram Grotto, which is technically part of the Bulguksa Temple complex, but about another 15 minutes east and in the mountains. As we ascended, it became cool and breezy. The view down the side of the mountain was incredible. To get to the grotto, we had to walk through the forest and climb many stairs. Photographs were not allowed of the beautiful Buddha sculpture inside, but if you are ever in Gyeongju, it is absolutely worth a visit.
Seokguram Grotto.
After, we took a cab back down towards the Anapji area. Our next goal was to find a ssambap restaurant for lunch. Ssambap is a traditional dish of Gyeongju, and it is a type of Korean barbecue served with rice and various leaves (lettuce, cabbage, etc.) to wrap your meat and banchan (side dishes) in. Our meal came with so many banchan (including a whole fried fish) and everything was absolutely delicious!
Ssambap for lunch!
I had an incredible weekend in Gyeongju. My calves feel like they are going to explode and I definitely have shin splints, but it was so worth it to see all the things this beautiful city has to offer. I definitely want to go back to this museum without walls because there is still so much more to see there!
Tia Ziagos 