A taxi over to the new hotel, a very traditional Korean one. A room with just a bed and TV, the ubiquitous shoe-depository room at the front, and a bathroom with shower built in. Then across the street to Bulguksa Temple. We grab a map and decide that we actually need to catch a bus which goes 8.1 kilometers up the street to Seokgulam Grotto which contains a massive stone Buddha looking east to the sea from the cave it sits in. The busses stop running at 5 or so and it seems like a better plan to get that bit done while we can and then come back down to see Bulguksa Temple. The bus winds its way up a steep and extremely winding road which feature hair-pin turns so sharp that in about 10 places they have mirrors so you can check the oncoming traffic that approaches you almost at a parallel until it gets to the turn.
As we climb I notice that although you might initially mistake the mountains here for the mountains back in California, there are important differences. As you look off into the distance you see rows and rows of hills of almost equal height rising and descending. Not at all like the Sierras where you climb one mountain to see the next one. Also, although the trees are redwood-like they are characteristically Korean in that their branches grow in terrace formations which grow out to windswept looking points. In fact the whole thing looks so much like Korean art (Duh!) that if I only had seen a tiger and a dragon I'd have covered 85% of what traditional Korean nature-art depicts (since we did see a waterfall later this would cover it all).
We paid 4,000 won each, by far the highest park fee we have paid so far, to hike down a dirt road to the BUddha. This Buddha was originally seated in a cave with with a view to the east, but for protection he is now also surrounded by glass and a temple-like structure.
You aren't supposed to take pictures in the cave, so I had to be all sneaky about it, but here is a shot I surreptitiously took as the Korean docent lady glowered suspiciously at all of us.
The park was getting ready for a New Year's celebration at which they will ring the big bell. This explains all the lanterns hanging about - they gave the place a festive air.
When we first arrived outside the park, both POSSLQ and i had silently noted a sign that said Bulguksa Temple 3.2 kilometers. We both guessed at it's meaning and she was, as is traditional, about 100% wrong. But we lobbied with Ed to walk down the thing. In fact it is the old road between the buddha and the temple at the hill of the mountains. It was a nice walk and I'd suggest any tourist take it because it gives really good views of the temple building as you look back up the hill. Climbing up the trail would be a challenge for some people, particularly if you were visiting during the summer.
Here is a photo of the temple from the trail.
About halfway down the trail we see a non-descript building with a traditional roof. POSSLQ chirps, "we're there, I can see the temple!" The Koreans and I find this hugely amusing because.. well.. the pictures tell the story
POSSLQ's "Temple" from above
POSSLQ's "Temple" door.
The guys and I took advantage and went inside to "worship" while POSSLQ waited outside
After the temple the path, while still steep, no longer featured granite steps, and we scampered on down to Bulguksa Temple.
This was a really cool temple site with a pond,
several buildings in good shape,
a couple of granite pagodas
and a "wishing sculpture garden." I'm not sure what else to call it. It is in the back of the temple and the thought is that if you build a duck (as we'd call them if we were using them to mark trails back in the United States) and make a wish it should come true.
Stone Farm
Individual Stone
Photographing them I knocked one over, so somewhere in Korea someone's cancer returned or their lover left them.
Also, the Gods Wooglers and Booglers
After we got back down to the road one of us turned to look back up the hill to where, far off, we could all see the outline of the temple on the hill. The POSSLQ finally put together what had happened and hollered "We came all the way down from that? We came all the way down from that?" It slowly dawned on the rest of us that she had no idea where the trail she had persuaded us to walk down actually went. We all laughed hysterically while she continued to hop up and down in amazement.
We returned to the hotel room and vegged for a while. This peace was broken by a frantic knock on our door.
Ed bursts in our room and says, "Hey, where is your ticket back to the US?"
A question like this never comes out of nowhere.
I look around and, lo and behold, the black organizer I have my ticket and my traveler's checks in is gone. Which is funny, because the last conversation Ed and I had before we left the condo in the morning was with me waving the portfolio in the air and talking about how bad it would be if I left it behind. So we grab a cab back to the condo where the clerks strenuously refuse to accept any reward for their honesty. The Koreans I have met have all been scrupulously honest and as a tourist I really appreciate that.
We had dinner at a western-ish restaurant and returned to the hotel, and Ed's room, for the evening bout of drinking. Soju and juice, basically, and the boy threw up twice as a purely precautionary matter. Very Korean, I guess. We had three bottles of the stuff and I tottered off to sleep.
Where I discovered the location of "The Engine that Winds the Spring which Turns the Earth" Unfortunately "The Engine that Winds the Spring which Turns the Earth" was somewhere directly beneath our hotel room. And unfortunately "The Engine that Winds the Spring which Turns the Earth" is reciprocating in nature and a bit old. So as it runs one way it grinds. Then, with a popping clank it re-engages and runs the other way with a more basso profundo grind.
And so on.
All night long.
I suppose it is good that this engine runs, as a non-spinning earth would be problematic. I just wish it hadn't been below my hotel room.
Whatever it was.
This was exacerbated by the fact that at about 4 in the morning the POSSLQ decides to get up to "prepare for her shower." Which really just means, "fuck around and make it impossible for Your Humble Narrator to sleep." Which she did with zest, dropping things, repeatedly crumpling up plastic bags, and zipping and unzipping all the compartments of her luggage. This, combined with the motion sensitive light in the entryway and the continued operation of the "The Engine that Winds the Spring which Turns the Earth" (hey, guys, that thing needs oiling!") meant no more sleep for me.
I plan to be cranky all day.
Finally, because it amuses the happy running avalanche man!
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