Chuseok Adventures: Of Ancient Kings and Ancient Things

“I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” – Mary Anne Radmacher

The second day was bright and cheery, filled with energy of adventure and promises of shenanigans. We were out by 9 and on our way to the little reenactment village we'd wandered through the previous night. Stomachs rumbling, we looked forward to stopping at one of the cafes we'd seen advertised there for breakfast. It soon became clear however, that much of the magic and history from the night before had dissipated in a whirl of modern commercialism. Everywhere there was a shop and a cafe, but little by way of actual historic sites and tours that I'd at least been personally expecting. 

Part of it was we were there on Chuseok itself. This was the Thanksgiving day of the holliday weekend, and many businesses and tourist attractions were either closed or running with limited services. We neither of us were feeling particularly decisive, and so after walking past all the cafes twice, we wandered past to the great bridge that towered by the little village.                                                                                                                                           

It was awesome. Old buildings and structures have this feel about them that can't be found in their younger counterparts. It carries bits and pieces of the lives and stories of the centuries of people who have crossed it. From farmers and kings who used it for daily travel, to now mix with the story of a small town girl from Iowa and hundreds of others who come daily to see it. 

Eventually hunger won out and we wondered and wondered trying to find something that fit our taste buds. It was a little bit like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Some places were too pricy, others too sweet, and neither of us feeling inclined to settle for anything that was less than what we were looking for. So after about thirty minutes of searching, we found a small jjigae (stew) restaurant tucked away in a part of town that was just out side of the more touristy attractions. Little did we know, this restaurant specialized in budae jjigae (부대찌개), better known as army stew. A fairly recent dish, budae jjigae originates from the Korean War where Korean citizens used American military rations to supplement their meals. This stew is a catchall drawer of ingredients, featuring anything from the traditional bean sprouts to spam and ramen. This dish is further proof to me that Koreans can take pretty much anything and make it incredible because despite my general dislike for spam, it was really delicious. 

We decided to stop at an ice cream parlor before heading to the museum. It was fun mix of old style American cafe, complete with black and white photos of men with circle hats and VW beetles. The wait was long, the staff clearly struggling with the high influx of travelers escaping from the growing heat of the day. We weren't in a particular hurry though, and eventually our drinks and ice cream were ready. 

Our trusty map came out and it was decided that we'd stop at the museum, and then head to Bulguksa temple and then Seokguram Grotto a continuation of the temple that is carved from the side of the mountain. Armed with a plan and a week's worth of calories in our bellies, we set out for the museum....Which turned out to be a bit of a bust. Apparently the museum was closed for the holiday and so we back tracked to the bus stop heading to Bulguksa temple. When the bus didn't show on the display, we worried the temple would also be closed, with nothing left to do for the day. Fortunately we worried about it long enough that the bus had a chance to come before we left, haha. So we boarded and in twenty minutes had wound our way up through the beautiful green of the mountainside. 

The bus dropped us off, and for a moment it felt like I'd been dropped off a bus stop in a Studio Ghibli film. The vibrant colors, clear air, and peace of the area was a nice change to the bustle of my little city of Changwon. I hadn't realized how much I had missed the countryside until that moment. We walked out way towards where we could see what looked like the main entrance of the temple after a little walk up along the paths up the mountain. With it just being Tharek and I, I slipped my mask for a moment and took a deep long breath. To this mountain girl who's been flat land bound for over half her life, it was pure magic. Tharek, at 100% city slicker might have laughed at me just a little bit but "no me importaba nada". 

After a stop at the overpriced giftshop for tickets that were modestly priced at 2,000 won a person (less than $2) we headed up through the giant gates and to the temple. 

The temple is really a series of shrines that are built up the mountain, each devoted to a different buddha who was responsible for something specific to them. Many who were there came as part of a pilgrimage, seeking prayers and opportunities to worship. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the concept of temples isn't foreign to me, as we have our own temples that are key parts of our worship. Our temples however aren't open to the public, and so the clash of tourism and worship was odd for me, feeling like a fly on a wall for moments that I'm accustomed being more private than public. 

We couldn't take pictures of the shrines themselves or the statues inside them, but there was plenty outside to take pictures of. The buildings themselves are actually replicas, as the original temples were unfortunately burned down by the Japanese during the Korean War. 

Bells like these are used to summon monks to  prayer, and are key parts of worship. They are also  believed to have the ability to call the souls of the  damned to paradise by guiding them with their sound.

You can't have too many drum pictures. The ornate artwork is featured throughout the entire complex, with each beam painted to be identical to its neighbor. It's all done by hand, and I can't imagine how long it took to do the entire complex....

There used to actually be a lake that surrounded this part of the temple. You can see the watermarks if you look closely. 

We finished off our visit by walking down past this lake, possibly a remnant of the larger lake that used to surround the temple? Regardless, it was a beautiful spot to finish it out. We had planned to go visit the grotto next, but wound up stopping at a cafe for drinks and accidentally missed the last bus out. That being the case, we turned around and caught the next bus back to Gyeongju. 

Not feeling particularly hungry, we headed off to the next stop and wandered through find the tombs of the kings. Much to my delight, there was one that we could actually go in and tour, and not being ones to miss a chance encounter with zombies we went for it. 

PC: T. Teacher

These tombs are incredible works of constructions taking thousands of people to construct. Much like the Korean equivalent of a pyramid. While the king himself was no longer present in the tomb, the relics and ceremonial clothing were all still in place for viewing. The information as translated in English was fairly basic, with the Spanish translations being much the same. But being able to walk through and experience something so old, was pretty incredible.

Moon and the Mounds PC: T Teacher

Having some time until the tomb park closed we wandered our way along the park, enjoying the moonlight peaking over the giant tombs. It was surprisingly peaceful, and despite the fact we were surrounded by literally millennia old kings, it must have had some sort of romantic vibe as more than one couple was seen wandering the paths through the tombs. 

Tomb Blossoms PC: T Teacher

We finished off the night at a place called "Grandma's Kitchen"... or something like that, honestly spot memory is what I get for waiting to long to post this update. Regardless what it's name was, the homey food taste promised by the "Grandma" was brought in full force. I have eaten a lot of delicious food here, but nothing can match this. Honestly, you'd have to be there. If you find me on a bus to Gyeongju anytime soon, it might be just because of that restaurant. It was a fun way to finish the evening. A stop at a cafe for some ice cream, where they forgot we were there and almost closed on us, then a final might time ramble enjoying the crisp country air before finally winding our way back to the motel. 

Then all too soon it was the next morning and we were on the bus back to Changwon. It was a quiet ride, I wasn't feeling like doing much besides decompressing from the trip, and Tharek was quietly snoring to the side (he puts any of my claims to being a night owl to shame, and no he doesn't really snore, I just said that so he'd panic for the second he read it. T if you read this know you're the best tour guide and please don't send me hate mail. Thank you everyone else for your indulgence, hehehe). 

Overall it was probably the best vacation I've taken in a long while, full of all kinds of new things. Plus it soothed my small town heart. Having done it once it's incredibly tempting to hop on a bus and go back on my own some weekend...the trees in the mountain will be burnt orange now, and the air impossibly crisp and clear. So while I love my little Changwon, and honestly was glad to sleep in my own bed, Gyeongju found a comfortable corner of my heart to call home and I'm happy to have it there. 

-Shayla