Gyeongju

This past weekend I had 5 days off and wanted to explore Korea more than I have. I have been to all of the major cities and a few beaches during the warmer months. Gyeongju is a city on the east coast about an hour north of Busan. It's self appointed nickname is the "museum without walls," and I guess I could buy that. The downtown boasts several interesting destinations within walking distance. All or most of the sites showcase the ancient Silla dynasty and their Buddhist upbringing.

We stayed in a hostel in the center of downtown, which was great for walking through Anpaji Pond, the Tumuli, and seeing the observation tower. I think Stephanie and I were more impressed with the lotus pond. I don't think I'd ever seen lotus plants that big or plentiful. After a day of walking we looked for a decent restaurant around the hostel but found only chain restaurants. We settled for a so-so bulgogi restaurant, overpaid, and left to look for a bar.

There are none in the main city center. I was stunned. Luckily a blog I found let us in on a university area nearby that had everything we were looking for. We found a great pizza place believe it or not and had some beers outside on a picnic table. The next night we would come back to partake in some of the best dalkgalbi we've had in Korea and a convenience store that sold Vietnamese beer. If you're in the neighborhood I have a great street to recommend.

Our last full day in Gyeongju we got up early and headed for Bulguksa, Korea's most famous temple. On the outskirts of the city and on a mountain slope sits the Buddhist temple grounds known for it's seamless existence in the mountain. Beautifully laid out, I wasn't so amazed at the buildings as much as Kyoto's but the temple grounds were very nice. Above Bulguksa was Seokguram grotto, housing a huge white granite buddha. Sadly I couldn't take pictures but it was beautiful.

Great place to visit, some nice sites, good food, and only an hour from Busan.

Gyeongju, check.