Life in Ulsan, South Korea: Gyeongju & Cheongdo

Last weekend was the Lunar New Years, so we had an extra day off. Kelly and I had planned to visit Seoul again, but then changed our plans and went on a "girl's weekend" with three of her friends to Gyeongju and Cheongdo.

We left quite early on Saturday morning to try and miss traffic. We first went to Gyeongju, which was the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom. The resort we were staying at the first night was beautiful. It was surrounded by a beautiful lake and the actual resort had an indoor and outdoor heated pool and hot tub. When we arrived we first went out for breakfast and then went to a couple historical sites. The first one was Bulguksa Temple where we walked through a beautiful path and saw traditional buildings and statues. The second was Seokguram Grotto where there is a beautiful and very large statue of Buddha. That statue is actually known as one of the most outstanding masterpieces in the history of the world's religious art. They actually built a shelter around the statue to preserve it. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take any pictures of it, but it was pretty breathtaking. Some of the other notable sights at Seokguram Grotto is the three storied stone pagoda, and the guardians that surround the large statue of Buddha. After seeing the sights and having some lunch, we headed back to the resort to test out the swimming pools and hot tubs. We spent a good amount of time there and it felt really nice. What was shocking to me was that after swimming/bathing everyone heads into the showers where there is absolutely no privacy. I basically had to strip down right then and there and wait for the watching eyes. It was completely awkward for the first few minutes, but then it was fine. As I was showering, one of Kelly's friends was in the shower next to me and all of a sudden starts cleaning my back. This took me by surprise but was actually kind of nice. I returned the favor as well. This was a completely new and semi-terrifying experience. I think it brought us all together though haha. Afterwards we made some dinner and went to bed early.

The next day we were off to Cheongdo! We started by visiting one of the girl's mom and had rice dumpling soup which is traditional at new years. I also met her nephew who has taught himself English and we had a conversation. His mom wanted us to become pen pals but he was a 16-year-old boy, so I can't say I blame him for declining. After that visit, we went to a Korean comedy show. I was a little weary about this and if I would understand any of it, but it was hilarious! It's amazing how much I can interpret from actions and people's intonation. Kelly's friends actually commented on how my understanding level is high. That was a nice thing to hear. After the show, we met all the actors and got pictures taken with them. They were all very nice and even said "Emma!" instead of "Cheese!" when we took the picture. It made me feel special.

Next, we moved on to the Cheongdo Wine Tunnel. This was really neat. The wine is made from Persimmons, wich is "Gam" in Korean, so it is quite sweet. The tunnel itself used to be a tunnel for a train, so it is really interesting inside. They have decorated the dark tunnel with beautiful lights and various displays about the wine and how it's made. Before leaving, there were some street vendors outside and we got some "Odeng". Odeng is a "fishcake" on a stick in this very hot, yet delicious broth. I don't think I am selling it very well, but it is delicious and great on a cold day. After our visit to the wine tunnel, it was starting to get dark and we headed to Provence. Provence was probably my favorite part of the trip. It is this little village that is completely lit up with lights. I will add a picture at the end for you to see. It is known as a proposal spot and the theme of the place is definitely love. We had some fun taking funny pictures and then went to a western restaurant because the girls really wanted some steak. The Koreans LOVE steak. It makes me laugh a bit because I am not big on it, so seeing them get so excited is enlightening. After this, we headed to our motel and had some beer and soju and snacks.

Monday morning, we got up a little later and started our journey home. We stopped at Unmunsa Temple, which is a college for female monks, or nuns. The temple was beautiful. There is a 500 year old weeping pine tree there that is quite extraordinary. After our visit there, we headed back home and I have to say I was quite spent by the time I got home. I took an extra long nap and it was glorious!