Gyeongju Road Trip 2012: Sacred Mornings and Ancient Tombs

Following a restful nights sleep, the Harrington's and friends pulled themselves out of bed with great effort and set out to explore the ancient capital of South Korea.  Beginning with a bun and a coffee and a quick stop at the information booth the crew was soon ready to load into the Matiz and make their way out toward Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto on the outskirts of the city.  The two locations, each set apart in worship and honor of the Buddha, offer a truly sacred atmosphere, especially during the cold and non-peak-travel time month of February.  Not being particularly inclined toward visiting temples, the Harrington's were nonetheless taken in by the beauty and peacefulness of Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram which are also UNESCO World Heritage sites. Additionally, the Harrington's continuously enjoy travelling to Korea's biggest hit destinations in an attempt to 'collect' National Treasure sightings.



Bulguksa Temple, Gyeongju, South Korea

Bulguksa Temple, Gyeongju, South Korea

Seokguran Grotto, Gyeongju, South Korea

Having soaked in the serenity and tranquility of these mountain top temples and holy places, the crew loaded into the Matiz and headed onward toward the east coast where they planned to grab lunch and spend the afternoon exploring various ancient tombs.

Before caring on too far with their afternoon however, the crew stopped in a small restaurant for 회국수 (huey guk su - raw fish noodle soup) which was more like 회냉면 (huey naeng myun - raw fish cold noodles) but served as a passable lunch and offered a sufficient fill for making way toward the tombs.

To begin, the crew headed to the underwater tomb of King Munmu.  Based on information available in English, King Munmu not only united the three Korean dynasties during his lifetime but committed himself to protecting the peninsula as a dragon...which is why he was buried in the sea, near the country he so cared for and where he could most effectively ward off the Japanese as his reincarnated dragon self.

The tomb itself is seen from the shores of the sea and appears to be little more than a rock islet.  However, while the four friends wandered the beach, they could not help but feel the importance of this place for the Korean people.   Whether it was a group of Koreans unloaded from tourist buses, a small family gathering or one devout worshipper the beach that day welcomed a number of reverent Koreans and Buddhists offering their prayers to the great wide open before them. Along with their prayers, eels were offered either to the sea, the dragon King or the seagulls, the visitors could not be entirely certain.

Having enjoyed the fresh sea air, the Matiz was again loaded down with passengers returning to the city where the travelers would meander the grounds of numerous Silla dynasty tombs which resemble well manicured hills with accompanying mood lighting by night, but are filled with much greater history and worth than their outsides would let on.

All the Fantastic Eats of Gyeongju Road Trip 2012

To cap off the day of Korean tourism at it's best and finest the crew of four headed to Ku-Ro as recommended by Frommer's guidebook for a fantastic meal of 쌈밥 (lettuce wraps of rice and an insanely wide variety of Korean side dishes) before returning to their hotel for a rolicking good game of Redneck Life accompanyed by wine and coke, a few beers and another restful nights sleep.

Redneck Life