With a disturbingly pleasant wake-up call (for 5:30 AM), I sprang into action, eager to see what the breakfast buffet had to offer. The spread certainly did not disappoint, and although it had all of the usual western staples (eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, croissants, etc.) I was determined to have a typical “Korean” breakfast.
This mindset introduced me to the fact that, unlike most western cultures, the difference between meals is very minimal here. There was Kim-chi of course, and this was the first time I tried a white variety, mainly of cabbage, which was truly delicious; having a hearty garlic taste, but without the strong spicy heat of the red chile, allowing more subtle flavors of the other vegetables to come through. There was bipimbap as well, and a rice porridge. I am still trying to find the name of the porridge dish, as Ms. Lee was not at breakfast with us. However, it appeared to me to be mainly flavored with seaweed, and although the combination does not scream breakfast ambrosia, I was really taken in with its slight saltiness and subtle and pleasant oceanic aroma.
At the toll of 6:20, we were all very politely, but unequivocally, ushered out of the grand buffet room and onto the buses, so as not to miss out departure time of 6:30. However, despite the best efforts of our guides, Ms. Lee was not able to overcome the self-interest of one of our companions, who just had to have a cup of Starbucks coffee. In true Air Force fashion, we could never leave a wingman behind, and so six buses full of groggy passengers waited 15 minutes for her to finally arrive (much to the consternation of the tour guides).
I must take a moment here to defend the brutal schedule keeping of the Koreans. For one thing, they were going out of their way to show us a remarkable number of sights in a very short amount of time. In addition, on this particular day, we were working against the weather. The forecast was for a cold front of rain to move in and really cover the area in grey, rain and cold for the next two days. With this in the calculation, our guides deemed it best for us to start early in order to get in as much of the outdoor locations done before the bad weather arrived. And in true hospitality, they also provided everyone with marvelous blue ponchos which evolved to double as cat herding aids throughout the tour.Well, with a full belly, and inquisitive mind, we departed for a park in the local Ulsan area called Daewangam Songnim (Pine Forest), a very charming park that lives up to its pine forest moniker. However, this arboreal stroll is just a warm-up on the way to the picturesque crags that compose the shoreline of this park. Clinging pine trees, jagged rocks and swirling seawater made this small place feel very alive and a little dangerous. Watching the brave fishermen out on the rocks gave me a longing to grab a pole and join them in a little battle against the elements. Then I remember how comfortably warm our bus was and quickly lost ambition.
Along the way, Ms. Lee recounted to us the story of the burial of King Mumnu, the 30th ruler of the Shilla Empire. As a true exemplar of the benevolent leader, he desired to be buried at sea, so that he could rise in the afterlife as a dragon to protect his people for eternity. This was an important legend at that time because the coastal regions of the Shilla kingdom were under constant threat from Japanese pirates. Today, this legend places his burial at a tiny island off of Bonggil Beach, and it is speculated that the large granite slab there is his actual underwater tomb. 
After an all-too-brief 45 min at Daewangam Songnim, we disembarked for the historic city of Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Shilla Empire. From Ms. Lee, we learned that it is a city of predominately older Koreans of moderately better means. The city itself lacks the typical skyline of high-rises, and instead is composed of more traditional houses and very quaint shopping districts. The vast majority of the city is actually a collection of national and provincial parks and museums, which reminds me in function a bit like Washington D.C. Our first stop was the Bulguk temple, the largest in all of Korea, and arguably the most important. The entry gardens are spectacular and despite the grey, rain, cold and crowds, this temple was still awe inspiring and distinctly sacred. Again, we had only an hour here, and I will tell you that four hours would have only been enough time to satisfy my camera, not my curiosity. As this temple is very well documented I will omit the usual explanations, and let the pictures tell the story.
Not exactly a part of the Bulguk temple complex, but commissioned by the same official, the Seokguram Grotto lies atop the same mountain, Mt. Halla. In order to reach the grotto, one travels a long and winding road from Bulguk-sa and ascends into the mist covered forest of the mountaintop. In fact, there are 108 bends in the road, symbolic of the monk’s belief that we suffer 108 distresses through life, and by enduring these turns (or in traditional worship bows/prostrations), we are able to relieve ourselves of the pent up anguish. When we arrived, the fog was so thick that we could barely make out the silhouette of the enormous bell tower at the entrance to the site. Fortunately, as we walked the path to the grotto it began to clear, and the rain turned into a light, pleasant misting. The choice for this place of reverence and meditation could not have been better conceived. It is as if all of the natural elements of the area were conspiring together to overwhelm you with a sense of mysticism. Without a doubt this ranks among my favorite places in Korea, and perhaps the most spiritual location containing a man-made structure, anywhere. Again, this site is very well documented so I will allow my pictures to tell the rest of my experience.
Due to my fascination with the grotto, it was I that accidentally overstayed our visit by 10 minutes. Fortunately, I had by this point become the “teacher’s pet” due to my innate inquisitiveness of other cultures, so Ms. Lee happily forgave my tardiness, even if lunch was our next stop. That day’s Korean cuisine experience was Bulgogi, or “Fired Meat.” This is perhaps the most ubiquitous meal in all of Korea. Like all of their meals, it is meant for a group, at least four persons, and is made and served in a large, shallow, wok-like pan. The pan is placed over a gas burner at the center of the table, filled with thin cut marinated meat (usually beef), an assortment of vegetables, mushrooms, light seasoning and herbs. While you cook it at the table and take turns stirring it and debating about when it will be done to everyone’s liking, you are served a large assortment of side dishes, including Kim-chi and rice. This is a very hearty meal, but surprisingly healthy, as the ratio of meat to vegetables is low, and the broth retains the vitamins and other nutritious goodies that are left behind from the cooking, not to mention a great deal of flavor!At this Bulgogi house the side dishes were excellent. Most I had savored before: green beans with tiny dried fish, American style side salad, radish in spicy sauce, and spinach with sesame seeds. However, my hands down favorite was the marinated lotus root. The root was served in slices, about ¼ in thick and 2 in diameter. The marinade gave them a fantastic salty/sweet flavor, and the texture was firm, but not crunchy or chewy, but more like, hmmmm, well maybe a slightly undercooked potato. It is difficult to relate to any western textures I know, so I would highly suggest finding an Asian market and trying these guys out.
To my great pleasure, the little timing oversight at the grotto did not cost us at the lunch table, and we were given ample time to indulge; myself having two serving of Bulgogi and three orders of the lotus root. And as if the guides knew my digestive preferences, our next stop was a walking tour of the burial tombs of the Shilla kingdom, just a short drive from the restaurant. I wondered as we were walking through the park, if the people of the era of the mounds’ creation had intended them to make such a great place for relaxation. It just seemed to me that the mounds were composed in such a manner that the easy meandering paths of the present-day national park could have been a re-invention of a past function.Being the longtime capital of the empire that eventually united the Korean peninsula for the first time, Gyeongju has an abundance of major historical sites in close proximity. From the Burial mounds, we took a short drive to the National Museum, which was a very interesting complex architecturally. It is composed of the three main museums: a step-type pyramid, underground complex, and rectangular temple building. It also housed the Emile Bell, the second largest cast brass bell in Korea. We then took an even shorter drive to the Anapji pond; a beautiful pastoral landscape with a dominating pavilion. This pond and pavilion complex was originally built by the order of none other than King Munmu, in the 7th century. Although Anapji was very pretty, I found the area surrounding it to be even more interesting. On all sides, covering many acres, were fields of what looked like water lilies or lotus leaves, all interwoven with an elevated walk-way system. Unfortunately I did not have time to explore, but I will certainly be returning to Gyeongju and plan on investigating this with a picnic basket and some win.
At 5:30PM our touring was brought to a close at Anapji, and for the day, and we began the hour long drive back to our Hyundai Hotel in Ulsan. Another opulent buffet dinner awaited our arrival, and after so many hours zooming from site to site in the cold and rain, I had worked up quite the appetite; as well as a growing longing for my very comfortable bed. The evening’s meal was composed nearly entirely of western food, so there was nothing truly new to try. That being said, however, everything that was prepared was very tasty, I even got to have chunks of the tender fat from the roast beef, making my taste buds and arteries very happy, haha.
Before I could succumb to some well deserved rest, no evening on a tour is complete without a night cap. So a few of my bus mates and I set out to find a little dive to grab a pint. Just a few blocks from the Hyundai Hotel, on the other side of the Hyundai Department store, across the street from the Hyundai dry-docks (catching a theme here?) we stumbled upon a very well maintained little bar. It was a nice change of pace from the Songton scene, as this bar was very clean, completely devoid of “Juicies,” and had a bartender who not only spoke great English, but was also not intent on getting us so hammered that we needed to take a taxi the two blocks back to the hotel. With all of my objectives for the day accomplished, I turned in for a very satisfying night’s rest.
Corporate Sponsorship Part III coming soon….
