This past weekend was a long weekend so DongIl invited Louise and I to Gyeongju for a day of sightseeing. He picked us up at my apartment at 10:30am and we arrived there an hour and a half later. The countryside was filled will rolling green hills and mountains.
First, we stopped for some lunch, during which a guy with a video camera approached us and asked if he could video tape us eating and commenting on the food; I did, so I imagine I was on Korean T.V. but I never saw it.
After lunch we visited the tombs of ancient kings, which were huge grassy mounds. Inside you weren't allowed to take any photos but truth be told it was just one room with a few artifacts encased behind class and wasn't that spectacular. Dong-Il, our guide informed us that this kingdom lasted 1,000 years but the Koreans know little about it because when the Japanese invaded they took the scrolls with them. Only one tomb has been excavated and the rest are left untouched to preserve them; because the papers are gone they don't know whose even buried in them though.
We hit a museum after that which had miniature statues of the Buddah carved into the cliff a little ways away that we did not have time to visit. And lastly, we went to the Buddist temple. Again we weren't allowed to take photos of the Buddah but Louise and I did anyway and we kinda got yelled at just a bit. Oops.
Tomorrow is the beginning of the new month of teaching which means all new students as well as a new schedule. 7am - 1pm now. Sweeet.
Take care everyone. Lots of Love.