My friend came down Friday night from Daejeon-which is about 3 hrs. north of where I live. Yesterday (Saturday) we went on a bus tour of my city-Gyeongju (the first capital of Korea-also known as Korea's open-air museum!). It took us to a park where the original royal family used to go for celebrations, then to the cemetary/park where the royal family is burried. They have excavated the largest one and have turned it into a museum-you can go inside and see replica's of the items that were found in the tomb as well as a glass inclosed area showing were the body was and how it was layed out. Then we went to the oldest astronomical observatory in Asia and Gyeongju national forest. Next they took us to a traditional Korean restaurant/ buffet. The food was so good! After that, we took a 30 minute bus ride up into the mountains to Seokgurum grotto. This place had been forgotten for several hundreds of years until one day a mail man was walking along a path and saw a hole in the grass. He looked through the hole and found the grotto/temple in the mountain- Buddha and other statues fully intact. After spending an hour there, we took the 2.5 km drive halfway down the mountain to Bulguksa Temple-the oldest and most famous temple in Korea. The natural grounds of the place are amazing and the detail in the architecture is so elaborate that it is beyond description. Finally we took the bus back to the train station. We decided to go ahead and get Anoria's train ticket for Sunday--good idea! There was one ticket left! We then went to dinner (hot dogs! Real Korean-huh!) and went to the Rice Cake and Soju festival at the park across the street from my apartment. Apparently this is a big deal-and is the reason there were no more train tickets!! At the festival we watched the Miss GyeongSangpukdo (my province) Padgeant. We missed the first part where they had a few famous Kpop groups (they were girl groups that i didnt know) singing but got to see the traditional dress fashion show and crowning. I wish i thought to take pictures-the dresses and hair styles were so ellaborate and beautiful! In between the fashion show and crowning they had a group come out and play traditional instruments fused together with modern techno music accompanied by a group of extreme dancers (break dancing-to the most difficult degree). Then another group of dancers came out and performed traditional dancing--next the two groups had a dance off! It was so intense and exciting! Today (Sunday) we went to Silla Mellinium Park. This park showcases the different villages during the Sila Dynasty-which ruled Korea for a millenium. It is also where my 2 favorite Korean dramas were filmed: Boys Over Flowers and Queen SeonDuk. The real Queen SeonDuk was the first of three queens that ruled over Korea during the Silla Dynasty. She had many accomplishments during her reign, but her reign was also filled with violence and bloodshed. She died at the young age of 36. While there we got to see a demonstration on how the elite Silla army called the Hwarang trained. The show included sword fighting, martial arts, archery and trick horseback riding. At the park, there is are three different shows: The Secret of the Legendary Ark, Art of the Hwarang, and Tears of the Queen about a love affair between queen Seonduk and a baekjae general. They also have 10 different craft centers where you can make and buy things-which is where I made the mailbox and sign and necklace last time I went! It was fun and I am exhausted, but now I am going to go over to the festival again as I heard there is supposed to be a big Kpop concert at 730 with a lot of top name groups performing! Annyeong!!! (good bye!)
