A blast to the past - Gyeongju part 1

Left Seoul this morning to head to Gyeongju using a KTX train. It was a fairly quick and quiet ride, but the wet weather seems to have followed me. After meeting my friend at the station, the rain starting to pour and it was cold. Luckily we were meeting another friend of mine who was going to take us to the farther points of interest that would've been difficult/time consuming for us to bus to.

Our 1st stop was Yang Dong Folk Village. Locals still live here but visitors can wander the picturesque village and check out the historic houses that have been maintained.

Next stop was lunch, I ended up ordering a tofu stew (being wary of the spice level of the seafood stew), and it was a whole lot of tofu! One of the gals travelling with us also bought Hwangnam-ppang for us to try. This is a Gyeongju specialty bread which is a pastry filled with red bean paste. Perfect 2 bite size.

Next we hurried to Golgulsa Temple and a grotto, both very quick visits due to rain. A coffee shop by the lake and then we were dropped off at our hotel.

Our highlight of the day was our night visit to Donggung Palace & Wolji Pond. Easily the most beautiful site I saw in all of Korea and the must see/do thing when in Gyeongju, so you really do need to stay the night. The palace was not only light up beautifully, but the pond reflecting those lights, creating a beautiful space you never want to leave.

As we had a late lunch, dinner was Korean Fried Chicken and cup ramen from the convenience store =) Quick and comfort as we rest up for day 2 in Gyeongju.Read more