Monday July 1

Today was a day of many short bus trips followed by a lot of time outside walking and hiking. It was also a pretty full day academically, with both bus rides and walks filled with lectures about the Shilla Kingdom, one of Korea's "Three Kingdoms". During the bus rides either "the Professor" (Mark Peterson) conducts lectures, or we watch short videos about the sites we are about to see. Our very personable and funny tour guide also tells stories and fills us in about the life and culture of Korea.

Our stops this morning:

1. Naejong, birthplace of the first King of Shilla. This is a relatively small archeological site, pretty inconspicuously situated among rice and onion fields.
2. The Five Tombs Complex of Shilla. Gates, burial mounds, temples and shrines. There were many pagodas and complexes and a bamboo forest. There was on shrine that is usually locked, but a gate was open so we all trooped in. A worker eventually noticed we were there, and after a long conversation with the Professor we learned that groups are only allowed in twice a month for worahip ceremonies. And women are never allowed in. Oops.
3. Lunch. I never caught the name of the restaurant, but we had "Sambap", which means rice wraps. We took large greens, either lettuce or other leaves, and put small amounts of barbecued pork, rice, and vegetables in. We wrapped it up, and popped it in our mouth. There was the usual assortment of kimchi, seaweed, seafood, and other mysterious side dishes.
4. Seokguram Grotto: This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the stops I was most looking forward to. It didn't disappoint. It was a very long, winding, precarious ride up the mountain. Many others were feeling nauseous on the way up, but thanks to my Dramamine I felt fine. In the Professor's interpretation, the grotto represents "the end of the Silk Road". High up on the mountain sits a majestic Buddha, looking out over the East Sea. The Buddha is considered one of the finest examples. Unfortunately, cameras are not allowed and this rule is strictly enforced by the women who maintain the site. "No camera" was said in a tne reminiscent of the Soup Nazi.
5. Bulguksa. This is another UNESCO site just down the mountain road from Seokguram. Seokguram and Bulguksa are considered part of the same site. There are many pagodas, gates, temples, Buddhas, and Boddhavittsas. Much of the complex was burned during the Japanese occupationin the 1500s, and then reconstructed. We were there until late in the day, around 6:00, so it was quiet and peaceful by the time we left.
6. Our final learning stop was to another burial mound. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the place! It was a huge burial mound situated right next to a highway, with a view of a ridge lined with wind turbines. Surrounding the burial mound were carvings of the Eastern Zodiac figures. I got my picture taken with the 4 other "Roosters" in the group: 1 other from 1969, 2 from 1957, and 1 from 1977.
7. Dinner was Korean beef barbecue. I wish I hadn't left my camera on the bus, because this was a perfect dinner to end today. Before dinner many of us were just wishing to go back to the hotel to shower and sleep. When the busses pulled up to the restaurant around 7:30 we were happy to be there. There were tables of 4 set up outside with dinner ready to be cooked and eaten. Each table had a little charcoal grill built into it. We piled strips of marinated beef, mushrooms, and whole garlic gloves on the grill. We took turns flipping and serving the beef, which was eaten just like the pork at lunch - wrapped in lettuce with rice and vegetables. It was outstanding!

We arrived at our hotel, the Kyungju (aka Gyeongju) Hilton at 9:00. This is a luxurious place! I'm glad we'll be here for 2 nights and I don't have to pack up in the morning. I will put pictures from today in separate posts.