We're back!!!

Wednesday morning we packed a few clothes and such, after breakfast, and took off to Gyeongju. It seemed like a long trip. Chris drove and his mother navigated, supplementing the new GPS unit. We stopped several times for bathroom breaks and once for lunch. Korean rest stops are not paragons of healthy food. We got to Gyeongju around 3 I think. I remember that we were on a slim trail between rice paddies when the GPS unit announced that we had arrived at our destination. Ha! At least we could see a hotel at the top of a nearby hill. When we found our way there, it was a large establishment, nearly void of life. We were given a room on the 6th floor. There was a large room with a small kitchen area, and then two bedrooms. The kitchen had a rice cooker instead of a microwave, and one bedroom had no furniture, only quilted pads to put on the floor. The decor was gray and brown. But the view was lovely, the lobby was elegant, and there were computers you could use for a fee. It was a complex of hotels and we investigated several buildings. We also went into town to sign up for a tour on Thursday. We did a little exploring of the area, found a nice park, and a sit-on-the-floor place. Finally we ate in a Korean bar recommended by the tour desk attendant. We just mentioned bulgogi and they brought us rice, kimchi, side dishes, raw beef and a tabletop grill. Afterwards we went back to the hotel. We played rummy until bedtime. My in-laws let Chris and I have the bed while they slept in the other room on the floor. In the morning we took showers, finding out that the water goes all over because there is no shower curtain, and the third wall doesn't touch the floor. There was no shower pan. The bath towels were tea towel sized. No face cloths. But we got showered and dressed and went downstairs for breakfast. The dining room was closed. We hopped in the car and Cecily suggested the nearby golf club. But she wasn't impressed with having Korean food for breakfast. So while the others had just coffee, I had persimmon juice. Then we went back to the hotel, got a 6-pack of eggs from the FamilyMart, and Chris and I made boiled eggs. Then we met the bus for our tour. Of course it was in Korean. There were little bits of English on the Dvd that she played between stops. We saw a small watercourse where a king and his court played drinking games. The associated palace was gone. Then we saw burial mounds. One grassy hill looks like the next, but the park-like setting was beautiful. We saw a stone observatory that was not very high or on a hill. Then we stopped for lunch at a Korean smorgasbord. What a selection! No idea what most of it was, and not enough room on my plate to try it all. No one left hungry. Some members had 4 or more strawberry ice cream cones. Then we were taken on a long trip up into the mountains to see a granite buddha. It was a long but beautiful walk through the forest. They had built a small building around him and glassed him in. Pictures were prohibited. We got there between large groups of school kids. I was glad I have been taking the steps to my apt, because all the walking up and down large stone steps had my legs feeling like jelly. After the buddha, we went to a palace complex with more buddhas meditation chambers. And more school kids. We tried to see it all, and take some time to just enjoy the incredible weather and forested scenery and fresh air. Finally we got back on the bus and were dropped off at the hotel.
We went to the sit-on-the-floor restaurant. First you go to the beef counter which looks like the meat counter in a supermarket. You pick out your cut of meat, which is handed to you on a plate. Then you take off your shoes, and are taken to a low table with mats to sit on. There is a grill built into the table and you are given tongs and a pair of scissors to grill the meat. Side dishes were placed all around. The beef was EXCELLENT, and no one went home hungry. We went back to the hotel, which was no longer empty. A herd of monkeys moved in upstairs. I don't know how many kids they must have had but those were the most energetic bunch of bouncing bodies I have ever heard. Thankfully I had brought my CD player, and when the CD was over, they had gone to bed. But they got up early, and the thudding started all over again. Chris and I had the remaining three boiled eggs, while Cecily had orange juice. We packed up and headed for the Gyeongju museum. I wanted to be left at the park, but no such luck. At least this place (which every school child in Korea must have attended with their little notebooks) handed out (for a fee) a little translator device with head phones. You hang it around your neck, and when you get close to an exhibit, an audio is triggered, in English, explaining what you are looking at. You just have to be careful not to walk out of range before the recording is finished. When you walk back, it starts over from the beginning. There we saw another large Korean bell, and a mock-up of how they cast it, making a mold underground and pouring hot metal into the crevass. From there we got on the road for Seoul. We stopped several times for bathroom breaks, and then for lunch. My in-laws had ice cream, while Chris had mandu and coffee. I had the broiled cuttlefish - a squid on coals. I got a few looks from Korean bypassers. Then we drove to the gas station nextdoor to investigate a flat tire. It would not hold air, so Chris and Al tried to change the tire, only to find that there was no lug wrench included with the spare and the jack. AFter much gesturing, the station manager walked Chris to a booth set up in the middle of the parking lot selling all kinds of stuff, including lug wrenches. The man insisted on changing the tire himself and storing the original in the trunk in just the right way. We had to insist that he accept money for his service. Then we were on our way again. Although we ran into some traffic, we made good time. The toll charge was $16, which we think was less than on the way up. AFter getting back, Chris and Al went to the commissary for a rotissary chicken. Michele got back from college about 6, and we ate at 6:30. She wanted to get back to writing her paper, but was made to sit and listen to our adventures. She said she got a lot of school work done while we were gone.