![It took around 6hrs to switch from Chuncheon to Seoul to Gyeongju- basically we slept. Bus fares were 6,000won to Dong Seoul Terminal Bus Station and then 19,500won to Gyeongju. There was one rest stop at Gimcheon for 20mins. Upon arrival at the Gyeongju Main Bus Terminal (it’s different from the Gyeongju Express Bus Terminal I think because it is in another building next to it) which is at the downtown city, you can just simply take your fave pick base on the exterior of the many motels available near the terminal as your accommodation. Remember to ask for the price by walk-in to find the cheapest. If you can’t speak in Korean, they will call the operator to translate ;) Gyeongju is the place for sight-seeing and historical sites visits, so be prepared to walk a lot or pay 1,500won per bus ride or hire tour package ;p
Part 4: Gyeongju 20091014 - 15
Accommodation: W Motel [W 모텔, 경복 경주 노서통 181-2; Tel: (054)743-1900]
Highlights:
+ Sadly I couldn’t seem to recall anything on the motel maybe because I spent the least time in there and was so busy during my stay there. The only thing I remembered was that we chose the room based on this electronic board that displayed pictures of the rooms with their respective prices. It’s only 35K won/night/double.
+ At Jungang Market, had 순대 (sundae) for the very first time and it is not for the faint hearted okay? Very weird taste and I gagged most of the time ;; Also ate cheap 삼겹살 (samgyeopsal) at Daebakjib (Great House) which was like only 7200 won for 2 persons! The owner used to live at Ampang LOL! [Photos]
+ To go to 불국사 Bulguksa Temple (entrance fee 4000won), take bus No. 10 or 11 at the bus stop opposite the Seongdong Market (near the Gyeongju Train Station) and after a rough ride of 30mins the bus will drop you off at the Bulguksa car park area. If necessary you can go to the nearby Tourist Info Center. If not, you just follow the troop to go straight to the Temple. It takes approx. 10mins if you don’t frolick through the connecting park and more if you stop to buy souvenirs. But you should buy souvenirs from the ahjumma here than from the official shops at the Temple because those are bloody expensive! And use a lot of “kakajuseyo” with the ahujumma because they raised the price by lots too ^^; BTW no pictures allowed in the temples but you are allowed to take pictures of the surrounding sceneries. Overall, a great place to enjoy the Mother Nature and learn a thing or two on the historical sites. Oh and don’t forget to drink the free flowing natural water~ [Photos]
+ To go to 석굴암 (Seokguram Grotto), you can either take the one and only bus No.12 (1,500won) at the bus stop across the Tourist Info Center or you can take the cut-throat cab at 10,000won for that short distance journey. I chatted with an old couple who came all the way from Daejeon to visit the Seokguram and Bulguksa. They totally fried my brain again. 15mins ride up the hill on snakish road- I even fell asleep within that short period of time *headdesk* Entrance fee is 4,000won and be prepared to power walk up to where the Temple is located at because you only have one hour to complete the sight seeing and to come out from there to catch the return bus or you can take your time and wait for another one hour for the next bus. No pictures allowed in the temple again and you can pay 10,000won for a prayer on behalf of your family and to write down on the guestbook. Ok this is one (along with Bulguksa Temple) of the UNESCO’s Prestigious World Cultural Heritage sites so yea :”D [Photos]
+ I actually have to go to 경주 민속 공예촌 (Gyeongju Folk Craft Village) first because I missed the bus to Seokguram Grotto. Why I missed the bus? I was too busy haggling prices with ahjumma at Bulguksa xD You can take the same bus No.10 or 11 for return trip. Bus ride was like 10mins or less and you spent like less than 30mins there if you are like me not that interested in pottery stuff *haha* I mean what’s the point of visiting every single store/shop when you can’t afford to buy them and ended up pinning over them T_________T I saw a mug that I really like and it was just 2000won but with just one backpack there’s no way I will be able to carry so many things ;-; No entrance fee. [Photos]
+ There are many more various tourists sites within the downtown city itself as well as out of it but I have only one day so I tried my best to squeeze in as much as I can. Only managed 안압지 (Anapji Pond), 대릉원 (Tumuli Park) for Cheonmachong Tomb, Seokbinggo (Stoned Iced House), Geumgwanchong (Gold Crown Tomb) and 첨성대 (Cheomsongdae Observatory) because all of these are within walking distance of each other after you get off the bus at Anapji Pond (or the Gyeongju National Museum which is situated right across the Pond) Maybe it was due to the construction on-going at Anapji Pond but I really don’t think 1,000won is worth the visit *shrugs* Chemsongdae was 500won while Geumgwanchong Tomb was 1,500won I think (and so not worth visiting too)..Idk because I met a Korean girl after the Seokguram trip and she treated me to Geumgwanchong (well I refused to pay anymore for tombs, I mean they are dead already and yet still earning money ;p). The Korean girl was there to look for Queen Seondeok related sites after she watched the Korean drama LOL![Photos]
+ So anyway apparently if you are in Gyeongju you have to try their famous local made bread (which BTW not much different from the Chinese red bean bread) and there are two big bread stores selling these dorayaki styled bread: 경주빵 and 찰보리빵. Mind you they are not cheap going at 5 for 2,500won. There are also other types of bread but these dorayaki styled ones are the famous ones.
+ For more info on Gyeongju, please visit the Gyeongju Official Site](http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kvkuneKqrh1qavzsco1_500.jpg)
It took around 6hrs to switch from Chuncheon to Seoul to Gyeongju- basically we slept. Bus fares were 6,000won to Dong Seoul Terminal Bus Station and then 19,500won to Gyeongju. There was one rest stop at Gimcheon for 20mins. Upon arrival at the Gyeongju Main Bus Terminal (it’s different from the Gyeongju Express Bus Terminal I think because it is in another building next to it) which is at the downtown city, you can just simply take your fave pick base on the exterior of the many motels available near the terminal as your accommodation. Remember to ask for the price by walk-in to find the cheapest. If you can’t speak in Korean, they will call the operator to translate ;) Gyeongju is the place for sight-seeing and historical sites visits, so be prepared to walk a lot or pay 1,500won per bus ride or hire tour package ;p
Part 4: Gyeongju 20091014 - 15
Accommodation: W Motel [W 모텔, 경복 경주 노서통 181-2; Tel: (054)743-1900]
Highlights:
+ Sadly I couldn’t seem to recall anything on the motel maybe because I spent the least time in there and was so busy during my stay there. The only thing I remembered was that we chose the room based on this electronic board that displayed pictures of the rooms with their respective prices. It’s only 35K won/night/double.
+ At Jungang Market, had 순대 (sundae) for the very first time and it is not for the faint hearted okay? Very weird taste and I gagged most of the time ;; Also ate cheap 삼겹살 (samgyeopsal) at Daebakjib (Great House) which was like only 7200 won for 2 persons! The owner used to live at Ampang LOL! [Photos]
+ To go to 불국사 Bulguksa Temple (entrance fee 4000won), take bus No. 10 or 11 at the bus stop opposite the Seongdong Market (near the Gyeongju Train Station) and after a rough ride of 30mins the bus will drop you off at the Bulguksa car park area. If necessary you can go to the nearby Tourist Info Center. If not, you just follow the troop to go straight to the Temple. It takes approx. 10mins if you don’t frolick through the connecting park and more if you stop to buy souvenirs. But you should buy souvenirs from the ahjumma here than from the official shops at the Temple because those are bloody expensive! And use a lot of “kakajuseyo” with the ahujumma because they raised the price by lots too ^^; BTW no pictures allowed in the temples but you are allowed to take pictures of the surrounding sceneries. Overall, a great place to enjoy the Mother Nature and learn a thing or two on the historical sites. Oh and don’t forget to drink the free flowing natural water~ [Photos]
+ To go to 석굴암 (Seokguram Grotto), you can either take the one and only bus No.12 (1,500won) at the bus stop across the Tourist Info Center or you can take the cut-throat cab at 10,000won for that short distance journey. I chatted with an old couple who came all the way from Daejeon to visit the Seokguram and Bulguksa. They totally fried my brain again. 15mins ride up the hill on snakish road- I even fell asleep within that short period of time *headdesk* Entrance fee is 4,000won and be prepared to power walk up to where the Temple is located at because you only have one hour to complete the sight seeing and to come out from there to catch the return bus or you can take your time and wait for another one hour for the next bus. No pictures allowed in the temple again and you can pay 10,000won for a prayer on behalf of your family and to write down on the guestbook. Ok this is one (along with Bulguksa Temple) of the UNESCO’s Prestigious World Cultural Heritage sites so yea :”D [Photos]
+ I actually have to go to 경주 민속 공예촌 (Gyeongju Folk Craft Village) first because I missed the bus to Seokguram Grotto. Why I missed the bus? I was too busy haggling prices with ahjumma at Bulguksa xD You can take the same bus No.10 or 11 for return trip. Bus ride was like 10mins or less and you spent like less than 30mins there if you are like me not that interested in pottery stuff *haha* I mean what’s the point of visiting every single store/shop when you can’t afford to buy them and ended up pinning over them T_________T I saw a mug that I really like and it was just 2000won but with just one backpack there’s no way I will be able to carry so many things ;-; No entrance fee. [Photos]
+ There are many more various tourists sites within the downtown city itself as well as out of it but I have only one day so I tried my best to squeeze in as much as I can. Only managed 안압지 (Anapji Pond), 대릉원 (Tumuli Park) for Cheonmachong Tomb, Seokbinggo (Stoned Iced House), Geumgwanchong (Gold Crown Tomb) and 첨성대 (Cheomsongdae Observatory) because all of these are within walking distance of each other after you get off the bus at Anapji Pond (or the Gyeongju National Museum which is situated right across the Pond) Maybe it was due to the construction on-going at Anapji Pond but I really don’t think 1,000won is worth the visit *shrugs* Chemsongdae was 500won while Geumgwanchong Tomb was 1,500won I think (and so not worth visiting too)..Idk because I met a Korean girl after the Seokguram trip and she treated me to Geumgwanchong (well I refused to pay anymore for tombs, I mean they are dead already and yet still earning money ;p). The Korean girl was there to look for Queen Seondeok related sites after she watched the Korean drama LOL![Photos]
+ So anyway apparently if you are in Gyeongju you have to try their famous local made bread (which BTW not much different from the Chinese red bean bread) and there are two big bread stores selling these dorayaki styled bread: 경주빵 and 찰보리빵. Mind you they are not cheap going at 5 for 2,500won. There are also other types of bread but these dorayaki styled ones are the famous ones.
+ For more info on Gyeongju, please visit the Gyeongju Official Site
더이상 무섭지 않다...
