Day 3: Mon 4 Sep - Seoul to Hapcheon-Gun
Slept rather well and was up at 6:15am. Started
packing up and then went to breakfast at 7am with the rest of the group. We
left at 8am after checking out. We have a 19-seater bus for the six of us plus
luggage, a driver and a guide so we are nicely comfortable with our own seats.
First stop was at the Gongju Gongsanseong Fortress, one of South Korea's many UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is a mountain fortress and includes the site of a royal palace (475-538) and very clearly made the most of the topography around the Geumgang River. The walls are 2.6km around the fortress and has four gate pavilions in each of the cardinal directions. The pavilions are marked with flags of different colours and animals: black turtle = North, red phoenix = South, blue dragon = East, and white tiger = West. The fortress is beautifully kept and quite undulating. The 'hike' around that took the better part of an hour and then it was off to lunch, Korean style - sitting in the ground, eating an assortment of food washed down with Chestnut and rice wine, beer and water. We were a bit worried about this wine until we discover it was only 8% alcohol as opposed to the 54-70% Chinese rice wine. It was very nice, a brown milky colour (probably the chestnuts) and a little sweet.
We met in the lobby just after 6pm and took a slow wander around the hotel grounds before heading off to the Haeinsa Temple where we witnessed the monks playing the drums, sounding the bell, tickling the fish and banging the cymbal-sounding type instrument. We were then privileged to witness them praying before dinner. If you wanted to, you could even participate in the prayers. I declined but Sylvain and Richard took the opportunity. We had to hike up a small mountain to witness all this and then traipse back down to jump on the bus to the restaurant. Tonight, we had the same meal as we had for lunch, only we got to sit at proper tables which suited all of us.
After dinner, we purchased beer and wine at the local corner store, returned to the hotel, found a suitable spot in the lobby and consumed the drinks and had a good old chat, before retiring just before 10pm.
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After lunch we visited the Royal Tomb of King Muryeong, and other ancient tombs. This is a 1500-year-old tomb and was discovered, by accident, in 1971 in near perfect condition, was once open to the public, have since been closed to the public for preservation. They have however built replicas which we were allowed to crawl, literally, into. Kind of reminded Sylvain and I of a similar UNESCO visit we did in Ireland - Newgrange. The artefacts excavated from the tomb attest to the sophisticated aesthetics an advanced artisanship of the Baekje dynasty.
Back on the bus for the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Hapcheon-gun, our final destination for today. We had a comfort stop about an hour into the journey, and we all bought something from the 'market'. I bought a selfie stick, finally! Another hour and a bit and we were checked in to our hotel - Haeinsa Tourist Hotel room 1407 on the fourth floor - go figure that one.
After dinner, we purchased beer and wine at the local corner store, returned to the hotel, found a suitable spot in the lobby and consumed the drinks and had a good old chat, before retiring just before 10pm.
First stop was at the Gongju Gongsanseong Fortress, one of South Korea's many UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is a mountain fortress and includes the site of a royal palace (475-538) and very clearly made the most of the topography around the Geumgang River. The walls are 2.6km around the fortress and has four gate pavilions in each of the cardinal directions. The pavilions are marked with flags of different colours and animals: black turtle = North, red phoenix = South, blue dragon = East, and white tiger = West. The fortress is beautifully kept and quite undulating. The 'hike' around that took the better part of an hour and then it was off to lunch, Korean style - sitting in the ground, eating an assortment of food washed down with Chestnut and rice wine, beer and water. We were a bit worried about this wine until we discover it was only 8% alcohol as opposed to the 54-70% Chinese rice wine. It was very nice, a brown milky colour (probably the chestnuts) and a little sweet.
We met in the lobby just after 6pm and took a slow wander around the hotel grounds before heading off to the Haeinsa Temple where we witnessed the monks playing the drums, sounding the bell, tickling the fish and banging the cymbal-sounding type instrument. We were then privileged to witness them praying before dinner. If you wanted to, you could even participate in the prayers. I declined but Sylvain and Richard took the opportunity. We had to hike up a small mountain to witness all this and then traipse back down to jump on the bus to the restaurant. Tonight, we had the same meal as we had for lunch, only we got to sit at proper tables which suited all of us.
After dinner, we purchased beer and wine at the local corner store, returned to the hotel, found a suitable spot in the lobby and consumed the drinks and had a good old chat, before retiring just before 10pm.
Walk up to the start of the Gongju Gongsanseong Fortress
At the entrance to the Fortress
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At the Fortress - Sylvain, Jane, Wendy, Ann, Régis, Richard
Views from the Fortress
Cool storage room for silkworms at the Fortress
The Lotus Pond at the Fortress
Our very first traditional South Korean Restaurant, the first of many
The dishes were quite delicious and very filling
After lunch we visited the Royal Tomb of King Muryeong, and other ancient tombs. This is a 1500-year-old tomb and was discovered, by accident, in 1971 in near perfect condition, was once open to the public, have since been closed to the public for preservation. They have however built replicas which we were allowed to crawl, literally, into. Kind of reminded Sylvain and I of a similar UNESCO visit we did in Ireland - Newgrange. The artefacts excavated from the tomb attest to the sophisticated aesthetics an advanced artisanship of the Baekje dynasty.
Back on the bus for the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Hapcheon-gun, our final destination for today. We had a comfort stop about an hour into the journey, and we all bought something from the 'market'. I bought a selfie stick, finally! Another hour and a bit and we were checked in to our hotel - Haeinsa Tourist Hotel room 1407 on the fourth floor - go figure that one.
Royal Tombs
Dioramas of the tomb building process
Gold jewellery found in the tomb of King Muryeong
Tomb mounds
Practising with the selfie stick
My room - #1407 Haeinsa Tourist Hotel
Haeinsa Tourist Hotel
We met in the lobby just after 6pm and took a slow wander around the hotel grounds before heading off to the Haeinsa Temple where we witnessed the monks playing the drums, sounding the bell, tickling the fish and banging the cymbal-sounding type instrument. We were then privileged to witness them praying before dinner. If you wanted to, you could even participate in the prayers. I declined but Sylvain and Richard took the opportunity. We had to hike up a small mountain to witness all this and then traipse back down to jump on the bus to the restaurant. Tonight, we had the same meal as we had for lunch, only we got to sit at proper tables which suited all of us.
After dinner, we purchased beer and wine at the local corner store, returned to the hotel, found a suitable spot in the lobby and consumed the drinks and had a good old chat, before retiring just before 10pm.
Haeinsa Temple Complex
Buddha in the Temple
Traditional Korean dinner, minus the sitting on the floor bit
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