Day 5: Wed 6 Sep - Gyeongju to Andon
Breakfast was at 7:30am again and we left the hotel at 9:30am. Today was 'death by temples' day. It started to rain as we got closer to our first stop which was after a drive up a very windy road to Seokguram Grotto where we saw the Main Buddha. The Grotto is an artificial stone cave, the only one in the world. The Buddha is 3.26m high, sculpted from hard granite and looks quite serene. He was quite magnificent however photography was not allowed. I did manage to get two shots from a distance so the picture does not do him justice. Back on the bus to the Bulguksa Temple which is a number of shrines and pagodas in a complex. Construction of the Temple began in 751 and was completed in 774, and was the centre for Silla Buddhism and prayer for the protection of the country. In 1593, the temple was destroyed by fire by the Japanese; it was totally restored 1969-1973. A number of important cultural properties are located here, including the Three-story Stone and the Dabotap Pagodas...