On Sunday we took a fast train to gyeongju city, the capital of the silla empire from 57bc. The entire city has been designated as a UNESCO site. Our first visit was to visit a national park where royalty were buried in what looked like large mounds but in fact were elaborate tombs covered in rocks and then earth. We also an observatory that has views of the city and the nine story tower.
On Monday, our day started with a visit to the yellow dragon museum where there was replica of the temple and tower. This temple was an architectural masterpiece leaving historians wondering how the temple and tower were built. When the Mongolians invaded Korea they burned down the temple.
We then visited Yangdong folk Village, also a UNESCO site, dating back to the joseon dynasty. The village has timber framed house with thatched roofs. We had lunch at local restaurant which was actually someone’s home. Mr. Lee’s family has lived in the village for fourteen generations. The village is located very near the North Korean border and was the site of a fierce battle during World War II. Unfortunately the weather was cold and rainy which cut out visit here.

Today,Tuesday, was another cold rainy day which forced us to change our schedule a bit. We first visited the national museum where artifacts from the 3rd century to the 9th century were on display. Like most buildings in Korea the museum was very modern. Many school children were visiting the museum and loved to engage Americans in conversation. From the museum we visited Bulguksa temple, erected in the 6th century and is known for its double stair case and 2 pagodas. There Robert engaged in several Rock Paper Scissors games with kids. Following the temple we visited a music school of Korean folk music called pan Suri. We were lucky to see the master of this type of music perform. Traditional Korean instruments were played and we learned to play the drum.

Tomorrow we head to Japan. We have liked Korea, its architecture, history, and most of all the people.