This weekends trip took me for another biking adventure in Gyeongju. I was debating when I could go as since July started there has been brutal humidity in the high 30s mixed in with monsoon rains and rolling thunderstorms. I decided to just take a chance and go as I only have a few weekends left in Korea

I started at the same bike rental place across from the bus terminal (though its easy to find them all over the town) and rented a day bike for 7000w ($6.25). Heading east thru downtown I was trying to find some temples on the north east.

Passing by the famous Anapji Park there were large outdoor lotus pond fields. I've been to Anapji and it would be difficult to go in with a bike but it was nice passing thru the lotus fields. They were quite large and picturesque and popular with the visitors

Heading north after Anapji there were large rice fields common all over Gyeongju with a stone pagoda set in the middle of one of them. Hidden in the trees was Bunhwangsa Temple so I had the follow the signs back round to find the entrance.

Admission was 1,300w ($1) and they had bike racks outside. The temple is a square brick building dating from the 7th century. It has four doors on either side with a pair of stone guardians outside each doorway. The four corners of the structure also have lions looking outward.

Inside the inner doorways one of them had a stone buddha in the interior, although the others did not. The grounds also had another temple building with a large standing gold Buddha.

Outside the temple back towards the stone pagoda in the field I had passed were the stone remains of another ancient palace.

Crossing the river and heading north were more royal tomb complexes. The place I was trying to get to was Gulbusa not far away.

I only found out about Gulbusa by accident recently. It is a four sided rock with carvings on each side. The front has a pair of standing figures, the rear is a carved seated buddha, and the sides have their own carvings

People were walking around the square perimeter of the rock and bowing to each stone figure on each side.

This was something unique that I have not seen before or heard about during my three years in Korea. Hiking up for about 500m will bring you to another small temple in typical design.

By this time I could hear distant loud thunder so decided to start heading back to town where there will be more cover. A part in the north of the city has been dedicated to outdoor sports. There are soccer fields, a main stadium, and archery fields that I passed thru.

Near the north of the park is a giant figure seated on a horse. You have to climb up a lot of steps to get to it and reminded me of the Amir Timur statue I had seen in Tashkent

Towards the parking lot was a replica of the 10 storied pagoda building which had burnt down in recent centuries

I now made it onto the river bike trail though it didnt last very long. It headed back south towards the bus terminal but ended at the bridge beside the bus terminal rather than heading further south.

Unfortunately this will be my last visit and chance to go biking in Gyeongju as I'm leaving Korea in just over a month but it was nice to discover a few more new temples I hadnt seen before, and I managed to stay out of the rain

See also Gyeongju Biking Part I
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-e ntries/londone7/1/1369688935/tpod.html