At long last, day two of Gyeongju

Let's see... hmmm... what is it that I've been forgetting? There's something I've been needing to do and I can't seem to remember... Oh yeah! The blog! I still have some Gyeongju business to attend to before I get on with my life in Suwon, so here it is:

Day two I decided to rent a bike and ride to Mount Namsan. Namsan is a place full of temples, stone buddhas, shrines, and museums. It is also a wonderful climb, but first I should digress and talk about the bike rental. I found it very telling about Gyeongju and Korea in that I rented a mountain bike for two days for ten dollars. I didn't sign a waiver or show an ID. The guy didn't even ask my name. I gave him money and he gave me a map. He pointed me in the direction of Namsan and said something to the extent of: "Have fun, see you later."

I should mention that my shoes were still wet from the river crossing fiasco the day before, so I had to wear sandals. When will I learn?! I climbed Mount Namsan in these sandals, and the breathtaking scenery made up for the damage inflicted on my feet. The climb took about two hours, and I was able to find some neat shrines and a great view of the mountains.

I spent the remainder of the afternoon riding my rented bicycle around randomly looking for sights worth seeing. I took more pictures than this blog could handle, but I was able to include a fair number. The pagodas and statues below were taken at the Gyeongju museum, and I've included a couple of other random shots as well.

On a final note, I should apologize for the lack of activity the last couple of weeks. So much has happened since my last entry, and I've only covered one day since on the blog. I promise to finish Gyeongju early next week and will have plenty more to post to catch everyone up. Lastly, I have to express my excitement for the Cardinals winning the world series. I watched the whole thing, and was jumping for joy