Last month I found myself with a group of friends on a weekend excursion to Gyeongju, which was the capital city of the ancient kingdom of Korea. The city is littered with beautiful old buildings, temples and tombs that pop out of the ground all over place like domes covered in grass. The city has a much more traditional feel then that of Daegu and a much smaller population, which means a much smaller number of foreigners milling around, making a nice change.
Here in Korea there seems to be some unspoken rule that if one place is good at doing something then that's the only place it can be done. It's true of every city throughput the country in Jeonju it's their bibibap, and in Gyeongiu it's their bread. It's not really bread, it's more of a pastry, filled with red bean paste. Needless to say I didn't try one. Even after all these months of living here, every time I bite into something to find the surprise of red bean paste I still get angry.
For lunch we went to a very popular and well known traditional Korean restaurant in the area, which was in a wonderful old wooden building, only to be told we would have to wait over an hour to be seated. It didn't take the group long to decide if we would wait on or not. Less then five minutes later we where sat down and ordering in newer, but still traditional, place just round the corner. I will never get over the dizzying number of side dishes which accompany your meals here, and all completely for free.
This beautiful and tranquil city is lovely place to escape the busy and bustling metropolis of Daegu. It's the kind of place you would take a relaxing day trip with friends and family. It feels like how I imaged a Korean city would be prior to coming. Upholding a traditional air of their culture and history, it is not however the kind of place you expect to find a sex museum.
For a country that seems to be some what sexual repressed, there are a surprising number of these places spread through out the county. Gyenongju's offering is called 'Love Castle', but the walls and grounds where not adorned with art and sculptures that showed love, but sex and lots of it. Going with friends made the whole experience one of the funnest and most ridiculous things I have done since coming to Korea. Laughing, pointing and posing with an assortment of provocative and inappropriate objects as Korean couples dressed in matching outfits awkwardly wandered round the exhibits. I couldn't recommend it enough.
Love, hugs and oh my word.
Samuel James
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