Buyeo and more Baekje kingdom treasures

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It was a late night last night, not really as a result of the raw chestnut/rice wine last night at Nomasaru, more the blogging update! (What I do for you people - or myself). Anyway got myself together and left the motel at about 11:30 AM and got myself a taxi rather than walk across the bridge to the bus terminal. As the buses were more or less every 30 minutes to Buyeo did not even check the times but headed for the local outlet in the terminal of Paris Baguette, an upmarket bakery, which also was at my local Metro station in Seoul at Anguk, but I did not actually try. (Unbelievably there was no 7- 11 type convenience store anywhere near my motel in Gongju - outrage, normally they are about every 200 m, but there I had to walk about half a mile). Had some brunch then went to buy a bus ticket. Each of the destination exit doors is labelled in English as well as Korean, which is definitely handy for me as there is no way I would be able to decipher the language, almost even with it written down in Hangeul script in front of me. Anyway the bus was only a 45 minute trip to Buyeo. Then you hop off, and like you used to do in the olden days in Europe (but now hardly ever do, but on the Internet with Booking.com or such) and walk the streets looking for something labelled motel. The more lurid the exterior quite possibly the better! I was vaguely trying to find one of the Lonely Planet 2007 recommendations when I decided that the Sky Motel would do (the LP was just around the corner as it turned out). It seems that virtually all of those outside Seoul simply put a desktop computer in your room rather than do wifi so I just write this on my laptop and then transfer it via USB stick to that machine.

Having worked out that that all worked, then set off to the nearby Jeonimsaji Buddhist complex which has an old stone pagoda and also a very old Buddha which is almost worn away to be unrecognisable. There is also a museum there about the history of Buddhism in Korea which is relatively dull (not to mention entirely in Korean!). From there it is just a relatively short walk to the Buyeo National Museum. Unfortunately I am getting to the stage where I have virtually seen all the same types of exhibits before and dull collections of non-descript early pottery can be a bit tedious. The leading exhibit is the Baekje (one of the early kingdoms) incense burner which you will see attached.

From there I walked north to Busosan which is essentially a large forested hill area which at one time housed the fortress of the Baekje kings (think 500-600AD or so before they were overrun by another kingdom with support from the Chinese). There are lovely green woods here and the same was also the case in the Gongju fortress area. I was a bit concerned about the apparent 7 PM closing of the park, somewhat magnified by the number of people seeming to be coming down the hill and leaving. The idea was that I would go up to the highest part and then steeply down off the hillside to a river side jetty where ferries ply their short 10 minute way back to the bottom of town where the best restaurants are. The 2007 Lonely Planet says they run from dawn to dusk. However this is likely only in full summer from July onwards I decided when there was absolutely no sign of any ferries, and certainly no timetable at the ticket office. I had visions of having to vault the gate to the car park (checked the sufficiently low height on the way up) but the equal number of people strolling up the hill at 7:30 PM indicated they must have been an open exit. Which fortunately there was right by the sculpture park by the river Baengma.

I then wandered along the street looking for the Gudurae Dolssambap restaurant recommended by the LP. Although their map shows the location more or less accurately, the number in the street would certainly help as most of them only have their names in Korean script. Anyway fortunately I found it almost by accident and was presented with a meal virtually identical in terms of the number and type of dishes (heaps - 16?) to that at Gomanaru, down to the little fried fish and the green chilli hot boiling tofu soup. As virtually all of the side dish things stained red with chilli, don't even think about avoiding it! There were the usual about 7 different kinds of green salad leaves for wrapping your pork etc up in to eat. I consider it unlikely that I will ever see food like this in Sydney.

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Photos

Buyeo Museum incense burner
a Baekje Kingdom masterpiece

Buyeo motel blue bath
not seen every day

Buyeo blue screen
that is not my screensaver on the desktop!

Jeongnimsa Buddha
very weather worn-does he normally wear hats??

Jeongnimsa pagoda
like stone Leggo they say

Buyeo "new" house
the orange tiles suggest 'nouveau riche'

Busosan Baengmagang river vue
from the hilltop

Busosan Baekhwajeon pavilion
right at the top of the hill

Gudarae Dolssambap
old movie posters of the 50's

Comments

[Bob]

Thanks for the photos and blogg
Hi Mike I'm glad you are enjoying yourself. Thanks for the bloogs and the great photos

[Huddo]

Buyeo and more.
Hi Mike, Your Buyeo room, bed, and blue tub! looks pretty good. They all seem to have the large TV'S as you say. The long walk to the Busosan was worth it looking at the superb view back, just had to get out of the gate at the end. Like the ol'e movie posters in the restaurant, you seem to have ordering the food down pat, I would be challenged on that one! Was there a spot of Russell Island "climbing" in that shot of the pavillion right at the top there from the ol'e days? Love Huddo.