autumn Beopjusa

At Ansan bus station (closer to home than Seoul station), I remembered I still can't pronounce Korean vowels properly. The "eo" sounds like the "o" in chop, while "o" sounds like the "oo" in book. Of course, the "u" in Cheongju sounds like the "oo" in food. Or, all of that's untrue.

I had to say it correctly, as there's a Chongju near Cheongju (confused yet?), but I bought a ticket and figured I could say Seoul properly if I ended up somewhere else. The 2 hour ride took us through a kaleidescope of low-lying Korean grey mist and smoke. We ventured through small towns and alongside rivers of slow-flowing water and additives. All I could see was the odd intermittent residential upright domino (apartment building) surrounded by low-lying manufacturing and industrial plants producing effluent being swallowed by the big grey beast trapped by the hills. After what seemed like being in a capsule shot through one of Rutherfords more cloudy experiments, the bus stopped in Cheongju, er, Chongju, er . . . , ****.

I got another bus to Sangrisan National Park and Beopjusa Temple (pronounced Popjusa) and was on the road for another 2 hours. We passed a lake betraying rocks copper-stained from the diminishing waterline. In smalltown Korea, the bus stopped for passengers then joined a traffic-jam in another small town.

Finally, Beopjusa Temple:
I don't know the protocol for photographs of outdoor giant Buddhas. I've been instructed to not photograph the indoors ones. If you KNOW this photo is against protocol, please let me know. Disclaimer: some of my friends "knowing" will be ignored.

I'm not one for "colourful tree photo" taking, but these trees were stunning from 50 metres away. Photo does no justice, as autumn at Beopjusa Temple could be awesome for nature photographers. Personally, I think the art of it would be keeping all the people out of shot (pedestrian traffic was streaming everywhere).

Back to Cheongju that night (not Chongju, not Chongju, not Chongju), luckily the Orange Place restaurants had an outlet near the bus station, and I was soon in bed watching bad bad movies. Next day, home.

Something Interesting:
Subtitles of American movies on Korean TV don't mention measurements in yards and miles at all. They translate and calculate them into metric, which saves Koreans from wondering what the hell a yard is. Wish NZ tv did the same.