S. Korea - Busan-Haedong Yonggungsa temple (temple by the sea)

Day 9 - Friday Sept 21.

Today we headed off in a taxi to the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple. It is different to other Bhuddist temples in that it was built on the cliff near the sea. The views are amazing and the temple is always crowded with people looking out to the East Sea.

Their spiders really freaked me out, well any spider does really.

This Bhudda cracked me up as he looks pregnant.

the walk down to the cliffside where the temple sits.

the view from the temple out into the East Sea facing toward Japan I think.

looking down over the temple from a viewing platform.

they love leaving little gifts

You were allowed to drink this water but I don't know if Sarra was sure about it.

the pigs looked happy and well fed.

looking across at the temple from some rocks on the other side.

playing games on the iphone.....like you do when you are on the other side of the world.

and still playing...

We looked at  few stalls on the way out and because it was quite hot...

we had ice-cream....

 I didn't really like their ice-cream because it was either too sweet or too milky. I can't really explain it but I think it was because I wasn't used to it. I found the same thing with their fizz drinks too.

We caught a taxi back into the city for only $3.50 (won) and went to the Shinsegae department store, the biggest in the Northern Hemisphere. I think it was built by Donald Trump. Even the toilets were chic and glamorous for public toilets. It had all the big brands like Luis Vutton, no DFO shops here and you weren't allowed to take photos but it was an experience to walk around. 

I took a quick photo of some of the supermarket employees because I was just amazed at what they were wearing. Imagine if we came across a worker in Coles or Woolies decked out like this.

After coming back to the hotel we had pizza for tea (not very Korean but the kids loved it) and then Mum watched the kids while Flynn and Simon and I went along the beach for a walk. 

Flynn had not been well with temperatures and very irritable and I had been tripling his meds for three days without much luck but when we took him out for a walk, he loved it and the night was not so hot and muggy but a more comfortable 20 odd degrees. We found an outdoor foot spa with all the locals sitting in it and I tried it but the water was 42.3 degrees and even after trying to dip my feet in, it was just too hot.

The views of Busan at night while walking along the beach and boardwalk were amazing and the view over to the Gwangan Bridge with all its lights lit up was stunning.

I love the characters we have been meeting on our trip. We found a busker, from England who had been in Korea for 18 mths now. Flynn is watching him in this photo. He said he was homeless back home and figured that he could be homeless anywhere and had travelled to Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Canada and had been away from home now for 5 years. 

He was busking with a little mandolin and a banjo. It just added to the atmosphere of the beautiful night.