I've had two exhausting yet exciting days in Korea's thousand-year ancient capital, Gyeongju. Even though there is an Arctic blast of cold air that is freezing my butt (literally), I am loving it here.
I am too exhausted to blog about it, however, as a long drive back to Seoul awaits me tomorrow, and I must visit even more Buddhist sites on the way. I need to get going the first thing in the morning (it's 10PM right now).
In the meantime, I've made my latest post on my personal blog, and it took me two hours. Lots of art in that post, as well as yesterday's post. 110 photos in total.
- Gyeongju, Day 2 (National Museum, hiking, Exposition Park, King Munmu Underwater Tomb)
- Gyeongju, Day 1 (Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, Bunhwangsa Temple Site, Anapji Pond, Cheomseongdae Observatory, Banwolseong Fortress, Tumuli Park, King Muyeol Tomb)
I must tell you this. Gyeongju is an amazing city, and even though it's less than optimal for the English speaker (you are strongly encouraged to hire a guide or bring a Korean friend), to miss it out is to really deprive yourself of some serious art and history. While I did the city in two days, it was possible only because of my rental car and my breakneck pace; otherwise, even a week may not be enough depending on your tastes.
Sure, Gyeongju is difficult to get to from overseas, unlike Seoul or Busan. Gyeongju doesn't even have an airport (though two neighboring cities have domestic airports, and the nearest international airport, in Busan, is only 50 miles away). But you know what? Xi'an in China is much less accessible than Beijing or Shanghai, and Nara and Kyoto in Japan are certainly less accessible than Tokyo or Osaka. To see real art and history, you do need to get off the beaten path.
P.S. I came across a Kwan Yin statue sporting a robe with an open front bodice. Sure, the body shape was feminine, but the exposed torso had definitely male breasts. The English-language caption continues to use Avalokitesvara, her Indian male name.
Christy, if you ever take a sick clue from this, and do a portrait of me in my infamous pink mini, but topless, sporting flat male breasts, and captioned with a male name, I will never forgive you!
3 comments:
Ummm. I will try to refrain from painting you in such a way.
These last few weeks have been really strange here.
I need to get my brushes dusted off and back to working.
I literally can not imagine standing in a place that has existed for 1000 years.
I get a sense that it would overwhelm the senses, to hear so many echos of time reverberating through one single space.
I really do envy you that kind of cultural connection Ally. And the chance to see it with your own eyes.
I can trace my white family back to england in the 10 to 12th century, but that is as far back as we go. My indian family can only be traced back to the Trail Of Tears.
It is so odd to me to think of Asian culture where you can literally trace family lines back through multiple millinia.
Amazing place. Thank you so much for taking us along with you on such a wonderful journey.
Christy
Good to know that you will not be drawing a portrait of me topless and with male breasts. Thank you!
(However, you are more than welcome to do one of Ann Coulter, with an upskirt glimpse of her dick and balls.)
Most of Gyeongju is in ruins; old relics don't preserve well in Korea, due to frequent warfare. However, the tiny fraction of those relics that still stand - they are still far more than enough to keep you in awe.
Glad that you're enjoying my photos. I'll make sure to post the highlights at this very blog when I am feeling less hectic. For now, I continue to drive around like there's no tomorrow, and I still have 40 hours left with my car. And today, I was feeling very burned out, because I finally felt the fury of South Korean driving - as I had to deal with Seoul city traffic at last!
Ally McRepuke
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