I Would Have Missed It...

When I'm traveling I always want the window seat. I can sleep anywhere but rarely do I sleep in cars, buses or trains.

One reason I love to travel is because I want to see everything. The main attractions, the back roads, the big cities, the small farms, the good, the bad and the ugly. I never want to sleep when traveling because I feel like I'll miss something. That as soon as my eyes are closed, something breathtaking will slip by me and an opportunity to see something amazing will be lost forever. Rarely has this ever really been the case.

Until Korea.

It was March or April of this year and I was going to Gyeongju (about 45 min from my town) to visit Lindsey and Jeff. I had only been on the train a few minutes and was in my comfy window seat position: ipod on, seat reclined, foot rest up (Korean trains are incredibly comfortable) and elbow against the window, bracing my head as I stared aimlessly at the passing scenery, which was finally starting to change from brown to green. Then, out of no where, I saw it. Just for a second. A giant golden Buddha statue, towering over the tree tops, sparkled in the spring light like a giant golden beacon. Then just as quickly as I saw it, it disappeared.

What the??? What was that? Where are we?


I think we are still close to my town! I could have missed it!!!!


For months and months I've been meaning to find that temple. Not really knowing what to search for, I finally googled: Giant golden Buddha Yeongcheon and an article about "Manbulsa" came up. I searched for Manbulsa and found their website. A few weeks ago I finally made it to this temple. (It only took me until December!) Warwick came with me.

We went in the late afternoon so by the time we made it to the top of the hill, where the Amitabha Buddha or Big Buddha was, the sun was setting on him in the most beautiful way. The Amitabha is over 30 meters tall which is almost 10 stories high! Even in the pictures it loses its enormity since the scale is lost unless you are standing directly under it.

Me in front of Amitabha Buddha. The scale is somewhat lost in this picture. When next to it, I am

shorter than the stone wall in the background!!!!

Inside the main temple

Nirvana Buddha

Warwick getting some sunset pictures

the graveyard and tombstones at the temple