Well hello again and welcome to part 2 of my solo journey in Busan. If I remember correctly, at the end of part 1, I had just left the U.N. Memorial park in mild defeat and had set out to find a wonderful looking structure of ancient Eastern design. Let's begin there...
So as I left the gates and began to walk, I looked around to get my bearings a bit just to make sure I knew where I was going, where I had been, and how I might go back later when I finished my next escapade. After that I began walking.
It didn't take long for me to find something that attracted my attention off of the task I had just set out to accomplish. I came to a place, I believe was called U.N. Memorial Presbyterian Church. The doors were open but I decided to walk by it. Then I thought, "I might not get a chance to see it again and I need to make as much of this adventure as possible". So I went back and went inside. I heard someone doing some serious cleaning of the floors but didn't see them. I walked in a little bit and went into a room that I thought would be the sanctuary but nevertheless found only a dining room of sorts. There were stairs, but I began to feel a bit uncomfortable. So I just sort of strolled out of the place.
I began to walk again and I came upon a street/alley that looked a bit ominous. Something about it made me want to explore it. So I went in and stumbled on this old rundown house...
An old, abandoned house in the middle of a huge city.
I walked around the alley a bit more and then decided to head back out the way I came. The area seemed pretty poor and I began to wonder what a Korean living there would think of a foreigner snooping around there.
I continued to walk the street for I don't know how far. I could see the large skyscrapers in Haeundae off in the distance and I could also see a little bit of the Diamond Bridge as well. I began to wonder if it was possible to walk across that bridge, and if it was, I wanted to eventually.
I finally came to an intersection and I had two options: 1) I seriously considered going left and trying to find the Diamond Bridge. 2) I could go right which took me in the general direction of the structure I was trying to find. Ultimately I chose to go right because I wasn't really sure how far the bridge really was and I was feeling that I considerably closer to the Eastern building.
As I got closer to my objective tall buildings began to obstruct my view and I could no longer see the building (I will from now on refer to it as a "temple", not structure, not Eastern building, etc.). Also of issue was the fact that the temple was much higher up on a mountain than I was and I saw no way of getting up to it. So I just continued walking figuring eventually a solution would arise.
To my everlasting joy a solution did indeed arise. I noticed a large road that seemed to cut right up onto the mountain. I still could not see the temple though. I crossed the street and headed toward the road. Turns out this road I had found was the entrance to a university...
Tongmyong University: Apparently an IT school. Very nice facility.
The road began to climb up the mountain which was a good sign. I thought I would be getting closer to my goal. The higher I went, I thought, I would eventually see the temple. Nevertheless buildings continued to obstruct my view. I got about as high as I could go and still saw nothing. I new the temple was to my right so I veered that way and continued. After a short walk I came to a beautiful soccer field and off in the distance, my goal. I could finally see it again.
I walked around the soccer field and continued to head towards the temple. Eventually I came to a very steep hill that seemed to lead right up to the entrance of the temple. I felt as though I had succeeded. I trudged up this extremely steep road and arrived at the front door...
I admit that I was afraid to turn the doorknob.
I began to get feelings of defeat again. The door before me was shut, telling me no one was welcome at this time. Also there was a large spiky fence on top of the wall...
Not sure you can actually see the spikes very well but believe me, they looked deadly.
I walked around a bit to see if there might be another way in. Alas I was yet again met with defeat.
As I gazed up at my goal, blocked off merely by a thin layer of concrete wall, a quote from the movie Book of Eli came to mind: "I can't imagine what it must feel like to have what you want so close, and it might as well be a million miles away".
I looked around a bit more and considered my options. The area I was standing in seemed like it was so much more before, until whatever was here was bulldozed to make room for the university...
A leftover statue from some bygone time perhaps.
I decided to walk back to the door and take the risk of turning the doorknob. I wasn't sure if there were cameras around watching me. If there was I couldn't see any. Also I thought, "If I turn it, what if an alarm goes off? I'll at the very least look like an idiot and at the worst get arrested and taken away for a short time for trespassing". Regardless of those possibilities I reached for the knob and turned it...
LOCKED
"Blasted!", I thought to myself. "Defeated yet again". I was not to be detoured though. I turned around and gazed out at the city below me...
A nice view of the city below me. Is it me or could it actually be said that there is a battle going on between the beautiful rays of sunlight and the black, spiked death along the wall? A battle of light against dark. Tense I tell ya.
As I gazed down at the city below me, my resolve returned and I set out down the path I came in search of another way around to an entrance. As I walked down I saw another wonderful view which contained the soccer field I mentioned before...
It was a really fantastic looking university.
As I continued down the hill I came to a map of the university...
A rather colorful looking map I should say.
As I gazed on the map I realized that where I was just at appeared to be "23" (Seondang). As I looked, it seemed as though there was no other way of accessing it...Defeated. Regardless to the right was another temple-looking structure "22" (Dongmyeongbulwon). So I decided to set out to find an entrance to that place. I found a nice parking lot between two buildings to cut through. I found yet another road that seemed to lead right up to the temple (#2 temple)...
The road to victory?
When I got to the top I realized that it only lead to the entrance of what appeared to be living quarters, and not to mention a huge wall blocking me from my most recent goal.
I found a staircase that went up beside the building and decided to check that out to see what was there. I found a gate...
Unfortunately it too was blocked...
I looked around to see if there might be another way...
So close, yet so far. Darn you huge walls. While it may look like there is a staircase there, in fact there was, it only came down to the top of the 10 foot wall in front of me.
I turned around and went back the way I came to attempt to find another way. I backtracked quite a bit, and went further down the road. When suddenly, I came to a cut in between some buildings. I turned to the left to see what might be down there...
A glimmer of light in all this darkness!! An open gate!!
I had finally found a way to get to the other side of the temple/s. I ran through the gate with excitement and turned left. As I walked, I could clearly see my goal was near and I also came to a cool "arch" (if you will) that went across the road...
What a pretty thing to walk under.
I walked with ever-growing enthusiasm that my most recent objective was coming to a successful conclusion. I arrived at the front of the temple and the doors were open. I walked across the street and climbed what appeared to be a trail up onto a wall so I could get a nice view and take some pictures...
Finally an open door to one of my objectives.
Beautiful colors and design.
Appears to be a bell tower. Beautiful.
As I considered the fact that I had finally reached some sort of victory I sat down on a bench, that seemed to be out in the middle of nowhere, and reflected on where I had been and where I had come...
My, "reflecting" bench.
After a bit I stood up and looked around the area I was in. It was a mildly wooded area and I wasn't really sure if I was supposed to be there. I looked to my right as saw something even more random for where I was than a bench...
Seemed like a rather strange place for a chair.
I looked around the area some more and it seemed like it was kind of being used as a trash dump. there were quite a few other thing strewn about. Nevertheless I began to feel I was getting off task and headed back down to the entrance of the temple...
Unfortunately it will have to wait until next time. Once again it is getting late and I should be heading to bed.
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