Gyeongju II: Cherry Blossoms

About a week and a half ago, we went to Gyeongju for a second time. A cherry blossom festival is held there every year and we've heard from many people that it is THE PLACE to see the blooms. We chose to go a week before the festival in an effort to avoid some of the crowds and are fairly certain that we caught the blossoms in their prime. The afternoon was perfectly warm and sunny, and I (Dori) was happy to notice a tinge of pink on my nose the next day...bring on that summer tan!

There were so many people flying kites...quite a sight.

We happened upon the end of a drum demonstration and the beginning of a parade that carried on for several hours throughout the hillside. There were many people dressed up in traditional garb, though we were unable to determine who exactly they were supposed to be. It was fun to imagine what the valley might have looked like filled with its original citizens.

This entire field was planted with yellow "wildflowers." It was a pretty scene, to be sure, but it was amusing to watch so many people trying to take get a photo that looked like they were alone in a vast field of flowers. In this country, taking posed photos is serious business and there is no shame in acting the part of tourist...everyone does it!

More of the parade...we caught them again as they were marching down the hill.

I shouted at him, "Frolick!" and this is what we got.

We tried to take a nice photo together, but somehow we always fail.

Picturesque.

From what we could tell, this is an archaeological dig, in process. We couldn't get very close, but it is exciting to think about what could still be buried there!

I was mostly taking photos with my film camera that day so Caleb manned the cell phone camera. Unfortunately, that means fewer photos of him and more of me.

This river was absolutely gorgeous. We had a bit of a laugh because there were several groups of Korean tourists on the other side of the river watching us prance around on the rocks and dip our toes in the water. The rocks didn't extend all the way across so they weren't able to do the same, and we felt a bit like caged animals putting on a show. Then again, that's how we feel quite often, even if we're just trying to operate chopsticks. We had good fun, nonetheless:)

The sign reads, "This is Silla flower garden where loving couples come from around the world." Of course, we had to make an ironic statement.

Cat Cafe

We had heard that there were such things as "cat cafes" here in Korea soon after we arrived. Excited by the prospect, though doubtful that one existed  in our city, we looked forward to a chance to hang out with cats while drinking americanos.

We were wandering the downtown area this last Saturday and stumbled upon a cute little cafe called 1944...with cats peering at us from the windows!

I (Dori) was having a melancholy day but these guys provided a much needed pick-me-up. There is just something about petting and holding an animal that makes one feel at peace.

The chair was a bit ragged but Caleb said it was incredibly comfortable. The cat below didn't have much interest in us and seemed a bit upset that we had lifted her off her seat.

We spent a lovely hour with these guys and will definitely be returning.