Korea 2013 - Gyeongju Chapter 2

Gyeongju Teddy Bear Museum

With the weather getting colder by the day, we decided to head indoors to escape from the elements. One of our indoor choices was the Gyeongju Teddy Bear Museum. Located along Bomum Lake, near the site of our pension, it was an easy choice; especially since our 1-year-old has a certain fondness of soft toys and all things cuddly. So early the next morning (after a simple breakfast at the pension) we hitched a ride from our kindly pension hostess Mrs Park, and headed off to the museum.

The museum visit was an enjoyable experience, and as expected, we got to view many exhibits of teddy bears (which we learnt were named after the American President Theodore Roosevelt). What we did not expect to see, were many dinosaur figures. The museum had apparently spun a tall tale of a family of Korean scientist teddy bears, who were sent back to the era of the dinosaurs. There they rescued Back to the Future heroes Marty McFly and Dr Emmett Brown. before travelling back to the Shilla Dynasty in Korea. Plot aside, it was quite a treat for the family; and I personally went from exhibit to exhibit trying to find the teddy bear time travellers who did look particularly cute. Our sons were of course mesmerised; as evidenced by the numerous times I heard my 1-year-old say "Wow!"

Warmly greeted by the family of bears.

Z's definition of a "bear hug".

The teddy bear scientists preparing for their time travel adventure.

The "bad guys" attempting to exploit dinosaurs for personal
pursuits.

E was clearly enthralled by the exhibits.

What if.... the Shilla Dynasty inhabitants
were teddy bears?

War against the "Chinese".

Our very own "Mummy Bear" looking smart!

One of my favourite exhibits - the ending credit bears from
the hit drama serial "Princess Hours". Really nostalgic for us.

Bomun Lake

After some warmth indoors, we decided that if was safe to venture outdoors - at least round the beautiful Bomun Lake. We figured out that we could walk back to the area nearer our pension; and at the same time enjoy the lovely scenery. Alas distances were more than we imagined, and we had to hail a cab after a good two hours of walking.

A lovely view of Bomun Lake in the winter.

Z dons his winter wear.

We felt like we were on the set of one of those Korean
romance dramas.

Truly a scenic walk despite the winter landscape.

The park by the lake.

One last look at the lake before our departure.

Stopping for some yummy burgers and sausages and fries.

Gyeongju Bird Park

The taxi driver got lost as he didn't expect that we would want to go to the Gyeongju Bird Park. It was probably not one of the most visited places on the tourism map. But of course, as parents with young children, our sightseeing map was probably different from most tourists. In fact we probably met one of the curators of the bird park - he inquired about Singapore's Jurong Bird Park the moment that he learnt we were from Singapore. Looking back, our visit to the Gyeongju aviary was interesting in that our children got to see some extremely small birds up close; although we would likely not make another trip there if we end up in Gyeongju again.

This indoor Bird Park was a welcome respite
from the cold.

Home to a whole host of lovely feathered friends.

Our boys clearly enjoyed the close proximity of the birds.

Seeing eye to eye.

The beautiful water fountain comes alive with lovely music.

Clearly the highlight of their day!

Enjoying a delectable dinner.

Korean grilled meats have become one of our favourite foods.
We especially like how each piece is individually wrapped with
the numerous side dishes in a crisp lettuce leaf.

After a satisfying meal, we were thankful that we could call our lovely pension host Mr Park, and he fetched us from the nearby 7-11 convenience store. All in a day's travel!

Next: A royal adventure at the Anapji Pond and a walk inside the Cheonmachong Tomb.

Previously: Travel back in time from modern Busan to ancient Gyeongju.

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