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Korean Travel Online - Enter to Win a Trip to Korea with your Travel Buddy

Sponsored by K-Shuttle

How to enter:

1) Choose one of the destinations that the K-Shuttle travels to. This can be found on http://bit.ly/13zV5Ls

2) Comment below the Facebook post with your preferred DESTINATION and the NAME OF YOUR TRAVEL BUDDY. Example: Gyeongju with John Doe

3) Get your buddy to REPLY to your comment (Replies only. Do not make new comments.)

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

Entries will be accepted from 13:00 on November 25, 2013 Korea Standard Time (KST) and until 8:00 KST on November 28, 2013.

1. How to enter

Simply comment on the post with your DESTINATION and the NAME OF YOUR TRAVEL BUDDY. Example: Gyeongju with John Doe

Get your buddy to REPLY to your comment (Replies only. Do not make new comments.)

2. Selection

The winner of the prize will be selected at random by a random number generator (computer algorithm). Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.

3. Prize (1 winner)

Round-trip airfare for two via Asiana Airlines (ticket valid until Feb. 28, 2014)

3-day K-Shuttle Southwestern Course Tour Package for two (must be used within 3 months from date of issue)

Double sharing accommodation (4-star hotel)

The winner will be solely responsible for any and all taxes and/or fees, and all such additional costs relating to the prize.

4. Winners Announcement

The result will be posted on bitly.com/ktoblog on November 28, 2013. The decision shall be final and binding and no further correspondence would be entertained.

Claiming of the prize requires sending an email to asia_english@knto.or.kr by 12 noon on December 2, 2013 with the subject “K-Shuttle Prize Draw”.

The email should contain the following:

Your Name on Facebook

Complete name

Phone number (include your country code)

Complete mailing address (include your country and zip code)

Failure to send the required information shall mean that the winner forfeits the prize. The announcement of the winning entrant is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

By participating in this prize draw, you completely release Facebook of any liabilities, acknowledge that the promotion is no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook.

Find out more about the K-Shuttle:

https://www.facebook.com/kshuttletour?fref=ts

http://www.k-shuttle.com/

Korean Travel Online - Tongdosa Temple in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do

We left Seoul at 10:00am on Friday morning on the KTX bound for Ulsan in Gyeongsangnam-do. It takes a little more than 2 hours on the train and I made sure I got myself a cup of coffee before getting on the train.

No, this is not the real ticket

The KTX is actually very comfortable and I also discovered that the train has free wifi (yey for those like me to refuse to get a data plan because Seoul has wifi almost anywhere anyway). While stopping on some of the major stations along the way, I looked out the window and just saw a regular platform devoid of people. I took this shot just out of boredom. I didn't really pay attention to the steel structure behind the station but this after taking this shot, it actually made the picture look good.

First up on our itinerary was the Tongdosa Temple (통도사) in Yangsan. I didn't really what to expect. All I know is that this temple is one of the three jewel temples of Korea. I've been to several temples before and I thought that once you have seen one, you've seen them all. However, Tongdosa is quite different and I got more than what I expected.

Tongdosa is an ancient temple located in the Youngchuksan Mountains. It is one of the 3 precious temples of Korea. It was founded by Jajang Yulsa when he brought the Jinsin relics of Buddha in year 646 (15th year of the reign of Queen Seondeok). Since then, the light at Buddha's altar has never been put out for the 1,300 years. There is no statue of the Buddha in the temple, but there is a Buddhist altar in the main hall. The temple is well known for the many cultural assets (80 different types)


Tongdosa Steles and Stupas

One Pillar Gate at the entrance of Tongdosa

One of the many bridges spanning the creek that leads to Tongdosa

Ancient pagoda at the courtyard

Stone lantern at one of the gates

One of the halls at the courtyard.

Daeungjeon, the Main Worship Hall

Geumgang Gyedan (Diamond Altar) behind Daeungjeon (main Dharma Hall)

The Geumgang ordination altar was reconstructed through the Goryeo and Joseon ages. Inside the first stair is a sculpture of a humble man, and on the outer surface is a sculpture of the celestial guardian.

The temple's resident cat

Seongbo Museum, a museum on the temple grounds that displays an excellent collection of artwork

Tongdosa Seongbo Museum was constructed to protect and display the cultural assets of the temple from theft and damage, and to research the promotion of the public understanding of Buddhism. The museum has more than 40,000 collections and is focused on preserving and displaying the collections. Every year, the museum displays a large 15 meter high statue and serves both a display and service purpose

Formal tea ceremony

Beautiful tea set up

Tea and rice cakes for dessert

Yummy rice cakes

The bell tower, with the monks doing the bell-ringing ceremony

Bowls and the proper way of laying them out when eating at the temple

Saninyo Gallery

Some artsy rice cake making

Pottery making

More rice cakes

Yangsan Tower, built on top of a recycling facility

View from the tower

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Korean Travel Online - Getting Inked at Hongdae

I finally figured out what I wanted to get for my second tattoo. I went to Itaewon and looked at 3 tattoo places but wasn't really happy with any of them. I found a place called Sunrat Tattoo and its located in between Hongdae and Sinchon subway stations. I talked to the tattoo artist and got a quote and wanted to get it the next week. Went back the following week but they were closed. So we walked to Hongdae to this other tattoo place we saw last time. It's on the uphill path on the way to the university. The place is called Yellow Monkey. I told the artist what I wanted and he actually came up with the design of his own that I really liked. I got tattooed right away.

I'm not really into butterflies but I wanted something to symbolize thyroid cancer. Since the thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland, I decided why not a butterfly. Plus, the cancer ribbon is also incorporated in the design. The process took about an hour and a half and the tattoo cost 120,000 won. I was pretty happy with it, the people were really professional too. After getting inked, they gave me a packet that contained aftercare instructions on how take care of the tattoo, a brochure, a business card, a 10,000 discount voucher for my next visit, and a small amount of vaseline. Plus, the tattoo artist even gave me his own phone number and told me to contact him if I have questions/ concerns. The instructions said that I should buy an ointment called Bepanthen to apply on the tattoo. I looked it up online and a lot of people actually recommend it for tattoo care. Went to the pharmacy to buy it. It wasn't that expensive, only 6,500 won.

Overall, I was satisfied with Yellow Monkey, and I would definitely go back there for my third tattoo.

Yellow Monkey
Open 10:00 am to 10:00pm
358-115 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Phone: 010-9425-0737

Korean Travel Online - Templestay Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Jogyesa Temple was all decked out in bright and colorful chrysanthemums for Templestay's 10th year anniversary. To celebrate this occasion, Jogyesa Temple had an exhibit about Templestay entitled "Finding Happiness Within Myself"