Last day of our beach holiday

Sokcho is actually very far North, right on the border with North Korea....just before heading home, we went to hang out in Abai Village (아바이 마을) , where many of the North Korean defectors came to settle after the split in 1952-53.

It is a charming little place, although I cannot say if we actually saw any North Koreans. We did have delicious seafood for lunch again though, and Stella even had her portrait painted!

 

We also got to see a bit of the harbour - and got that real 'fishing town' feeling.



 

Many famous Korean dramas have also been filmed here!



We were rather sad to say good bye to this lovely seaside town, and hope to return someday soon.

 

낙산사

At the end of our second day in Sokcho, we stumbled upon the most amazing temple, Naksansa, which I feel deserves it's very own blog post. This was definitely my highlight of the trip.

What makes it so special I think, is the tranquil settings in which the buildings are laid out, the spectacular views from all around, and the unique colouring of the buildings. It is, for sure, the best temple I have seen in Korea and I would recommend it to anyone travelling here!

Kissing a toad

 

I convinced Stella that this was the palace where Cinderella went to the royal ball, and she subsequently kept trying to lose her 'glass slippers' on the steps!

(Guess who is obsessed with princesses at the moment?)



 

She was also very impressed with the meditation going on. She still talks about the monk (sometimes monkey) that she saw praying.



Buddhism sign, often confused with the Swastika...

Exhausted after a super-fun day!