감천문화마을 Gamcheon Culture Village > Busan, South Korea > Day 03 (1) - 2014 October 10 (Busan, Gyeongju, Seoul, Daegwallyeong, Nami Island, Mt Seorak, Kuala Lumpur)

Woke up a little bit late today, to pay the time of sleep of yesterday. We start our journey at 09:00. Our first destination is 감천문화마을 Gamcheon Culture Village.

Gamcheon Culture Village or also known as Santorini on the South Sea, or Taeguekdo Village. The village is a panorama of endless rows of low-rise cubicle homes climbing up the steep hillsides from the sea below, their cheerful blue, yellow and pink hues a delight to the eye. Narrow stone and concrete alleyways wind their way through the homes, yielding something new at every turn.

From Elysee Motel Busan, go to Nampo Metro Station, ride subway to 도성/土城 Toseong Metro Station (orange line), go exit 6, then you will see intersection, turn right and walk until you meet hospital. The bus stop to Gamcheon is in front of the hospital. Ride bus no 2 / 2-2 to 감천문화마을 Gamcheon Culture Village, and stop right in front of Gamcheon Elementary School.

The main entrance of Gamcheon Culture Village right across the school.

Gamcheon Culture Village

this statue right in the corner of main entrance

You can collect stamp about this village, buy the map in the information or art shop. It cost W2000.

W2000 Guiding Map, the stamp book inside this map

Use this course as your destination to looking around the village

The stamp that I collected

1st free postcard from collect stamp

2nd free postcard from collect stamp

We use the direction in the map, so we know where we heading. And it's useful, because we know where to go.

 We spent almost 3 hours in there.

Wat Pho (วัดโพธิ์) > Bangkok ~ Thailand < 2013 August 12 (6) > (Bangkok - Ayutthaya - Kuala Lumpur)

After eat lunch, we go to Wat Pho.

Wat Pho (วัดโพธิ์), is a Buddhist temple in Phra Nakhon district, Bangkok, Thailand. It is located in the Rattanakosin district directly adjacent to the Grand Palace. Known also as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, its official name is Wat Phra Chettuphon Wimon Mangkhlaram Ratchaworamahawihan (วัดพระเชตุพนวิมลมังคลารามราชวรมหาวิหาร). The temple is also known as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage.

Wat Pho is one of the largest and oldest wats in Bangkok (with an area of 50 rai, 80,000 square metres), and is home to more than one thousand Buddha images, as well as one of the largest single Buddha images of 160 ft length:[10] the Reclining Buddha (Phra Buddhasaiyas ะพุทธไสยาสน์). The Wat Pho complex consists of two walled compounds bisected by Soi Chetuphon running east–west. The northern walled compound is where the reclining Buddha and massage school are found. The southern walled compound, Tukgawee, is a working Buddhist monastery with monks in residence and a school.

Credit:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Pho

WatPo Thai Traditional Medical and Massage School
Welcome to the original Thai medical and massage school.Here the place where the heritage of Thais' wisdoms in traditional medicine have been instructed and developed through a long and continually practical implementation.

Conform to the harmony living of human and nature including with a delicate and gentle character of traditional Thainess, Thai traditional massage and medicine is a folk medicine that have been broadly satisfied from time to time. Moreover, WatPoThai massage becomes one of the most world-wide recognized therapeutic and relaxing massage style.

Credit: http://www.watpomassage.com/2014/

The reclining Buddha is so big. We have to put our shoes / sandals inside the bag that they provided before entering the area. The ticket fee is 50 Baht. Open daily from 08:00 to 17:00 with a break on 12:00 to 13:00.

After walk surround, then we drop by Massage Room, to try Thai Massage. We try it for 30 minutes. But many people say, that it's better if you try for 1 hour.
Before you got the massage, you have to queue. First, you registered, then you will got the queue number. That time, I spend 1 hour and half to queue.

Wat Arun " Temple of Dawn" > Bangkok ~ Thailand < 2013 August 12 (4) > (Bangkok - Ayutthaya - Kuala Lumpur)

Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan or Wat Arun, "Temple of Dawn" is a Buddhist temple (wat) in Bangkok Yai district of Bangkok, Thailand, on the Thonburi west bank of the Chao Phraya River. The temple derives its name from the Hindu god Aruna, often personified as the radiations of the rising sun. Wat Arun is among the best known of Thailand's landmarks and the first light of the morning reflects off the surface of the temple with pearly iridescence. Although the temple had existed since at least the seventeenth century, its distinctive prang (spires) were built in the early nineteenth century during the reign of King Rama II.

This Wat or Buddhist temple is an architectural representation of Mount Meru, the center of the world in Buddhist cosmology. In the mythology of Tibetan Buddhism, Mount Meru is a place that simultaneously represents the center of the universe and the single-pointedness of mind sought by adepts. Thousands of miles in height, Meru is located somewhere beyond the physical plane of reality, in a realm of perfection and transcendence. The four-corner prang of Wat Arun, which house images of the guardian gods of the four directions, reinforces this mystical symbolism.

Credit:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Arun
- http://www.watarun.net/

The ticket fee is 50 Baht.
Our Thai friends said, they will wait us at coffee bar right next to Wat Arun. They said, they didn't want to go to the top. Why?
We thought, it must be beautiful from the top.

But....

OMG~ The stair's was steep, and the distance between each step was too high.

Becareful when you climb. But it's worth, because after you arrive at the top, you will see the beautiful scene with view of Grand Palace and Chao Phraya River.

If you bring elder or children, I suggest to ask them to stay at the bottom or wait for you at the nearby cafe.

Don't forget to preparing to go down, because it's more difficult then go up. We have to extra careful. And, once arrive at the bottom, I felt that my leg is stiff. T_T

I think, once is enough to go to the top. Next time, we can enjoy the Wat Arun from the opposite of the river, and enjoy the sunrise. Our Thai friends said, you have to go there at 4 o'clock in the morning to get the sunrise.

And don't forget to enjoy the sunset and the night scene too.
After that, we buy some drink at nearby coffee shop.

cute statue

coffee stan at Wat Arun

Then we ride the public boat which cost only 3 Baht to go back to the opposite of Wat Arun.