Life between trips

TRIP DATE: 16 APRIL 2017 Day 5: Gyeongju: Bulguksa Temple and  Seokguram Grotto (UNESCO World Heritage) Breakfast at hotel, Tea break with Gyeonju red bean bread, Dinner at Bonjeon Dwaeji Gugbap near Busan station To do: Bulguksa Temple (UNESCO) 385 , Bulguk-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea Admission fee: KRW 5,000 This place is outside of Busan but its a very short KTX ride about 30 - 40 mins to Singyeongju Station.  We are glad we got the KTX pass as we are able to change our train rides at short notice.  Singyeongju station is near to the bus stop where we waited for Bus 700 to Bulguksa Temple. There are other places of interest to visit if you're keen.     The above shows the route of Bus. The bus timings are shown below.   We didn't have to wait long for the bus to arrive but the bus ride took some time to get to the temple.  Bulguksa Temple holds 6 of the country's national treasures:. D...

To do: Muriwai Beach (Black Sand Beach) There are several black sand beaches to choose from in Auckland. I decided on Muriwai because of the possibility of trying out the Muriwai Beach Horse Treks (keeping our options open despite the time constraints). Other alternatives are a walk to the Gannet colony and also the muriwai beach blow hole. Miriwai Beach - the black sand beach Upon arrival, we did almost nothing except for gazing at the sea from the carpark area. I didn't feel like venturing down as the winds are so strong that sand is blown in your face and even the waves that hit the beach are blown up and you can see droplets of water dancing across the beach. The beach itself is quite empty except for a brave lone para glider. You can see the person in the picture above. I really applaud him/her. The walk to the gannet colony also look quite treacherous as we need to walk quite near the beach with huge waves now and then before getting on the boardwalk. Timid me ...

To do: Day out at Waiheke Island We purchased the tickets that includes transport to island for both passengers and vehicle from Sealink and departure from Half Moon Bay Terminal. The trip to Waiheke Island is mainly drinking and eating. We hoped to visit some galleries and visit the Rangihoua Estate and join their olive tour but time is very tight and when we arrive the place is already closed. Fortunately, we still have have the wineries to visit which is nice and comfortable.  Man O'war Wineyards - 3.5 stars, mid-range 725 Man O War Bay Road Auckland 1971, New Zealand This is first winery we stopped when we reached the island. Initially, we wanted to browse a craft shop selling crockery. Maybe it was sunday and now being off season, the place was closed. So we head out to Man O'war as its the furthest from the port. The winery just opened when we reached. Do note that the drive is on a dirt track but its quite scenic. I like the sparkling wine on the ...