In summer 2016, I went to Gyeongju to take the TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean). Right! I traveled for more than 4 hours just to take the test. Three weeks before the test, Kenn successfully convinced me to join him to (1) take the TOPIK even though my Korean language was still at beginner level (until now! Lol), (2) travel all the way to Gyeongju to take the test. Because Gyeongju is far from Seoul, we had to allot money for our transportation, accommodation, and food, aside from the test fee itself. I didn’t want to waste my money so I studied very hard for three weeks so I can at least pass the test. Luckily, I passed the test and got Level 2 for TOPIK 1. Yay!
We stayed at a Hanok guesthouse which was less than 1km away from the bus terminal. The house was really cozy and the couple who owns the house was really friendly. The guy owner even played Filipino songs!
We took the test the next day after we arrived in Gyeongju. We attempted to tour the city that day by riding a bus to the temple. However, the temple was already closed when we arrived so we had no choice but to come back to our guesthouse.
Although we failed to do some sightseeing, we made up for it the next day. In fact, I think we did too much sightseeing the next day. We biked for 30 kilometers in Gyeongju!
Thirty kilometers!!
First of all, I am not really fit. Second, I cannot ride the bike well. There were lots of instances when I randomly fell off the bike. There were no humps, rocky road or anything. I was lame like that. Lol.
Nevertheless, the whole trip was worth it! We were able to exercise, save money for sightseeing, and most importantly, we saw the beauty of Gyeongju! I’ll let the pictures speak for itself! š
The scenery along the way made the trip more refreshing.
Bulguksa temple was open when we arrived. Yay!
We tried another route going back and saw more beautiful views.
We also visited modern structures such as the Hwabaek International Convention Center and Gyeongju Tower.
The Hwangnyongsa, a nine-story pagoda, is another must-see. It is located near the Expo Park.
Of course, nothing beats the beauty of nature.
After hours of biking, we finally arrived back to where we started!
musings & adventures 
Lovely photos! It looks like a really fun place to cycle around in the spring and summer š
Thank you! It is! There’s so much to see there š