Buddha's Birthday: Children's Park and Samgwangsa Temple

For Buddha's birthday I did another Yoga Mala hosted by Callie and Andrea, two yoga instructors in Busan. I didn't have any plans for the day (except to start my morning with the mala), which unfolded itself to be one of the most memorable so far.

After we finished the the mala, the group had lunch at a Daejeon Vegan Tea House.  We all ordered the set, which came with various side dishes, soup, rice, and meatless bulgogi.

At the tea house

yummy

Afterwards, several of us went to The Grand Children's park. The park surrounds a beautiful reservoir. Walking around the area makes you forget that you are in the middle of the city. It is so scenic, serene, and quiet.

The park itself has a zoo, an amusement park, and a science museum. We set ourselves up near the lake, exchanged stories, shared oranges, and took naps.  At one point Callie even held an impromptu Zumba class.

This guy stole our hearts. JUST LOOK AT HIM!

At dusk we made our way to Samgwansa Temple, which CNN reviewed as one of their 50 Beautiful Places to visit in Korea. 

Food vendors lined the streets

fresh pressed sesame oil

buckets of kimchi and other side dishes

taffy type things

As night began to set, we made our way closer to the temple. In honor of Buddha's Birthday, the temple was adorned with hundreds, if not thousands, of lanterns.

It was a simply a spectacular surprise of a day.

Map to Dajeon Tea House

Directions to The Grand Children's Park and Samgwansa Temple
You can take a taxi from downtown Seomyeon. OR from Seomyeon station, take Exit 13 go to the nearest bus stop and ask for the appropriate bus.  The Children's Park and Samgwansa are walking distance from each other.