Day 85: Horse Ear Temple

One of the more unexpected finds of the trip down south was the Buddhist temple to the right, located in 마이산, which literally refers to the ears of a horse. The reason for such a name is pretty obvious when you see the mountains: there are two mountains that are pressed together and look like horse ears. This temple sits in between them, famous not just for its location, but for the 80 stone pagodas that surround the temple. Originally there were 120 stone pagodas, all the rocks either local or from famous mountains in Korea. The temple is not very big, with only a few associated buildings as part of it. But if you walk all the way around the temple to the other side of the mountain, one of the most breath-taking views and waterfalls indicates the other reason this temple is famous.