Once, some friends and I took a horse up to Taktsang Palphug Monastery, that's the Himalayan Buddhist sacred site perched on a rock cliff some 3,000 feet above the Paro valley in Bhutan; a place better known as Tiger's Nest. Getting up Penang's Kek Lok Si Temple isn't as difficult as there's a stairway for people on foot and there's always a tarred road for vehicles. Buddhist temple or monasteries are often built high up in the mountains and in caves, l was of the impression; never never by the sea, I thought; and probably would not change my mind until I visited Haedong Yonggungsa Temple in north-eastern Busan. After alighting from the bus, my friends and I had walk past rows of stalls selling food stuffs especially sea weed for which Korea is famous for; then statues of Chinese zodiac animals before coming face to face with the fabulous temple which was built on a rock coast facing the Sea of Japan. No wonder it is also called The Water Temple!
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