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Published: June 28th 2012
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This is done the next day and it is actually sunny outdoors so I should be out there. However my devotion to a hopefully short blog continues.
Got a taxi to the airport in the fine rain (again). Checked in with no difficulty but Jeju airport is a fairly busy place -- compared to arrival at Busan anyway where not as much seemed to be happening. The flight is only about 50 minutes which was mostly over the cloud. On arrival, as it was early to check in at a hotel anyway, I did some thinking and reading at the airport. Fatefully (now it seems) decided that I would stay at Haeundae Beach as much because metro line 2 goes there from a connection point off the airport light rail. This is an overground system which was obviously much cheaper to build than putting in a subway. The ticketing system is however separate from the Human (local metro). Nevertheless it got me to where I wanted to go which was a metro station on line 2. This however did take a long time as Haeundae is virtually at the end of the line. This is another problem I have with
Gwaebeop etc sign
the 2nd word is totally unpronounceable it, because it is about 15 stops out from the centre of Busan (not to mention the fact that it is rather too full of foreigners for my liking so I won't be spending too much time here). I went to one of the motels but a room was not ready so tried others around back from the beach while they were doing that. The going rate seemed to be 70,000Krw (and this is a weekday not the weekend). When I went back she indicated she only wanted cash so I simply left -- I do not have enough of it.
So I have ended up at the grandly named Lord Beach Hotel which at least has a balcony view as you can see. I am therefore back in International Hotel land with carpet on the floor and no need to take your shoes off on the landing just inside the door, which has been universal in every Korean place I have stayed. The room is nicely furnished but is smaller than what I have become used to and it also crimps on standard supplied necessities, like tea and coffee (none). There are only sachets of shampoo etc not
Busan subway danger doors
after Seoul these tempt fate! (there aren't any) giant pump action things in the shower. Despite this I decided to fork out the money for another two nights, including the Friday night which would otherwise be 110,000, but on a deal I got to pay only 80,000 ($72) for that night. However in a strange way I really do not want to be here as it is just too "foreign" from the Korea I have deviously experienced (someone privately commented on my blog as being somewhat "bleak" - while I will admit to that here in relation to this entry!).
Somewhat annoyingly I was attracted by the stupid Japanese yelling out at the restaurant next door called Zinni or whatever and decided to eat early there as it was next to the hotel. This was a mistake and I should not have listened to their calls and stuck with Korean food. I won't even waste valuable time describing it.
I then headed off in the general direction of the far western side of Busan for some musical fountain display at 8p.m. However the sheer number of metro stops and a line change meant that I gave up at Busan station and decided to have a look
view from Lord Beach Hotel
mostly what it has going for it there. Ended up in a Paris Baguette bakery - they are just everywhere here - for a pastry and a cappuccino. And ended up speaking for an hour or so to 2 Navy boys who were off a US cruiser. One of them had wanted to be a geologist, preferably in Australia, but was now looking at being an elementary school teacher as someone would pay for his qualification. One would have to say a bit of a change in direction there!
Had a look at the train station ticketing machines etc there, checked out another LP recommended hotel right outside which would have been preferable in terms of location, but it's all over now. So yes maybe a little bleak. However it is sunny outside now so must get on with it!
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Huddo
non-member comment
Lord of the Manor.
Hi Mike, The Gimhae shot looked indeed like Hong Kong! Jap food must have been ordinary for you not too comment. Surprised to hear of the Baguette baker shops in plenty. The spam supermarket signs, and product were out there! Huddo.