Busan

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2023_Blog 29_Japan



April 18 Port of Call: Busan (Pusan), South Korea – Weather: Overcast with light rain predicted - Wind: 12 mph. gusting to 30+ mph.



Today is Holland America Line’s 150^th birthday and orange was the color of the day.



As I stated before the port call in Busan, South Korea was a substitution for a stop that had been planned for Vladivostok, Russia. Due to current political tensions HAL decided to be cautious.

Today could be categorized as if you are too efficient things can still get screwed up. It all started with the Korean Immigration inspection. Shore excursions were given priority for their face-to-face inspections. We assembled dutifully at our meeting point and time, were processed with dispatch and were ashore an hour before our tour was actually scheduled to leave. Problem was that nobody told the bus company any of this resulting in the fact that there were no busses waiting for us to board. This meant that 400+ guests were left standing in the parking lot with no place to sit down. In addition, there was no overhead protection, and it started to rain.

Our first stop was out from the city along the coast to the Oryukdo Skywalk at Songdo Beach. The skywalk is a plexiglass platform with an open grid running down the middle, anchored in the rocky coast and suspended in midair without any visible supports. Really spectacular view as long as you don’t suffer from vertigo.

Unfortunately, part of the natural beauty of the location was overpowered by a huge multi tower apartment complex that overshadowed the skywalk.

Our second and third stops, both in the center of the city, were first at the Fish Market and then the Gukje International Market. Both of these stops could have been eliminated in favor of more time at the Skywalk.

The return to the ship was the second part of today’s foul-ups. The tour bus schedules and routes were not varied enough causing the majority of them returning to the dock almost simultaneously. Korean Immigration needed to see us before we got back on the ship so we all had to form a long snaking line in the parking lot before we could enter the terminal building. Again, no protection from the elements, little or no consideration for those with physical disabilities or medical conditions, and no sense of haste.

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