Busan Nights

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Few cities in the world can compete with the sheer beauty, nightlife, and charm that Busan has to offer. Situated on the southeastern coast of Korea and only a 3- hour train ride from Seoul, Busan (pronounced Pusan) could not feel more unlike its sister to the North. Having a 5-day vacation due the luck that a Korean holiday fell in line with one of my school’s holidays, I quickly put some plans together to head south and visit Busan. It couldn’t have been a wiser choice. Upon my return, I have told everyone I know that no trip to Korea can be considered complete without a visit to this fine city.

Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (Doosan Cheerleaders)

Tuesday evening successfully started off my weekend of maniacal mayhem with a bang. My friends Sessions, Brad, Jake, P-Fect, and I went to a baseball game at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. Jake decided to make a questionable decision by brining a blind date with him to the game. He’s a great kid, don’t get me wrong, but I believe taking a girl you have never seen before to a crowded stadium to hang out with belligerent drunks screaming Korean obscenities to the players and umpires for 3 hours is a problematic call at best. However, she turned out to be a good sport about the entire event and appeared to even like my sign directed at the cheerleaders that read Sadangheo (I love you) which included my phone number listed below. Still waiting on that phone call…. hopefully it will come any day now. I know you saw me girls, don’t act like you’re not impressed.

The game provided lots of excitement to complement our mixed drinks of Pocari Sweat (similar to Gatorade) and Soju that kept us cheering boisterously into the night air. Go Doosan Bears! The Bears have now officially become my favorite sports team here in Korea and I vow to follow them through thick and thin this season, through sickness and in health, till death do us part (hopefully them before me though). In the end, the Bears lost to the evil LG Twins by one measly run when they were unable to pull out a run with two men on in the top of the ninth. Despite our heckling and unrelenting shouts in the overcrowded “thunder dome,” our team was defeated. Among the boos and cries of disappointment in the stands, as I looked to my right I saw a large, portly Korean man shed a single teardrop as he collected his belongings and descended the steep stairs downwards. Will get em’ next time Doosan!

Following the game, a serious of wild decisions landed our group (besides P-fect and Jake’s date) back in Bundang. Now, I can’t quite tell you how it happened, but like a moth to the flame… I was back in front of an expecting microphone, tambourine in hand ready to belt out some tunes into the smoke filled room. Before I knew it, the 2 hour time cycle on the timer had expired and as I hesitantly looked at my phone it revealed a terrifying truth to me: it was 5am. My train was scheduled to depart Seoul Station (which is an hour and a half from my apartment) for Busan at 9:40 that morning. I held in the profanity I wished to share with the company around me and resisted the urge to blame them for leading me down this oh so slippery path. In the end, it is my lack of resolve towards making prudent decisions which is to blame. That is, it is the faults of the evil “Past Andrew” who hurts the innocent “Future Andrew” in the long run. Past Andrew… I really do hate that guy.

By the time morning came, I had only been able to find time for about an hours rest. Hung-over (possibly still a bit tipsy to tell you the truth) and exhausted to the bone, I packed my bag in a state of sheer confusion. I felt lost in my own apartment trying to find all I needed. I remember picking up a spatula and just staring at it for 5 minutes, “do I need this? There has to be some purpose to bring this foreign object with me to the beach. Why wouldn’t I need this? I know it’s used for something... I just don’t know what for sure. Wait a minute… this is a spatula you buffoon! Have you really just stood in the middle of your apartment for 5 minutes contemplating whether or not to pack cooking utensils on a vacation to the beach!?” I’m not going to lie I was disappointed in myself. Epic failure does not even begin to describe my morning. Thankfully, my friend Kristin was also running late due to late night festivities and we both were able to catch a train together. During the ride, we were both so angry with being alive at the moment that we couldn’t speak, we just wanted to get on the train to Busan and pass out. As it turned out, we bailed out of the subway for fear of missing the train and darted for a cab once we reached center Seoul. Despite our best efforts, we failed to reach the platform on time and, in doing so, made our other friends late as well. Cursed be the day I discovered Soju and the tortures it brings upon this world, and a pox upon “Past Andrew” and his “care free” lifestyle decisions. Nonetheless, we were able to get a train to Busan after paying a nominal fee and before we knew it, the crew was on their way southwards.

Prior to the construction of the Japanese “Shinkansen” high-speed rail, the KTX was the fastest train on the planet. At 305 kilometers per hour, the KTX zips through the picturesque countryside of Korea while making minimal stops on its journey to Busan. I hear the views are incredible, yet I was so completely tired, my eyes closed virtually the minute the train’s engines cranked on.

Busan: Right By Thee Beach Mon

In what seemed like the blink of an eye, I had arrived at Busan Station. Immediately after stepping out into the sunlight, I could feel a dramatic difference in temperature from what I had left in Seoul; it was beautiful here! While Seoul was cloudy and a bit chilly, here in Busan it was hot and sunny. I could not have asked for nicer weather! Our group in Busan consisted of 6 great people: Marc, Lacy, Nikki, Kristin, and Zach. For a group that hadn’t really known each other for too long prior to the trip, it turned out to be the perfect crew for hanging out in Busan. There were no fights, no real drama, and no real memories of any nights we spent together; good times all around.

The first order of business was to find a hotel. We figured that this was a task that needed our full attention with zero distractions. Nothing would stop us from finding an adequate accommodation, we would not fail, we would not falter, we would not…. “Oh look! A Mexican bar,” Kristin exclaimed. Mission: fail!

Without hesitation our group made a b-line for a destination that looked like it would take me back to Cancun (I’ve never actually physically been to Cancun but had a very realistic dream about it once. It seemed like a pretty awesome place though). The bar was crowded since it was Children’s Day in Korea and everyone had the day off.

Children’s Day is a day dedicated, well… to children obviously. The entire country gets the day off to spend time with their families, go on short vacations, and just relax. It is also marked by parents giving their kids presents. It’s like a second Christmas! I personally think it’s a great idea and if the US Government listens to my numerous letters lobbying for the day… I expect my Mom and Dad to provide compensation for the 20 some odd years I have gone without my rightful bestowal.

Moving on; we spent forever in the bar since the food service took about an hour to finally bring us our food (in their defense it was busy) and by the time we left it was nearing 4:00. Now we were back on the straight and narrow path towards our final objective. After searching various hotels for the best prices, we settled with a cheap, yet nice motel near Haeundae Beach. It was a pretty nice place and for 3 people in each room at only about $55 bucks a night, it was a great deal. To be fair, we may have found a better deal had we not separated our crew into contingents of two people. By loosing Marc (our finest Korean translator), Zach and I were pretty much at a loss trying to hear anything anyone of the hotel concierges were telling us. It’s all just rabble-speak to me. I’m honestly trying to pick up the language but its not going all that smooth. Usually all I get is a “rabble rabble y-rabble g-ralle imneeda bla bla hooray juseo,” which of course translates in my mind to: “take.” That’s all I get out of most sentences, either “take, “thanks,” “man,” or “10.” You know how hard it is to figure anything out with that kind of extensive vocabulary? Good times though and the language is beside the point that I continue to love this country more everyday.

We quickly got ready for the night (and by quickly I mean it took about an hour) and prepared to head out into the unknown. Upon leaving the hotel and heading towards the local Family Mart for supplies, a few hairs on the side of my neck spiked up quickly. There was a smell in the air that I couldn’t quite place… a plastic like substance... perhaps made in China. The wind howled across the deserted road and I could faintly hear the sound of “ding, ding, ding, ding, ding,” but I just didn’t know for sure. My casino senses were tingling. I was close, but how close… I just couldn’t yet tell. It could be next door… it could be a thousand miles away. Then what to my wondering eyes did appear; but the sweet magnificent revelation of a tall 16 story building with the beautiful letters “Paradise Casino and Resort” etched in gold down its plastered side. Jackpot! I tried to hold in my glee and continue forth… but the casino was pulling me in more violently than the Death Star’s tractor beam (Don’t be hating on the Star Wars references… there all I have left).

Somehow, I struggled from the lure of “winning back the farm” and willed myself forward to follow my friends. I had a feeling this Casino may defeat me in the long run at that moment, but I had won the first battle… the war to come… would prove much more brutal.

After stocking up on some Soju and Makgeolli, we all made our way to the beach. It was my first view of the Gulf of Korea, and it truly was a beautiful sight. Not at all like the pictures of industrial skylines or overcrowded beaches that I had seen in pictures; Haundae Beach looked to be very well maintained. The buildings in the background along with the deep blue sea in front of me reminded me of the beaches I had once been to in Barcelona. The beach appeared to stretch on across the golden sand for a few kilometers in both directions before disappearing on either side behind the rocks. Behind the sands sat the clear blue ocean with nothing to be seen for hundreds of miles save a few boats passing by carrying cheerful passengers. We plopped down on a nice sandy hill, laid out our snacks and beverages, and began to party the night away.

We must have stayed in that spot for hours; talking about school, talking about life back home, playing a few drinking games, just having some good old wholesome (well as wholesome as I get anyway) fun. I realized that it was a good crew to bring along on the trip and was happy to have the companionship I found there on the beach. We made a plan to take it easy that night; get a nice dinner, head home early and be up with the sun for some tourist activities. Once again, I pre-empt my story to declare: Mission- fail.

In our defense we did try and take it easy. We left the beach by about 9 or so and walked away from our hotel to try and locate some of the famous Busan seafood that I had heard so much about. Upon shutting down our first two options (40 bucks a plate… no thanks buddy), we found a nice “hole in the wall” Korean establishment that I have come to love so much these past few months.

For dinner we had a spicy fish soup. They don’t really do seafood here like they do in the West (or at least to the best of my knowledge… then again… what do I know). Here, it’s almost always served in some sort of soup, not baked or broiled like I get back home. It’s an odd switch to make for a lover of maritime dining, yet I’m finding it to be pretty good. It was incredibly spicy, however, and I was barely able to get through the entire bowl, yet the fish in it was, as they say here in Korea, Machisoyeo (delicious).

As we headed back to the hotel, a lady grabbed our attention off the street and told us we should check out her club. At first, there was heavy resistance to the idea. However, using her breakneck dance moves and a cunning monologue about her establishment, our defenses were worn thin and we succumbed to her will.

The Waegookin Blues

As we entered the club Uniko (I may be wrong on this name) it seemed like a fun place. We all got our “free drink with entry” and headed for the dance floor. After about 2 hours or so of tearing up some rug, I noticed a situation taking place near the door. The details to follow are all a bit hazy, yet I firmly believe my side of the story holds true.

There were some burly looking Englishmen and Scotsmen by the door harassing one of the girls I was with. The girls looked uncomfortable with the situation, so I rushed over to see what the issue was. Before I knew what hit me (literally), the punches began to fly. What the hell!? For once, I didn’t even do anything. I could see by the look in their eyes that these guys were particularly drunk and may not even really know what they were doing. Usually, I am one to fight back especially after getting punched in the head once… twice… five times! Really guys what the hell! However, for some odd reason (perhaps divine intervention or an actual moment of reason coming to pass for me), I simply pushed my way out with the others and left as calmly as possible (with fire in my eyes and shouts pouring out my mouth no doubt but still… you’ve read the other stories… this is not my usual style). Luckily Marc and Zach had jumped in as well (after getting their share from the belligerent drunks) and helped get the crew out of that dicey situation.

To curb my anger, we bought some fireworks and Soju, sat on the beach for another hour or so, and launched them off into the sea (the fireworks not the Soju… what are you crazy!). All in all, it was a great night and I was happy to get back to the hotel at a decent time. By decent, I mean pretty much as the sun was about to rise up over the financial center of Busan. So much for taking it easy I guess!

Hangover (n): 1. Unpleasant physical effects following the heavy use of alcohol.
2. A letdown, as after a period of excitement. The definition doesn’t even do justice to the night after a head on collision with Soju. Despite my hatred for the world after the previous night’s shenanigans, I pulled myself out of bed and moved to the shower. Unfortunately, there was no key in the power strip so I was forced to take a shower in the dark. Upset doesn’t describe my feelings of disdain for being awake at that moment. After showering in a cave-like setting, I quickly dressed and the boys and I went outside to await the girls. We decided to head towards the Family Mart to stock up on some Pocari Sweat and water to ease the pain. While searching through the cooler I heard the sound of rescue music coming from the top shelf: “dun dun a daaa dun dun dunuh dundaaaa.” 808 Dawn to the rescue! They say big things come in small packages and it could not be truer than it is with the magic that explodes from the Dixie Cup sized can of 808 Dawn. It’s marketed as a hangover cure, and minutes after gulping down this nectar, the hangover is beaten back into the hell that it came from.

I was operating at about 80% full power when we decided to head to a small Korean style restaurant to get some food. Beebimbop is an equally mystical hangover cure. All it really is is rice, vegetables, egg, and spicy sauce mixed up in a big bowl, but it does the trick. By the time I finished up my breakfast, I was at 93%!f(MISSING)ull power. What would bring me back to full life? Whatever could it be to ease this slight pain I still had terrorizing my body and soul? It was then that one of the girls made a suggestion that demonstrated the sheer wisdom of a woman’s heart: a Bloody Mary. We made another quick dash towards the Mexican restaurant and ordered up 6 drinks to start our day. They were particularly delicious and made by a fine young Korean chap that put calculated care in his every pour. I truly am forever grateful for his services to humanity.

Tourist Time

After our drinks, we made our way across the street to the Busan aquarium. I was a bit skeptical upon entering the aquarium. After all, doesn’t the phrase “seen one seen em’ all” apply in this instance? However, it turned out to be quite the opposite in this circumstance. The Busan Aquarium located on Haeundae Beach provides its visitors with a truly amazing look into the ocean blue. From coral to sharks, this place has got it all. The most unique section of the aquarium for me was the area marked “Dangerous Ocean.” Here, some of the most deadly and terrifying creatures of the deep are put on display along with a brief description of their “skills” in catching prey. I learned that the most venomous creature in the ocean is the Stone Fish. This little horror blends into its surroundings on the ocean floor by camouflaging itself as a simple rock. As its prey approaches, its spine sticks up and strikes; killing its catch instantly. It was pretty cool to check out.

Beyond this, the aquarium provides a glimpse of the Giant Octopus, penguins (who I still believe should have had a Morgan Freeman voice narrating their every move), sharks, and all kinds of other interesting sea creatures. For the finale, the walk through the museum took us through a gigantic glass enclosure surrounded by water. It was like being in that scene from Jaws 3. You remember the one; where all the innocent tourists are suddenly attacked and drowned by the massive man eating shark? I’m not going out like that. So, after snapping a few shots I scampered forward and exited the tube before a live action Jaws 4 began without warning. Believe you me, I pinned down a few potential suspects in that tank that could easily have broken out. One of them had red eyes!

So, in my honest opinion if you ever happen upon the city of Busan; check out the aquarium. It may seem touristy and a waste of time, but I assure it is worth the 15,000 to take a look.

After our adventures in the aquarium, we hopped into a cab and headed towards Yonggungsa Temple. While this temple is not actually in Busan (it’s only a couple kilometers away), we heard that it was the best temple in the area. Upon arrival at the temple gate, we did some quick shopping through the market. I even picked up a Buddhist bracelet that was marked by my deity according to the Buddhist calendar. In all the Chinese restaurants back home it says I am an Ox. Ox sounds pretty cool to me; their strong, powerful, tough to bring down. I always liked the idea of being “Andrew the Ox.” Anyone who also throws in the adjective “dumb” relating to the Ox… go to hell. So as cool as the Ox sounds, I found out in Korea they call the Ox… a cow. Cow? How stupid is that? It’s gotta be the worst animal one can be stuck with. Ox sounds so much cooler. Despite my disappointment in my deity, I purchased the bracelet and swore to only refer to it as “The Mighty Ox.”

We then moved forward through the temple grounds and descended the 108 steps to the temple. In Eastern religions, the number 108 has come to represent a variety of spiritual elements. In Buddhism particularly, there are 108 sins that one must purge themselves of in order to achieve a life void of suffering. For this reason, you descend the 108 steps at Yonggungsa to purge oneself from worldly sin.

After purging myself of sin (so to speak), I took some time to take in the beauty that surrounded me. Yongungsa is one of the most interesting and beautiful sanctuaries I have ever seen. With the ocean in the background and stunning Buddhist statues and temple rooms on the cliffs edge, it makes this a very unique and picturesque location to see.

We climbed around the rocks where there was a cast iron Buddha statue in front of which some Koreans were praying. Perhaps they must have been thinking “white people are crazy” when we proceeded to initiate a photo session in front of the sea. Our crowning achievement was an accurate remake of a South Park episode entitled “Faith +1.” Thanks to the photographic memory of Zach, we were able to recreate this timeless album cover for all our friends and family to gawk at for years to come. And gawk they will…. the picture is pretty sweet.

Next, we climbed up towards the temple and went inside. It was not unlike the plethora of Buddhist temples I had seen during my travels through Thailand, thought I must say; the ceiling architecture was extremely intricate and I had to pause a few moments to take in all it had to offer my eyes.

Before leaving, we climbed even higher to reach the large statue that overlooks the ocean below. The statue is that of “Kuan Yin (관음 관세음)” the goddess of mercy. It was an impressive statue with an even more mesmerizing view of the city below. I took some time to breathe in the view before marching on with my companions to find a way back to Busan.

Upon arriving in the parking lot, we realized a detrimental flaw in our attack on touring the temple; we had no exit strategy. While we stormed the beaches using a cab to take us into battle, getting ourselves home was another story. There wasn’t a cab in sight, we had no clue how the bus system worked, and none of us had yet learned how to fly; buzz kill. Even after asking some other foreigners for some much needed aid, there was little we could hope for besides walking down the mountain and hailing a ride from the town below. So we descended the peak (it was only like a 10 minute walk but I like to remember it as though it were only a smidge shorter than Everest) and finally got a cab back into Busan.

Working On the Night Moves

That night, we made our way to Gwangalli Beach in another section of the city. Instantly I fell in love with the vibe the beach gave off. While Haeundae was impressive due to its natural beauty, Gwangalli was striking in its architectural beauty. The beach surrounds a harbor with businesses, restaurants, nightclubs, bars, and hotels as far as the eye can see. The buildings light the dark sky a bright shade of neon red, green, purple and orange that emits from their electric outer structures. It could be the middle of the night and you wouldn’t even know it due to the brightness of the lights on Gwangalli. While some might think this to be over-industrious or commercially overbearing; I felt it gave the beach its own unique beauty you can find in few other places. Stretching out across the harbor is the magnificent Gwangalli Bridge. It spans the entire length of the harbor from end to end and is impossible to miss whilst strolling along the beach. The bridge complements its surroundings by glowing bright shades of neon red, green and purple through the night.

We made our way down the beach a bit and then decided it was time for dinner. I have found that in larger groups of 5 or more, reaching a consensus on a dinning location is nearly impossible. However, on this particular night, we all reached a rapid agreement to head toward this little Italian place we had passed by earlier. It turned out to be the 3rd best decision of the night! As we strolled in, it became clear this was not a “popping joint” (hey Andrew… 1953 called and they want their phrase back…right… I mean… right…). Then out of nowhere, a waitress came and sat us in the VIP room! It was absolutely amazing. I believe I read somewhere that the Queen Elizabeth, Obama, and Jay-Z once sat in the same location; but my memory may deceive me. It was a baller spot though; we sat on huge plush couches made of the softest sheep in Tibet (I can’t back this up), there was a 30,000,000 chandelier hanging over our heads (clearly not true), and our own button to push whenever we required services (okay, every place in Korea has this). Still, it was our own private room in which we ate delicious food, had a nice bottle of wine, and sat talking for 3 hours with great company. I can’t remember a time I talked for 3 straight hours (sober) in a room with anyone! It was good times all around and we all agreed that it was one of the best trips ever taken.

After some delightful conversation (loss of 3 man points for saying that) with my friends, we all once again made way to the beach. As we had done the previous evening, we sat for a few hours just chilling out, having a few drinks, and lighting off some fireworks. The highlight of the evening was having our British lassie (Nikki) yell out key phrases from the timeless masterpiece of a young wizard’s adventures at Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. My personal favorite was hearing Nikki belting out “wingardium-leviosa” while attempting to raise Gwangalli Bridge off its foundation. I swear I saw it sway a bit as she attempted for the third time. With one final “Harry, No!” by Nikki, we departed the beach and hopped in a cab for our next destination: Kyungsung University. I had previously read about this area as being the best spot for nightlife in Busan City. Since arriving, I had been plugging that we should visit a particular bar named “Ghetto’s.” While you make think I chose this spot for its eloquent sounding name, or that the website literally says the music is “loud and obnoxious,” and that it is a good place to “act like a total douche bag,” you would be wrong my friend. Ghetto’s had me at 1,000 tequila shots. I mean seriously, how can they offer prices like that? It’s like being back at Nickel Night in college! How could I say no!?

We found Ghetto’s after wandering around a bit in the Kyungsung area. Outside, we met a couple of kids from Norway that seemed pretty cool, so we told them to come up a join us for some drinks. The place was wild. There was a small ghetto looking bar (no pun intended) in the front, some chairs and tables scattered in the middle section, and a wide dance floor towards the back. It was pretty full when we stumbled in and the place appeared to be a fun time. We all huddled up quickly around the bar, ordered our shots, and got the party started.

All of the happenings at this particular bar cannot be placed on this post. I just don’t want any of this to end up as evidence in some court case, then I’d have to deal with lawyer fees, jail time, perhaps a firing squad in the end…. I just don’t feel like putting myself through all that again. However, I can tell you by the end of the night I had shaped up my dancing moves to something between a Richard Simmons “jog in place” and Michael Jackson’s “thriller moves.” I had worked my night moves into perfection, at least as far as I am concerned. It was a real fun time though. On top of all the fun dancing, due to a nominal fee being charged for tequila shots, I was able to buy a lot of people drinks. There’s no way they thought I was a baller though…. I mean it says “1,000 Shots!!!!” at the door. Still, in my sad little world, every time I lugged a few Koreans up to the bar yelling “shots on me boys,” I thought to myself… they must think I’m the man. In actuality they were probably just thinking, “cheap bastard… tequila again?!” Still, I fee as though I made some friends there and it was nice to have some others on the floor to scream songs out with; especially to my favorite tune of, “shots, shots, shots, shot, shot, shot, shots, shots, shot, shot, EVERYBODY!” Classic song.

Eventually the crew split up. Marc and I went our separate ways to hang out at a Family Mart for a bit while the rest of them stumbled home. We eventually were invited to another party, hung out for a bit and then made the long journey home from “God knows where” Busan back to the motel. By the time we arrived home, the sun had been up for a couple hours and it was nearing 9 o’clock. We figured we were screwed anyways so we ducked into a Korean restaurant and ate some Donkase (fried pork) before heading back home. I slipped into a comma after almost breaking down the door to wake up Zach and wanted nothing more than to just sleep for hours.

Final Battle: Fight!

Thursday morning provided a feat fit for an Olympic athlete. A trial that required the upmost determination and resolve that few have thus far accomplished: waking up before the hour struck 1:00pm. At 10, I thought it was not to be so; no amount of strength could empower a weak individual such as myself to rise at this hour! It was madness I tell you, madness. By 11, the pain of the previous nights adventures grabbed hold of me and attempted to beat me into submission. Though I struggled while tossing and turning in the sheets, there was no avoiding this debacle. By 12:30, a new enemy reared his face: Marc. Awake and ready to tackle the day full swing, he called out my name a few times and nudged me. All I could do was grunt... it was my only defense. Agony set in when Marc, unrelenting in his quest to wake me, released the Kraken! The window shade was torn away allowing in the vivid afternoon sun to our world of darkness. Like a Vampire being exposed to an ultraviolet ray, I let out a horrific scream that could be heard in parts of China. It was not the way I planned on starting my day; then again, we had little time to spare.

After a quick shower and change of clothes, I booked it to the Family Mart for some 808 Dawn and much needed water. Once they were nestled safely in my stomach, I was good to go. It was time to start preparing to leave this awesome city.

After collecting all of our belongings from the hotel, we all hopped into a cab and made way to our final destination: the fish market. I had read that if you go to Busan, you have to check out the fish market, so we were all pretty excited to see what it had to offer. Busan is the largest port in all of South Korea; nearly 60% of all the country’s shipping is done through this one port. While I thought I had seen some large ports before (being as I grew up near the coast), nothing can really compare to their size compared to Busan. We got in the cab at about 2:15, and it took us a solid 45 minutes to get to the fish market. Most of that journey was taken through the port district, so we got a great glimpse at all the business that is done in Busan everyday; hundreds of thousands of crates, ships, cranes, employees, and buildings line the entire harbor in central Busan. It is a sight to see, even for hung-over eyes. I was stressing a bit about time since I had to meet friends in Suwon by 7, so the cab ride could have been a bit quicker for me. Nonetheless, after a long ride along the coast, we finally reached the Ja-galchi Fish Market at about 3:00.

The J-galchi Fish Market is located only about 2km from Busan station. Upon walking into the open air section of the market, one is immediately attacked by the smells of the ocean… and there not all good. Fermenting squid, fish heads, live octopus, and marinating prawns are just a few examples of the vast array of seafood the market has to offer its visitors. Being a foreigner (a godforsaken waegookin), most of the displays are… well, foreign. As I said above, Koreans do seafood much differently from what I am used to, and it doesn’t always build up my appetite; still, its part of the experience to suck it up and take time to appreciate these kinds of things. That is why I am here after all.

The inner market was much more appealing to me. The actual bulk of J-galchi is kept in a large warehouse in the back (sounds a bit fishy don’t you think… come on… not even a little chuckle…. Just a little one…. You know you want to). From wall to wall on the first floor, live squid, fish, oysters and all kinds of creatures are kept out on display. The idea is that you choose your fish to eat here, and then bring it up to the second floor to have it cleaned and cooked for you. The idea seemed way too good to pass up, yet unfortunately I was on a deadline, and my time in Busan had come to a close. With my stomach growling and a heavy heart, Marc, Nikki, Zach, Kristin and I said our farewells to Lacy and headed towards the station.

Homeward Bound

We arrived at the station in the nick of time, not a moment to spare. We found a train bound for Seoul that would depart in about 10 minutes from the platform. I ran towards the line and saw that this was a typical Korean queue: mass amounts of people pushing and shoving their ways to the front of the line. There was no way we could make it. In an act of desperation, I ran to the nearest automated machine and saw an option I thought must have been blessed upon us that day: “English.” There was only one problem, the only option for the KTX was for 1st class. At about 80 dollars I hesitated at the thought and then realized we would be high class ballers for choosing this. Marc, Nikki and Kristin agreed; Zach hesitated but a moment. In his hesitation, Zach lost out on the purchase as we snagged our tickets and sprinted towards the platform. I’ll never forget looking back at poor Zach in the station and thinking…. “We left a man behind.” Marc would later state, “dude… we left Zach to die.” Left him we did, yet after paying all that money for the tickets, I knew he would one day come to forgive his traveling comrades from Busan.

We got to the tracks a few seconds early and had time to pick up some supplies for the journey back: Soju, Pocari Sweat, and waffles… the breakfast of champions as they say. Upon reaching our car, we realized that we were ballers. First class was really nice! Plenty of leg room, cup holders, fancy seats that only faced forward… it was perfect. The four of us spent the next three hours talking, telling stories, and playing ridiculous drinking games. No doubt the Koreans again were thinking “crazy white people.” Koreans are very quite apparently on trains, so 3 Americans and a Brit howling out laughter for 3 hours mustn’t have sat well with them. Oh well… sorry guys. By the time we reached the station, it was all too bittersweet that we all had to split up and say our farewells.

Busan was one of the greatest trips I have ever taken. I only wish that I could have spent a few more days there to take in some more of the sights. I only hope that the Ghetto Bar and Haeundae Beach are still the same when I decided to return in the coming months. That’s all for now!

Carpe Vita!

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Comments

[a fin]

Obscenities?
Do they really shout four-letter words during the ballgame? Were they actually intelligible to you?

[로이 (Roy)]

As you may know, Pusan is like my second home and you definitely made me miss it. FYI: you've only scratched the surface so you'll have to go back:)