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Published: June 14th 2006
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Jan and I took the 3 hour KTX (Speed Train) to Busan on Friday morning. We had set this weekend aside to do some adventuring. It all started at the Seoul Station where trains and busses set off to all over Korea. They run from Seoul to Sokcho, Mokpo, and Daegu, covering the country as though they are the veins that sustain its existence.
Busan is located at the most Southern tip of Korea. The city itself is not quite that different from Seoul. It has a subways station and towering buildings; there are street venders and even a Busan tower. What Seoul doesn’t have though is a fish market and beaches. Right when we got to Busan we dropped our stuff in a locker and headed down to Jagalchi Fish Market. When we arrived here, all we saw were piles of dried fish, setup in outdoor stands, so we walked through a main gate and headed to the dock. Here there were Opas (Old men) fishing and large ships coming into the harbor. The sea breeze was refreshing, a nice change from smoggy Seoul air.
Once we went back out to the main street, we saw an entrance
to the real fish market. There were rows and rows of live squid and eel; Adjumas sat in circles around huge piles of dead fish and knife in hand; people offered us raw fish to try and we even witnessed a few beheadings. When we found an open door that lead out to the dock we stepped out again for some fresh air. Here we were met by a kind Opa who offered to give us a ride on his boat, for a small fare. We took him up on the offer and enjoyed a cruise around the harbor in a little canvas-covered boat.
We then went to find a hotel in Haeundae, where the most popular beach is. We went walking around that night on the beach and while trying to make it to the lighthouse, found a beautiful statue of a topless mermaid. The next day we got up and walked straight to the beach. The weather looked nice, but it was actually pretty chilly and the wind blew the sand in every direction. We sat in the sun for a while and ate out packed lunch with wine. After that we played some Frisbee and went
down the beach again to walk. Along the shore we ran into a few people from the International House. It turns out that we were not the only ones wanting to get away. Small world.
We then set off on a mission to find the lighthouse, which was a different way then we originally went. As we walked around the Hilton Chosun, we were greeted by a view of skyscrapers and the Namhae Bridge against the ocean. It turned out again that we went the wrong way because we came to the exit of where the lighthouse was. The guard did not let us in and made to walk all the way around a small mountain to the entrance. By the time we got there the exhibit was closed, but there was still a really peaceful view of the ocean. It turns out that the lighthouse was a fake too. I was a little disappointed about that.
After we had dinner, we went to find a nice view of the Namhae Bridge, which is the largest one in Korea. It is said to compare with the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and Joanna recommended that we saw
it at night when it was lit up. Having seen the Golden Gate Bridge myself, there was no comparison. The poor Namhae Bridge looked like a small model, but it was still very beautiful.
We then went back to our Hotel, which was actually a “Love Motel.” Located under the protection of cheap castle towers. Needless to say the quality was a little lacking, but the pink circular bed made up for it in laughs.
The next day we went to Beomeo-sa, the most renowned temple in the area. We had to take a cab up the mountain just to get there. Here we found a large variety of temples and stone paths stretching through lush green walkways. There was also a museum and gift shop. It was extremely touristy though, but the mountain backdrop and bamboo forests were breathtaking.
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Carly
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EWW~~!
Ewww! for the fish and heeeeeey love motel ;) :) When ya come home?