Archive for September, 2007

Dongdaemun

Posted on September 30th, 2007

As my plane back to the UK wasn’t until midnight on Monday I decided to have a final explore of some of the things I hadn’t yet seen which included both Dongdaemun and Namdaemun markets, centred around the historic city walls. Dongdaemun means “Great East Gate” and was the major eastern gate in the wall that surrounded Seoul during the Joseon Dynasty. Today it’s marooned in the middle of a busy roundabout looking somewhat forlorn, no longer gatekeeper to a city which is grown way beyond its original boundaries. Surrounding the gate is Dongdaemun Market, consisting of over 26 shopping malls, mainly specialising in retail and wholesale fashion items. With over 30,000 shops you’re pretty spoilt for choice if you like that sort of…

Escape from Busan

Posted on September 28th, 2007

After a leisurely afternoon in Busan it was time to catch the KTX back to Seoul. Unfortunately I had rather underestimated the amount of time it would take to get back to the accommodation to collect my things and then get back to the train station. This turned into a mad dash to make the 8.55pm train which I made with barely 5 minutes to spare. Funnily enough the KTX train journey was faster than this little detour! Having made it back to Seoul it was back to the guest house for a final few winks sleep before my last day. Unfortunately I woke Monday morning to find a huge cockroach on the wall above my bed. For someone who is only used to…

Chungnyeol Shrine

Posted on September 26th, 2007

Having been running around Korea like a crazed manic the previous week I decided to take Sunday a little slower (at least that was the original plan). Late morning I headed to Chungnyeol Shrine, “where the spirits of the patriotic martyrs in Busan region, who have bravely fought against the Japanese troops in the battles under the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592 and died heroic deaths, are enshrined.” You probably get the picture, just a hint of anti-Japanese fervour here! …along with some massive fish but surprisingly few people. One of the benefits of travelling in Korea is that you generally don’t seem to find massive hordes of foreign tourists at the big sites (even less at the small ones) which can make…

Jagalchi Market

Posted on September 25th, 2007

One of the highlights of my trip to Busan was visiting Jagalchi Market; Korea’s biggest seafood market right next to the port where all the produce comes from. On display were the most amazing array of strange creatures from common mackerel to huge squid, and even whale meat being sold by old women (‘Jagalchi Ajumma’) on small stalls along the road. Whilst I’m not much of a seafood fan the market was a great place for photography and I think I got some nice results… I’m not sure how anyone could put up with the smell of raw fish and guts all day long but I guess they get used to it! Perhaps even more disturbing is the fact that eating live squid/octopus is…

Sadako on Seoul Subway

Posted on September 24th, 2007

So I was sitting on the subway in Seoul early morning minding my own business when I felt something rest itself on my shoulder. Looking down in horror I saw a faceless head uncomfortably close to my own and for a split second wondered if Sadako (from Ringu fame) had finally come to reek her terrible revenge on me… (her victims “die of fright”) Alas no, a local had unconsciously decided my shoulder looked like a comfortable place to sleep! Whilst I awkwardly tried to nudge her off me a friend who was conveniently sitting opposite (now in hysterics) took a pic – censored to preserve my anonymity and dignity N.B. I meant to post this before the Korean Folk Village episode, which is…

Kwanganri Beach

Posted on September 23rd, 2007

After heading back into the centre of Busan it was time for lunch. Stopping somewhere near Pusan National University we found a restaurant where we ordered iced-noodles (Milmyeon – a local speciality) with fried rice and chicken (Dakgalbi Bokumbab). Eating noodles in ice was certainly a new experience for me but to be honest I wouldn’t call it my favourite dish although everything else was delicious. In the afternoon I got my first proper look at the coastline in Busan, which is after all a port city! Surrounded by tall buildings Kwanganri beach was somewhat surreal but even more extraordinary was the huge double-decker suspension bridge they had built straight across the bay on the horizon. My pictures don’t really do it justice so…

Beomeosa Temple

Posted on September 22nd, 2007

Nestling on the side of Mt. Geumjeongsan overlooking Busan is Beomeosa Buddhist temple. Surrounded by lush forest and bamboo groves, along with the fact that this is an active temple with monks still in residence, this is definitely not one to miss. It’s not the easiest place to find, being near the end of the subway line and bus journey up the mountain (take the No. 90), however it’s dirt cheap to get in so you can’t complain! One of the Heavenly Kings standing guard (above) in a gate house through which all visitors must pass to enter. Whilst the original 678 temple complex was burnt down by the Japanese in 1952, along with seemingly everything else in Korea, the 1613 reconstruction is certainly…

Evening in Busan

Posted on September 21st, 2007

Arriving in Busan around 5pm I made my way by taxi to my accommodation which unfortunately was the other side of the city and a pretty long distance away at that. The room I was staying in was part of a small complex above a 24 hour convenience store (convenient in itself!) and a short distance from a subway station. On first inspection I couldn’t find the shower but a closer search found it hanging over the toilet – this was compact living taken to the extreme! By this point it was around 6pm and about time to find some sustenance… For some reason Koreans always seem to expect westerners not to be able to eat spicy foods but I for one love the…

Korea Train eXpress (KTX)

Posted on September 20th, 2007

Public transport in South Korea is second to none that I’ve seen before, certainly on par with the likes of Switzerland. Buses, Trains and Subway systems are clean, modern, comfortable, and efficient with signs provided in both Korean and Roman characters so that hapless foreigners can get around without to much difficulty! For my journey to Busan (in the South) I took a high speed KTX train, comparable to Japan’s Shinkansen (bullet train) or France’s TGV (which KTX technology is based on). Travelling at over 300 km/h the journey only takes 2.5 hours, cut from 6 hours on a normal train! Unsurprisingly, although the tickets aren’t cheap, they’re still considerably less that what you’d pay for the same length journey in the UK and…

Korean Folk Village

Posted on September 19th, 2007

On the Friday morning I got up at 6am and made the two hour trip to the far south suburb of Yongin just outside central Seoul. Located here is the Korean Folk Village which is a sort of living museum displaying the various elements of traditional Korean culture. Luckily the rain had stopped overnight and the weather was pleasantly warm. As well as live performances of traditional Korean dance and wedding ceremonies you could also see different types of Korean dwellings (by social class), markets, and crafts etc. To be honest its probably more aimed at Korean children (there were many school trips being ferried around) but it’s still interesting to see from a foreign perspective and it was a shame I only had…

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