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 I suggesting checking it out on Google Maps, how this thing was ever built is amazing!
Whilst it wasn’t a particularly hot day there were still plenty of people having fun in the water and even a few swimming. Apparently in the hight of summer the beaches are teaming but since most Koreans don’t like getting a suntan they bring thousands of umbrellas - just take a look here!
Enjoyed this post? Please subscribe to my RSS feed to stay up to date.
ShareThis
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 showing it’s age and some parts look badly in need on repair. Hopefully any restoration work will be sympathetic and not loose its rustic look as has happened with the ancient sites in Beijing.
If you fancy finding your own piece of enlightenment Beomeosa runs a “temple stay” program where you can go and live like a monk for a few days - you can certainly see the appeal of sitting around this sort of place meditating with none of the distractions of modern life.
Above the temple is a hiking path along side a small stream which leads to the summit. Unfortunately I didn’t have enough time that day to get to the top but on a hot day the cover of the trees and the are an ideal place to get out of the sun.
Enjoyed this post? Please subscribe to my RSS feed to stay up to date.
ShareThis
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 opportunity to start a few fires and no doubt destroy my taste buds in the process! The dish of choice this evening was another very spicy chicken dish with rice, simple but ever so delicious. I like the way you always get chilled water in metal cups in Korean restaurants, simple but refreshing.
After filling up it was time to explore the city centre and it turned out that night was the best time to see it. With thousands of neon shop lights illuminating the narrow streets it felt like being on a different planet. The atmosphere was pretty lively with mainly young people out shopping and enjoying themselves. It would appear at a glance that the economy is doing pretty well in Korea with people many people clearly having considerable disposable income.
On of the more intriguing sites was a game arcade full of people playing various games at alarming speed - I’m not quite sure how to describe it but check out this video for an example - those crazy Asians! Another craze was groups of friends going in special photo booths and taking photos which can then be customised on a touch screen computer to add rather girly effects… all very stupid if you ask me 
I eventually made it hope around 2am and considering I’d been up since 6am collapsed directly onto the hard floor mat which served as a bed… it’s a hard life!
Enjoyed this post? Please subscribe to my RSS feed to stay up to date.
ShareThis
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 even less if you buy a group ticket.
Shooting through the mountainous countryside of Korea I saw another side to the country, quite unlike the sprawling megalopolis of Seoul. Small cities, farms and industrial complexes all passed in the blink of an eye, perhaps reflecting the speed at which South Korea has developed over the past 50 years. Korea is undoubtedly a beautiful land and still relatively unspoiled. It has yet to take off as a major tourist destination which in my opinion makes it even more attractive.
The journey was to be about the only rest bite I got that day leading up to a fairly frenetic evening in the neon lit thoroughfares of Busan!
Enjoyed this post? Please subscribe to my RSS feed to stay up to date.
ShareThis
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 just over an hour to explore the massive site.
At around 12 noon it was time to take a bus and two subway lines back into central Seoul and the main train station in a mad dash to catch the KTX (bullet train) to Pusan and what would turn out to be a very long day…
Enjoyed this post? Please subscribe to my RSS feed to stay up to date.
ShareThis
Recent Comments