Cities
in Korea have all been paired with adjectives and…words? Hi Seoul. Colorful
Daegu. Good Chungju. Happy Suwon. Fly Incheon. Amenity Seocheon. Better Life
Yeonsu. Fantasia Bucheon. Jump Namwon and
Jump Changnyeong. It’s Daejeon. Let’s Goyang. Alright alright, Let’s Goyang is
pretty good, but seriously. Hire me.
On
a rare three-day weekend I headed to Dyanmic Busan, Korea’s next biggest city
of 3.7 million. Located on the southeastern coast of Korea, it’s the fifth busiest
shipping port worldwide. Busan is also home of the Shinsegae Centum City Department Store
known as the largest shopping complex (mall) in the world. But it’s summer when
Busan really comes alive as Koreans flock to the beaches. Busan is unmistakably
more relaxed than Seoul.
The
weekend began bright and early on the Mugunghwa ‘slow train’ leaving from Yeoungdeoungpo
Station. I’ve finally admitted that I’m a morning person.
Even if I’m tired I feel much more in tune with myself when I wake with the
sun. Trains are also my favorite way tot travel. A forced excuse to relax and soak up
the scenery of rural towns, farms and mountains. Thankfully there were noraebangs on board, heaven forbid I go
four and half hours without karaoke! So traisian.
At
Busan Station, Caitlin and I proudly figured out how to use the lockers to
stash our bags for a few hours. The lockers were fingerprint protected. It’s
not just me, this is awesome, right?
First
stop, a stroll through Yongdosan Park to reach Busan Tower. The tower isn’t
particularly attractive in and of itself but the 360° views were awesome! I
need my aerial view. Were we just tired or was the tower swaying…a lot? Either
way, time to come down…
The
downtown area of Nampodong is home to stores, vendors, street food, and
entertainment. The annual Busan International Film Festival takes place nearby
so we made sure to reach the epicenter at BIFF Square.
Eventually
we found ourselves at the Jagalchi Fish Market, the largest fish market in
Korea. Again, an incredible variety in species. A dried fish market and numerous
restaurants occupied the second floor. Many restaurants persuasively fought for
our business but only one ajumma
could win. Raw fish and other cooked seafood, plenty of veggies, a beautiful
view of the harbor.
Seoulites
told me the accent in Busan is stronger. I initially thought the waitress said
hello in Spanish (because that makes sense) but quickly realized she must be
offering me ‘cola’ (which also doesn’t happen in Korea.) Wrong again. It
was just water, which in Seoul sounds like mul
but in Busan sounded like mola.
Gwangalli
Beach was the recipe for evening relaxation. Gwangan bridge and a glowing skyline
framed the coast. We walked along the beach, enjoyed haemul pajeon on the sand, and sipped persimmon wine while being
mesmerized by the changing colors of the bridge.
Our
hostel was adorable, despite a resident bunny who looked far too familiar to an
evil, cord-eating bunny I used to know. The bedding was pink and frilly enough
for a princess. However, roommates can make or break any hostel experience. And
since it was apparently of the utmost urgency to rustle plastic bags before
7am, we didn’t catch up on sleep as planned.
Saturday
morning took us to the mountains to Beomeosa Temple, the foremost temple in
Busan. A combination of subway and buses rendered the trip a bit lengthy but
the temple was scenic and peaceful. After a while, temples and palaces begin to
look quite similar in Korea/Asia. Sitting aside a bubbling brook while drinking
homemade shikhye on a perfect
weathered day was most enjoyable. A few chatty Koreans stopped to talk to/at us.
As a result we learned of the free lunch served at the temple. Bring on the bibimbap and doenjeong jjigae, though Caitlin would probably have preferred to
not walk up the temple hill for a third time…
My
original itinerary had us visiting the fortress and a second unique temple in
the area, however, lack of appropriate footwear became a hindrance. Instead, we
journeyed back south to Taejeongdae, a park spectacular cliff views.
Unfortunately, the perfect day turned overcast and we were also a bit pressed
for time. The views from Taejeongdae warrant a revisit on a clearer, less
rushed day.
Exhausted
is an understatement about how we felt by the evening. Luckily, Busan has quite
the assortment of jimjilbangs to choose
from. The rumored view at Vesta Spa ultimately won us over. Unfortunately by
the time we arrived it was dark and the ocean was an invisible black abyss at
night. Caitlin and I baked ourselves in a clay oven and soaked in hot mineral
baths, full relaxation mode, as city lights twinkled below. The most memorable
feature of this particular spa was the outdoor hot tub. To top it off, an adorable
Korean toddler with his fishing rod, learning English letters on a steamed up
window. At the spa, we tried the notable Busan mil myeon for dinner, a thin and cold wheat-based noodle.
“Are
we crazy?” I thought as our Sunday morning alarm rung at 4:30am. It was still
dark but we hopped in a cab to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple to arrive before the
sun. The chants of Buddhist monks at a gorgeous coastal temple as we awaited
the new day proved I was of a completely sane mind. The sun shone pink as we
meandered through the temple, greeting Buddhas big and small. We even paid our respects to the Pagoda of Traffic Safety, because let's be real, we live in a city with questionable driving.
A stroll
along the popular Haeundae Beach followed. In the summer, you can hardly see
the sand due to hoards of people, blankets, and umbrellas. However, on an early
April morning the crowds were quite thin. Before returning to the hostel for a
free breakfast, we passed through Haeundae Market which was only just beginning
to stir.
With
time to spare, I explored Dongbaek Park on the far end of Haeundae Beach. Though
only trying to maximize a few remaining hours in Busan, I was awestruck by the
scenery. Busan seems greener and more natural than Seoul. Even the small
touches, like potted flowers on the streets. A boardwalk hugging the coastline
offered views of striking coastline, a little lighthouse, the Nurimaru APEC
building, and the Haeundae skyline. My impression was most likely colored by
yet another perfect weathered morning. Winter is firmly behind us and I’ve
realized just how giddy a sunny spring day can make me.
Our
remaining few hours ended where they began, wandering about Nampodong, hoping
for postcards but at the very least securing a schneeballen. Don’t ask me why,
but this German treat has gained popularity in Korea. Schneeballen? I’m not
sure myself but perhaps I can give you an idea. Fortune cookie loosely folded
into a ball, covered in chocolate, and then crushed with a wooden hammer. Weird
but that’s how I like it.
The
train ride home via the high speed KTX only took three hours, but due to my
exhaustion level it felt longer than the slow train. A full and fantastic
weekend. Back to home sweet Seoul.
