Busan, part 1

High speed KTX train to Busan! From one end of the country to the other in 2.5 hours! It's a smooth ride, convenient, inexpensive, and some great scenery along the way. I highly recommend it!

Busan is really neat. At 4 million people, it’s the 2^nd largest city in S.Korea, but it doesn’t seem big or crowded. Maybe because I’m comparing it to Seoul (population 10 million). The look and feel of Busan is urban yet cozy. It’s hilly like San Francisco, and has a mild climate. 

Busan, being a port city, is famous for its seafood, and so … Seafood hotpot. Prawns, squid, crayfish, giant clams, crab, vegetables, and this bizarre chewy thing in a spiral shell. Omg.

Busan has this gigantic outdoor fish market that seems to go on and on. It was really impressive.

They even sold whale meat:

But what was even more impressive than the fish market was the awesome variety of visors the female workers wore. As the fish market had no end in sight, the visor variety was even more mind-boggling.

I don't know how Visor Nation began, but I do know how it advances. They indoctrinate their minions early:

A few more Busan notes to come ^^

Haneul Park

This is Haneul Park, near the World Cup Stadium. It’s an architectural and ecological wonder, as this huge hill/mountain is made from garbage! Instead of burning garbage, or dumping it into the ocean, they created layers of garbage and soil, and made a beautiful hilly park, perfect for walking or bicycling. 

The garbage emits methane and other gases, which is collected by sophisticated machinery, and reused for energy. Engineers from many countries have visited this park to admire and learn. At the top, all you can see is the sky above. It’s only at the edges of the top where you can see awesome views of the city.

A pathway made of rocks to walk barefoot on. I tried it and couldn’t last 5 meters. So painful! It’s supposed to help blood circulation. I think it helps jack.

Interesting looking veggies growing at the park. 

What is this?? 

 Chicken pot pie?

I love meandering, esp. when cool things pop up unexpectedly. Like this fantastic off-path area called Bookchon, near Gwanghwamun, lined with little shops and eateries. 

Stay tuned for posts about Busan, Kangwondo, and my hair salon experience ^^

Hodge Podge

This is a gigantic maze of food stalls near Dongdaemun:

I ate one of my favorites (dukbokki), bean pancakes, and was introduced to cow liver and pig’s ears. I ate it, but wasn’t very happy about it:

This is World Cup Stadium, home of Seoul Football Club. As I passed by it, I imagined the sweet chaos of 2002, when the fans were going crazy as Korea reached the final four. 

The nearby subway station is adorned with huge banners of the FC players, and the entrance was constructed to resemble a stadium grandstand!

One of my cousins has 2 boys, whom I met for the first time. They loved the fact that I came from the U.S. The older one kept wanting to speak English with me. The younger one kept wanting to climb on my back, especially when I was eating:

Self-serve drinking cups at this small restaurant used UV rays to sterilize. I was hesitant to open the door since I didn’t apply my SPF 75. But I did put on my Raybans, and wore extra underwear, just in case.

Signs of Life

Koreans have really taken to the policy of No Child Left Behind. I saw this sign at a men’s bathroom: 

I’m guessing there is a shelf on the stall door for the child to sit on and stare at his dad making a deposit. Awkward..?

On a related note, you know how in American supermarkets they have those mini shopping carts for kids to push around and mimic their parent? Child’s play. My mom took a photo of this woman’s stall. Just … wow.

This whole sign arrangement made me laugh:

Hello Jiny.

Life, liberty and the pursuit of cuteness:

I nearly hit my head walking and laughing at the illustration:

Where am I? Oh.

And finally, I saw this sign at a restaurant, pointing the way to the bathroom. Why, Korea, why? It's just so .... why??

N Seoul Tower

N Seoul Tower is a neat little getaway high above the city. Going up there on foot is quite a feat/feet. We decided to cable car it.

I forgot to mention that we (I) needed some serious carbs for the grueling cable car ride. So we bought some sweet red bean pastries, baked in cast-iron moldings on the street. 3 for a dollar!

Remember the lovers locks on the bridge in Cheju? At the tower, they have lock trees! 

And walls!

Perhaps the world’s most uncomfortable benches. But gravity does have a way of making you sit closer to each other, hehe.

For a lunch break, we had black bean noodles and tea at the tower restaurant.

As hustle/bustle as Seoul is, if you make the time, there are some awesome scenic spots for simple and priceless me-time. Serene walking road down from the tower:

This miles long man-made stream running through Seoul is also a neat getaway. This project was the current president’s claim to fame when he was mayor of Seoul. Some believe it was his ticket to the presidency. I’ve known of presidents with far less credentials …

Now for the randomness. At some public bathrooms, they have these soap bars attached to metal rods. How can something so clever be so foul?

Thanks to those of you who've posted comments ^^