As an Austrian landlubber, the first thing I did in Busan was going to the beach. For Koreans who are surrounded by water it might not be something special but the salty smell in the air, the whistling sound of the waves and the vastness stretching out in front of me make it always a unique experience for me when I come to the sea.
Therefore my first destination was Gwangalli beach.
solely meditating monk at Gwangalli beach
Gwangan bridge in a sea of fog ...
... and with the lights on at night
Gwangalli beach areaOn the next day I went to the fish market of Busan and took some time to walk along the numerous stalls where mostly elderly women sell all kinds of seafood.
king crabs and eel at the Jalgachi fish market
Jalgachi fish marketThe port of Busan is a huge compound divided into several parts along the coastline. Adjacent to the fish market is a very active area with lots of small and middle sized ships as well as some big cargo ships.
Busan port
fishing fleet
self-portrait ... but why so skeptical?
aground at the dry-dockBesides the port and the seaside of Busan I was also walking through the shopping and business districts in the heart of the city. The youth hostel where I stayed (which was actually more like a private apartment located on the 15th floor of a big office building) was right in the middle of Seomyeon, the buzzing center of Busan.
I'm always surprised when I stumble upon T-shirts in German. (this one says roughly translated: 'nothing can be estimated higher than the worth of a day' or more freely: 'there is nothing more valuable than a day')
beware ... happy hippo!
Seomyeon, the busy center of Busan at nightThe most famous beach in Busan is Haeundae where, even if the weather is cloudy and the water temperature rather chilly, hundreds of Koreans gather to enjoy the sea, the sand and themselves.
Baywatch in Korea
Haeundae beach
a little girl immersed in the beauty of the sea ...
... and awaken by its cold villainy.
mermaid(watch out Copenhagen, Koreans can be very competitive)
Due to the recommendation of June, the helpful and very friendly host at my hostel (an uncommonly long-haired Korean in his mid-thirties who practises oriental philosophy and fortunetelling) I visited the newly built Shinsegae department store. It just won an entry into the Guinness book of records as world's largest department store and I can truly confirm: this 14-story building is a mecca for shopping addicts. You can spend not only a day but maybe a whole week looking through all the goods and goodies there.
Shinsegae in Busan - the world's largest department store with cinema, Spa, indoor ice skating, huge shopping areas and a golf course on the top (it has also its own subway station with marble figures at the underground entrance)The main purpose why I went there was to relax a couple of hours in the 'Spaland' which has spacious bath areas with hot and very hot (86C) saunas (separated for men and women because everybody is running around naked) and shared relaxing areas where you can watch DVDs, have a snack or soak your toes in the outdoor foot bath. The environment meets the standards of a 5-star hotel at an incredible low price.
So ... forgetting everything else, I spent the whole evening there and at midnight had to take a taxi because I missed the last subway back to my hostel ... but hell!, I felt relaxed.
On my third day in Busan I payed a visit to Beomosa, one of Korea's largest Buddhist temples, located on a mountain in the northern part of Busan. My visit coincided with the solar eclipse that could fully be seen at several degrees of latitude south but only partially in Korea. However, as influences of traditional beliefs are still strong in many Asian cultures, there were quite a lot people spending the astronomical event at the temple.
entrance way to Beomosa, a large Buddhist temple on a mountain in the north of Busan
worshipers listening to the monk sitting in the building in front of themAfter looking around the temple buildings and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere, I decided to explore the surroundings of the temple layout. Just behind the wooden buildings is a small stream coming down the mountain which reminded me somehow of an alpine mountain torrent in Austria. The water was refreshingly cool and the trees spent some shadow ... so I almost fell asleep while resting on a big stone.
But there was a small trail awaiting me, running up the mountain. The Korean info sign said 2.5km to something I guessed was a name (or just another Korean word that I didn't know). I gathered up my curiosity and started climbing over the rocks at the beginning of the trail. The path was not exceedingly difficult although I was just wearing my sandals but due to the high humidity it felt like being on a jungle expedition.
Finally, after a lot of sweating (and some swearing), I reached the end of the trail and was welcomed by the remains of an old fortress wall.
on my way up the mountain(what the picture doesn't show is how much I was sweating in an air with at least 99% humidity!)
remains of an old fortressMy feet were a little bit tired when I came back down the mountain to Beomosa. Thus, I was not very fond of the idea of walking an additional hour back to the subway station.
But just as I was pondering about my pitiful situation, a taxi stopped right in front of me with two women on the back seats and a vivid conversation going on between them and the laughing driver. He asked me if I want a ride to the subway station for 1000 Won (about 60 Eurocent) and the next moment I was stretching out my feet on the front seat. A minute later we picked up two additional women who somehow managed to squeeze themselves into the back seats.
And so I ended up with four lively chattering middle-aged women and an amused taxi driver carrying us back to the subway station.
