November 8, 2009

Busan

wow, the past 36 hours were so amazing. I had an amazing trip to Busan with my friends Caitlyn, Liane and Elina. Elina speaks Korean so it was the most stress free trip Caitlyn and I have ever, EVER had. Ill start from the beginning.

Friday Train Station: At Seoul Station Liane, Caitlyn and I met up with Elina. We bought tickets for the train and helped another woman from Europe out with getting her tickets. Our tickets were facing backwards and the train ride was about 2 hours and 45 minutes long so I was a little worried but it didn't make me sick at all. Right when we got to the station (4:13pm) we bought tickets for the last train back on Saturday night (a 10 oclock train). It seemed a little stretched for time but Elina had to leave then so we decided to all just go with her. We also went to the tourist information center where the lady called to make sure the Blue Backpackers Hostel had room for us and Elina called to get directions so she could give them to the taxi. We got in the taxi and Elina and him were talking the whole time. Of course the taxi wasn't very expensive and we got to the Hostel with no problems. After settling in Elina gave us some cactus chocolates from Jeju which were surprisingly REALLY good. I'll have to try and find some in Seoul. After eating some chocolate we got on the subway and went to the Gangwan beach diamond bridge place. The lights were AMAZING. so pretty. The bridge and all the buildings kept changing color. Then after that we went to a Korean Barbecue where we had some American beef ( a lot cheaper than Korean beef) and it was SO good. I was so satisfied by that meal. And the waitresses were very nice too they kept coming and sitting with different people and they talked to us for a while and it was all very casual, (we were also sitting on the floor with our shoes off) and it was a nice different style of eating because in Seoul they try and get you out quickly. After that we decided we really wanted some ice cream so we went to the family mart and bought some ice cream and soju and headed back for the beach. While on the beach we saw a ride that kept peeking from behind some buildings and decided we really needed to go to the festival. We went and it was SO cool. Caitlyn and I rode a mechanical bull and won free things then Elina, Liane and I went on the "viking" which is the ride that swings back and forth and it went on for SO long. seriously I'm used to rides being short but in Korea they really give you your moneys worth and it was soooo torturous and funny I couldn't stop laughing because we were swinging SO high and it went on for so long. It was just a funny situation becuase there wasn't anything we could do about it. We screamed a little for the first 5 or 6 times we went up and down but then people just stopped screaming because there was nothing we could do and it was lasting for SO long. After the ride we were planning on going on the bumper cars but forgot because Caitlyn discovered this panda dog thing that you could ride around. That was really funny so I decided to add a picture plus I know how to use the pictures now.

So we left the fair because we saw a ferris wheel off in the distance and as we were walking toward that we came across a fish market that no one was at and it was really creepy because everything was green and fishy. After discovering the ferris wheel was being turned off we decided to go back to the hostel so we took a taxi back. At the hostel I climbed up onto a top bunk and fell asleep to hear that if we wanted to see the action of the fish market we'd have to go at 4 or 5am in the morning and that wasn't going to happen so we slept until 8:30 and woke up then went on our way to the Buddhist temple. Before heading out we were told there was complimentary breakfast from 8-11am on the roof so we thought that would be cool but really it was just some toast and instant coffee. It was really strange so we went to coffee bean before heading out. At the temple it was really cool there were a lot of really old temples, really old, and people praying and stuff. We got a free lunch from there which involved rice, kimchi, bean sprouts and some soup stuff. After the temple we decided to go to the other beach that was there. I had made it my goal to go swimming in the ocean when we went there. I brought my bathing suit and everything and we got to the beach and there was NO ONE swimming. There where some boys from what we think is the Philippines playing frisbee in THONG bathing suits. So because no one thought I would go swimming I bought a small towel from the G25 and then changed into my bathing suit in the bathroom and went swimming in the ocean!!! It was amazing I'm so glad I did it even though no one else went. After a while Liane decided she wanted to go swimming too so that was fun. Besides being a little uncomfortable running to the bathroom again all sandy and wet the ocean swim was very successful. We took a taxi to the raw fish market and it was really cool there. There were a lot f fish laying out and squid and octopus and I even saw a pig face!! After that we walked around the "international market" which wasn't very good then had some dinner. We got to have wine and CHEESE. I don't even like cheese but Korea is extremely lacking in having any cheese and it was so nice. Then we went to the Busan tower. It was dark so the lights were really pretty. Liane and I talked to some men from India doing research for universities in Seoul and it was nice to talk to some foreign men who weren't creepy. I informed them that my favorite restaurant in Seoul is Benares an Indian restaurant. After the tower we had to go back to the hostel to get our bags and just crashed in the common room with the computer and TV until we heard bangs against the windows and that was really scary/ funny because all throughout the trip Liane had been starting stories with "4 English girls lost/trapped/last seen..." even though she's the only English one. so we peaced out of the hostel and got a taxi to the train station. On the train on the way home I had Elina help me with my Korean speach that I have to give this week about what I did this weekend. Then Elina went to go change her pants and the group of people at the table next to us on the train started speaking in English to us asking where we're from and saying they have relatives studying in the US and Caitlyn made me do my speach for them. They applauded :-) When we got to the train station Elina's parents picked us up so meeting them was fun, they were really nice espeically because they drove us home and it was 1am. I said my speach for them again then we got to CJ and I took a shower because I smelled like ocean, fish and grossness then crashed on my bed.
That was the most relaxing trip I've ever had in Korea. So nice, now I'm more determined to become fluent in Korean.

2 comments:

  1. Love those panda dogs! How far did you get to go on it? Sounds like a great trip. I'm glad you went to another Korean city.

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  2. got pretty far probably could have riden it down the block but they probably wouldn't have let that happen

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