BUSAN!

    Here is a little look at our trip to Busan.  We did a lot in only 30 hours.

Cassandra, Nadia, myself, Esther, Kristin

The five of us up and decided that it was high time for an adventure and a little exploration of Korea.  So we had a destination in mind--but how to travel and what to see?

Well, after some research on some of the best things to see (and all in mostly the same area to save time), we found that the Busan City Tour Bus was the best way to get around, with a 10,000 won flat fee for the whole day and buses at every destination every 30 minutes.

And since we had so many photographers on the trip, there were lots of photos! (Thanks, ladies!)

But before our day out on the city bus, we arrived Friday night at Gwangalli Beach.

We ate at a little, pretty traditional, restaurant.

And took pictures with "Asian" poses.

Among other things.

Then we played on the beach...

And went to the little amusement park by the beach.

Take a quick look at that first picture again.

When I got these pictures on my computer I noticed something funny--the ajussi seems to be pointing at us.  My guess is he was suggesting they ask the naive foreigners to ride with them (since there had to be more than 2 people for the ride to run).

Needless to say, they were successful.  But, apparently it's a ride that's in a lot of Korean dramas?  So I guess we'll just count it as another piece of the Korean culture experience rather than gullibility.

Then, later as we wandered the streets, we came across some singers on the streets.

We also ran into some dogs (with owners, of course) and had to pet them (the dogs).

After a bit more walking, it was time for bed.

Or rather, jjimjilbang!!!

That's the Hotel Aqua Palace--jjimjilbang (public bath house) and water park--right by the beach.  There was even a chandelier at the entrance (unfortunately I didn't get a picture).

Being a public bath house, a camera isn't something I'd really want to take with me, but we did manage at least one photo while there.

Don't laugh at us too much, because apparently this is a normal thing to do with your towel?  That, or Esther just wanted a picture of us with goofy towels on our heads.  Either way, jjimjilbang was a lot of fun, between the delicious plum and pomegranate juice and snacks to the toasty pebble sauna, and yes, even the baths were nice.  Sure, it was a little awkward for those of us not used to jjimjilbang at first, but we had a good time anyway and a nice view of Gwangalli bridge in the morning!

And then we were off!

A quick stop by an overlook of the ocean.

So clear!

And then there were the locks... which I guess I should explain here, but I think I'll just make another post of it later.  Or you can just read here.

When we arrived at our first actual destination, "75 Square," we hiked to another outlook of the ocean.

It was a steep hike.

Nice, Nadia.

From there, we hopped back on the bus for our next destination: Taejongdae.

Unfortunately (or not), the bus was pretty full, so we rode shotgun to the driver!

At Taejongdae we rode the trolley-bus instead of hiking all the way up. ("Ain't nobody got time for that!" *Ahem, Tabby*)

We hiked to the observatory and lighthouse, though.

And it happened to be the same spot where you could find dinosaur footprints.

 

The ajumma thought she'd get a picture of the crazy foreigners, too.

It was a bit windy.

 Mmm... look at that view.

Then it was time for lunch at Taejongdae before heading to our next destination.

...Spicy squid.  

(Cassandra and I ate bibimbap...)

And, from there, to Songdo Beach!

Success!

"Asian squat"

Weird poses.

Hmm...

 We're not entirely certain what happened in this picture... but it sure is funny!

And then there's the beach decorations.

And the splashing in the cold water.

And, finally, our last stop--Jalgachi fish market and Nampo-dong!

"COME! SEE! BUY!"

Why yes, we will.

COME.

SEE.

We ate one of these little guys still squirming. 

BUY.

After much deliberation, we finally decided on a place to eat.

We *may* have talked him down to a really cheap price, considering it's a pretty famous fish market... but he really worked with us on trying to sample several dishes (and not pay 25,000 per person!). This guy knows how to make a good business; the place was pretty packed by the time we left!

Look at how fresh that seaweed is!

Nadia shows how it's done.

Some people like snails more than others...

After much deliberation, we had decided on a few dishes to try.  Thanks for being such a trooper, Cassandra.  It wasn't that bad, was it?

I took a video, because there's really no way to comprehend this food and it's texture without really catching the movement.  (If you can catch it at all!)

And of course, something a little less wild.  A Snapper fish.

I wonder if that's why they call it a Snapper.

But, hey! We ate the whole thing! And it was tasty!

For our last course, crab!

And the owner, "Jacky," was even nice enough to take a picture with us!

After that little appetizer, on to the streets of Nampo-dong!

Street food!

Famous for it's film festival, the BIFF square in Busan.

Mandu!

Something Japanese similar to an omelette.

And 52 centimeter ice cream.

And then it was time to head back on the subway for the bus ride to Pohang.

There you have it! Roughly 30 hours in Busan!