Seokbulsa Temple

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

Known as the “Stone Buddha Temple”, or Byeongpung-am (the “Folding Screen Hermitage”), Seokbulsa Temple is perched high upon Geumjeongsanseong Mountain. The temple is a bit of an anomaly – the majority of Koreans and foreigners I’ve spoken to have never heard of it, yet it is consistently ranked as a “must see” by Lonely Planet and other travel blogs. I was excited to be let in on the secrets of Seokbulsa.

I visited the temple in mid-April, a month that was all about early morning wake-up calls on the weekends. Following a Saturday night slumber party with the girls, we woke to an overcast Sunday in Busan. Nonetheless, we laced up our runners, downed our requisite Starbucks lattes, and began the great journey to Seokbulsa.

The subway ride itself was a bit of a voyage, as we had to switch from the green to the brown to the red line. Once we reached Oncheonjang, we caught a cab to the base of Geumgang Park, the grounds which house both Seokbulsa and the Geumjeongsanseong Mountain Fortress. The rain was starting to fall at this point, and I remember thinking, “I hate this already”.

Just beyond the entrance of Geumgang Park, we found the ticketing office for the cable car up to Geumjeongsanseong Mountain. My spirits were lifted at the prospect of being physically lifted up the mountain, plus, I had never taken a cable car before. I’m all about experiencing everything, but I feel like I need to ride a cable car at least once more in my life. The foggy views of Busan’s cityscape and the forest unfolding below us were absolutely breathtaking. I wrote the word “bumnaegol” in the condensation forming on the cable car’s window to mark my time there.

Once we reached the top, the hard work began. Apart from simply mustering the energy to hike to the temple, (we were still very groggy at this point), we also had to effectively navigate our way there. This was much more difficult than we had initially anticipated. We had assumed that we could simply follow a group of hikers to the temple, but quickly learned that there were dozens of trails; some leading the Seokbulsa, some leading to the Geumjeongsanseong Fortress, some leading to Beomeosa Temple, and some simply for meandering nature enthusiasts. The signs, obviously all in Korean, also weren’t exactly a big help to us either (0.8km to what, exactly?!)

Thankfully, a kind Korean gentleman offered his adept navigational skills, and put us on the right path to the temple. Originally, he led us to one of the fortress entrances, but recalculated to lead us through a quaint mountain hamlet, covered in cherry blossom leaves. There were rows of tiny, roofed tents occupied by smiling ajummas serving up rice cakes to groups of hikers sipping on thimbles of soju. The entire scene was completely picturesque, and we all agreed to return for lunch after we visited the temple.

After exiting the village, and gaining some assurances from other hikers (“Say-uk-bowl-sah Tem-pull-uh? This way?”), we finally reached the main path. We crossed small bridges, avoided tripping over numerous jutting rocks and tree roots, and descended a rather perilous flight of stairs bordering a quiet bubbling brook. This rather enchanted forest reminded me a little bit of the grounds surrounding Hogwarts, and I was almost breathlessly waiting for a pack of centaurs to hop out from behind a tree and offer us a ride on their backs to the temple.

The last leg of the journey to the temple can only be described as a “long and winding road”. The majority of the blog posts I had read about Seokbulsa indicated that this part of the hike would be treacherous and awful and so bad that you would slap your own mother in the face to avoid going back down. Apologies for the humble brag, but I didn’t find the hike any more strenuous than Mount Geumnyeonsan or Jangsan Mountain. That said, I was admittedly dripping in sweat by the time we reached the temple. Thankfully, it was a happy sweat.

I don’t know about the girls, but I felt vindicated once we reached the grounds of Seokbulsa. The temple complex housed a small, two-story stone pagoda, much less ostentatious than others I’ve seen throughout Asia. Before ascending the stairs into the temple, we stopped to appreciate the mountains rising from the mist in every direction, the attention to detail on the giant bell that hung in front of the temple, and most importantly, the placid beauty of a virtually deserted temple high above Busan.

Between the giant mountains and the six towering stone Buddhas staring down at me, I was reminded of how insignificant my daily worries are. I felt incredibly humbled as we left the sacred temple, pledging to remember not only how beautifully intricate the carvings were, but also how liberated they made me feel.

I had a very pensive hike back down, trying to internalize my pledge while also reminding myself to keep my weight over my knees – I’m no stranger to the old twisted ankle. After about 25 minutes, we reached the tiny village, where we enjoyed a celebratory meal of pajeon (a Korean pancake primarily made of green onions and leeks) and beer. It felt so good to toast to what we had achieved that day – all before 2PM! While I didn’t enjoy any pajeon (leeks, yuck!), I did try some roasted king crabs, a slightly less adequate snack to pair with beer than, let’s say nuts, but manageable.

If you’re going to brave Seokbulsa Temple, don’t half-ass it: bring snacks (I opted for granola bars and bananas), at least 2L of water (you’re going to sweat a lot), proper footwear (as I said, twisted ankles are no fun, and neither are blisters), as well as a positive attitude.

Seokbulsa is worth it if you’re concerned with gaining street cred for journeying to obscure locales, experiencing new things like riding a cable car or sampling roasted king crabs, and being astounded by the beauty of nature. Otherwise, maybe you ought to stick to Shinsegae.

Directions
To get to Seokbulsa Temple, take the Orange Line on the Busan Subway (Line 1) to Oncheonjang Station (stop 127). I would recommend taking a cab to Geumgang Park (approximately ₩3,500). Enter the park, and follow the signs to the cable car ticketing office. A round trip costs ₩7,000.

This Busan Haps review of Seokbulsa Temple contains very clear directions from the cable car, however, if you do get lost, show the following Hangul (석불사) to a fellow hiker and pray that you receive adequate directions.

Vesta Spa & Jjimjilbang

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

Who doesn’t love taking a relaxing spell in a hot tub in the dead of winter? The question is rhetorical, but just in case: everyone. Everyone loves a hot tub in the winter. The South Korean variation of this of course, as referenced in previous blogs here and here is the jjimjilbang. Strip off your clothes, dip your naked body into the old sodium chloride bath, and relax, (if the stares of the naked Korean men aren’t too distracting).

Mary and I ventured to Vesta Spa & Jjimjilbang in the dead of winter (which, in Busan is not all that bad) to warm our little bumnaegol souls. We had reached a very “I can’t with anything” point in our weekend, and decided it might be time to switch up our Spaland routine.

Vesta’s location on Dalmaji Hill was the first draw for me. If I were to ever live in Busan long-term, I would invest in property on Dalmaji Hill. It offers stunning coastal views along Haeundae Beach, is lined with cherry blossom trees during the spring, offers dozens of hiking trails, and is a quiet escape from the bustling urban sprawl of Busan.

Vesta Spa is a large, unsuspecting white brick building built into the sloping hill. Upon seeing it for the first time, I was reminded of somewhere in Greece, perhaps Mykonos. The service was friendly, and our fellow patrons were mostly families and couples. Mary and I paid our entrance, impressed with what we were seeing so far, and headed to our respective bath rooms.

I can’t say I totally loved everything about Vesta’s bath facilities. They were slightly most rustic than the other three jjimjilbangs I’ve been to in the past. Many of the baths had tawny, often oxidized pipes in plain sight. The bath water (as I had read in other blog posts before going to Vesta) was not quite as fresh as I was expecting. That said, I did enjoy the atmosphere of Vesta. The room was quite dimly lit and so steamy, offering a little more privacy for those patrons who desired it.

While Vesta’s facilities, comparatively, leave a little something to be desired, patrons are able to exit to an outdoor balcony and enjoy views of Haeundae from a hot tub. This is almost certainly Vesta’s most popular feature. Many foreigners know it as “the jjimjilbang where you can look out to the beach in the nude”.

Overall, I still think Spaland is superior, but I did like the “mom and pop” feel of Vesta. It’s really a Busan institution,integral to the fabric of the city, almost.. Plus, you can’t beat the location on Dalmaji Hill. So, what are you waiting for? Go get some naked views of Haeundae Beach already!

Directions
To get to Vesta Spa & Jjimjilbang, take the Green Line on the Busan Subway (Line 1) to Jungdong Station (stop 202). Take exit 5 and walk straight past the large shopping centre (called Rodeo). Continue straight up the hill and follow it while it curves to the left. Vesta will be on your left.  Alternatively, a taxi costs approximately ₩5,000. Entrance to Vesta is ₩10,000.

Photo by City Awesome

Photo by veganaroundtheworld.wordpress.com

Photo by saunasinkorea.blogspot.com

Beomeosa Temple

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

Photos by Stephanie Pellett. Check out her personal blog here, her Flickr account here, and her Instagram here for more beautiful photography.

“There is a well on the top of Mt. Geumjeongsan and the water of that well is gold. The golden fish in the well rode the colourful clouds and came down from the sky. This is why the mountain is named Geumsaem (gold well) and the temple is name ‘fish from heaven’.”

This summary of the origins of Beomeosa Temple’s etymology is from the Donggukyeojiseungram, a Korean geography book. Nestled up in the mountains, Beomeosa, like all good temples is remote, offering a peaceful, cultural day trip for tourists (like me!)

Admittedly, I had been informed that Beomeosa Temple was “pretty, but nothing special” from a few people. Regardless, I was eager to visit and form my own opinions about “the temple where the Nirvana fish play”.

I visited Beomeosa on a day when spring was positively springing with Steph, my co-worker Robert, and his fiancé Anna. As soon as we stepped upon the temple grounds, I could feel how hallowed and sacred they were. We followed a row of wisteria trees up to the main compound, which houses a three-story pagoda, multiples shrines, and approximately a dozen hermitages, presumably for the fighting monks who called Beomeosa home. I’m always amazed at the intricacies and attention to detail when studying the colourful shrines and gates at Korean temples. I found it inspiring. Like, if someone could spend all that time designing something so beautiful, then I can at least floss every day or blog three times a week, right?

Beomeosa, itself, was lost twice; first, in the 16th century at the hands of the pyro-happy Japanese invaders, and second, a mere decade later in an accidental fire. It was rebuilt in the 17th century. These days, however, it is still undergoing a “temple facelift”. There was, in fact, ongoing construction on a couple of the hermitages and halls while we were visiting. Whoever said cosmetic surgery in Korea is just for people was dead wrong.

Oddly enough, my favourite part of my time at Beomeosa was spent in a rather unique rock field, with a quiet stream running through it. Steph, Robert, Anna, and I sat for a while in a circle on the rocks, and even took a few moments to dip our hands and feet into the chilly water. I’m hoping to visit Beomeosa again so I can follow this path of rocks up to the North Gate of the Geumjeongsanseong Fortress, because I’m all about that hiking sweat life on summer days.

In addition, the four of us visited the Seongdo Museum, located on the temple grounds. There were a variety of Buddhist antiquities, including a Lego construction of the “Nirvana Fish”, where Beomeosa derives its name from. Bizarrely, this Lego “masterpiece” seemed to be a bigger deal than the relics that were hundreds of centuries old. Just nod and smile, y’all.

Beomeosa is one of the most important temples in all of Korea, and receives extra credit for its “Temple Stay” program. While I found the Haedong Yonggungsa Water Temple more visually pleasing, the tranquility of Beomeosa Temple was a welcomed sort of beauty. My recommendation? Visit Beomeosa on a sunny day, walk the grounds, have a picnic on the rocks, and continue up Mount Geumjeongsan. Then you’ll really be about that sweat life.

Directions
To get to Beomeosa Temple, take the Orange Line on the Busan Subway (Line 1) to Beomeosa Station (stop 133). Take exit 5 or 7 and turn up the road between the exits. After 5 minutes, you will reach the Samsin bus stop. Bus Take bus #90, and get out at the Beomeosa Temple stop (approximately 15 minutes).  Alternatively, a taxi costs approximately ₩6,000.

Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival

This is a Korean Bucket List post. Check out the rest of my list here.

A word to the wise: if you are a Type-A person intent on finishing everything on a fixed Bucket List, and have travel plans to a neighbouring city for a cherry blossom festival at the break of dawn, do not dance until 3:30AM at a club called Ghetto to “Drunk in Love”. Call it a night at 11AM after a single drink at the local watering hole, and get a good night’s sleep. Otherwise, you are going to hate your entire life. This personal anecdote brought to you by the Bad Decisions Council of Busan.

The Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, otherwise known as the Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival, is one of South Korea’s largest, held in unison with the commemoration of  famed admiral Yi Sun Shin. The festival took place this year from April 1st to 10th, when the cherry blossoms are looking the most beautiful of all (I apologize, but all Mulan references are justified).

Steph, Mary, and I woke up at an obscene hour to catch the bus to Jinhae to witness the spectacle. Given that the three of us slept in my twin bed for a grand total of three hours, we were in a bad place. Steph, ever the responsible one, ushered us out of bed to brush our teeth. I was so tired in fact, that after I got the toothpaste on my brush, I returned to my bed to brush them there. Soon, we were on the metro to Sasang, at the bus terminal to buy a ticket, and on the road to Jinhae.

I wish I could tell you that the rolling countryside en route to Jinhae was a dazzling grassland with sweeping mountains as far as the eye could see. Unfortunately, I was busy catching flies, mouth wide open and reclined backwards in my chair.

Once we arrived at the festival, we immediately began to look for the Yaejwacheon Romance Bridge, as advertised in all of the South Korean travel blogs as the “must see place in Jinhae”. Eventually, after following swarms of tourists from the train tracks onwards, we reached Jinhae’s cherry blossom mecca.

The stream really was the perfect spot. Lined with cherry blossom tree after cherry blossom tree, petals lightly rained down upon us as we ventured further along. We stopped for our requisite yoga photos (catch my crow below), and mostly gazed dumbfounded, partially from exhaustion, partially at the beauty of Korean nature. I like to think given my inarticulateness, my face seemed to say, “damn, nature – you pretty!”

Some of the festival’s other main attractions apart from the Yaejwacheon Romance Bridge included the Jinhae Inland Water Eco Park, the famed Gyeonghwa Train Station, the Mt. Jehwang Park Monorail, and Anmin Hill. According to the festival brochure, all of these places offered “beautiful views of the spring cherry blossoms” and were “sure to wow visitors”. We did end up passing the train station and the monorail, both of which I would have marvelled more at had I enjoyed an eight hour sleep. Alas, the appreciation was still there.

Apparently, there was also a military band parade and a multimedia fireworks show during the festival. I feel like, even if I had been in the general vicinity of these things, I wouldn’t have even noticed them happening because I was so fatigued.

The girls and I ended our time at the Jungwon Rotary, which acted as the festival’s main venue, replete with stages, markets, and booths. This was not before a pair of eldery ajummas ran up to Mary and literally gave her a smack bottom. I guess they enjoyed her Teeki leggings? We half-watched (what I’m assuming was) a memorial for the late Admiral, and half-rested our eyes as the sun beat down upon us.

In the aftermath of the festival, I felt a little guilty for not enjoying it more in the moment due to lack of sleep. That said, I was coherent enough to know what a beautiful place I was in, and I’m sure you would too, should you visit Jinhae. Just… get some sleep before, I guess.

Directions
To get to Jinhae, take the Green Line on the Busan Subway (Line 2) to Sasang Station (stop 227). Go out exit 3, turn left, and walk straight towards the Seoubu Bus Station. Buy a ticket to Jinhae for ₩4,500. The bus takes about 50 minutes (I think, I was asleep/incapacitated for the majority of it). From the Jinhae Bus Station walk straight for about 15 minutes to reach the festival grounds. Entrance to the festival is free.

The Busan Aquarium

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

Sometimes, I really, really love my school.

Like, when they cancel a field trip to a boring old arboretum to take the kiddies to the Busan Aquarium instead! This was good news for me because not only did I get to spend my day derping around with my seriously adorable homeroom class, but I also got to check another box off on the old Korean Bucket List. And for free! I’m trying to live relatively frugally these days, and frankly the ₩21,000 entrance fee to the Aquarium could be used to fill my gullet full of curry at Namaste. So, yay for an all-expense paid Brown & LCI field trip day!

I think if I had gone by myself to the Busan Aquarium, I literally would have been in and out in about 25 minutes, tops. But going with my kindergarten students was such a special treat. Their eyes were filled with a mixture of wonder and confusion, as the gaped at over 35,000 species of fish (or so the brochure told us). They may as well have been tugging at my heartstrings while tugging on my jacket, crying out “teacher!” as a penguin would dive into the tank and swim on by. Forget the fish, the looks of amazement on my kiddies faces were the real sight.

The Aquarium itself has three underground levels. We ended up visiting both exhibition floors, where we watched fish of the freaky and non-freaky variety, somersaulting finless porpoises, and penguins gliding majestically through the water. We walked through the glass-walled, seabed tunnel which felt just like walking on the ocean floor, as sea-life swam all around us. We also caught feeding time for the otters, and the kiddies had an opportunity to hold a starfish and other echinoderms. Tactile learning, y’all!

Afterwards, we were all ushered into the auditorium for the “Music Talking Show with Diver”. The entire thing was in Korean, so I’m not exactly sure what was happening. There was basically an enthusiastic lady onstage, furiously jabbering away at a diver equipped with a microphone in the tank. This was followed by some singing, a volunteer from the audience experiencing the gift of magic, and my own dripping sweat from sitting in a balmy room with three Korean children on my lap.

I was a little disappointed that my school didn’t splurge on the Glass Bottom Boat Experience, where one can float around a tank filled with sharks and other fishies, but I guess you can’t have it all.

Our school ended up eating lunch in the Aquarium’s cafeteria, where my kids stuffed raspberries and cookies into my mouth. Lunch time is one of the best parts of a field trip, because the parents always pack more food for their kids to share with us teachers. I get to bond with the kids and I get to eat their food. It’s a win-win, truly.

When lunch was over, we escorted the kids down to Haeundae Beach for about 30 minutes to derp around in the sand, before heading back to school.

As I mentioned above, I’m not sure how much I would have enjoyed the Busan Aquarium without the “oohs” and “ahhs” of my 30 Korean kindergarten students, but it’s a pretty chill to spend an hour exploring. If you’re down at Haeundae Beach and are looking for something to do, the Aquarium might be the sound of settling, but at least it’s a pretty splashing sound.

Directions
To get to the Busan Aquarium, take the Green Line on the Busan Subway (Line 2) to Haeundae Station (stop 203). Go straight out exit 3 or 5, and proceed straight for about 5 minutes until you reach the road running parallel to the beach. Turn right, and the Aquarium will be right in front of you. Entrance to the Busan Aquarium is ₩21,000 for persons 13 and over, and ₩15,000 for persons under the age of 13.

UN Memorial Cemetery

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

It’s quite easy to forget when you’re living in the industrialized, developed, modern city of Busan that South Korea as it exists today has not always looked this way. South Korea, as a nation is very young and the wounds from the Korean War are still pretty fresh.

Busan’s UN Memorial Cemetery is a solemn reminder of this fact. As the only one of its kind in the world, the UN Memorial Cemetery is a burial ground, paying tribute to the fallen servicewomen and men of the United Nations Command (UNC) during the Korean War.

Mary, Steph and I visited the cemetery on an overcast Saturday afternoon as a pitstop before our coastal walk at Igidae Park. The mood of the cemetery is pretty sombre. There certainly weren’t as many tourists snapping photographs of the grave sites as I’ve seen at other Busan tourist sites. The girls and I spent the majority of our time at the cemetery simply walking the rows of the burial sites, divided by nation, and paying our respects to the fallen service members.

I’m not a very patriotic person when it comes to Canada, but I did feel a sense of pride in seeing how much Canada assisted with the war efforts. 378 Canadians selflessly gave their lives during the Korean War, as members of the UNC. This number seemed quite large to me until we reached the UNMCK Wall of Remembrance. The 140 black marble panelled wall lists over 40,000 names of UNC service members, either killed or missing, during action. While Canada had about 4 panels, the United States casualties occupied the majority of the wall, upwards of 60 panels. Steph probably put it best: “You can read the figures of how many people died during the war, but it’s much more sobering when you see every name laid out on a sprawling marble wall.”

Apart from the main burial sites and Wall of Remembrance, there are memorials devoted to a number of the 16 countries involved in the UN’s war effort, including Britain, France, Australia, and Greece, two halls devoted to memorial services and memorabilia from the Korean War, and an interfaith chapel. There was actually a memorial service being held at the chapel as the girls and I were looping around to leave the park, so I got the impression that services happen daily.

While the UN Memorial Cemetery has a more grave and dignified atmosphere than other sights throughout the city, there is a lot of beauty to be found throughout the park. Upon entering, we were greeted by rows of neatly trimmed juniper trees. A little further, we came across a trio of beautiful cherry blossom trees. A group of ducks waddled past us after reaching the memorabilia display hall. Even though there is an overwhelming sense of sadness permeating throughout the grounds, it isn’t too hard to find beauty alongside history at Busan’s UN Memorial Cemetery.

Directions
To get to the UN Memorial Cemetery, take the Green Line on the Busan Subway (Line 2) to Daeyeon Station (stop 213). Go straight out exit 1, take your first right, and proceed straight for about 10 minutes. The UN Memorial Cemetery will be on your left. Entrance to the park is free.

Energy Core Noraebang

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

I get a lot of questions from people back home about life in Korea. The most common questions are usually “How are your kiddies?”, “Do you travel around the country much?”, and “Are you having trouble with the language?”. Another one, strangely, makes the cut, too: “Do you go to karaoke bars, like, all the time?”

The answer to that question as of a month ago, friends of the interwebz, is no. No, I do not, and it is shameful. A whole eight months had elapsed in Busan without belting out my favourite pop songs in a smelly, dank room with my friends. Luckily, I did know about the best karaoke room (or “noraebang”, as they are Koreans know them) in the city from Jess and Maddie. Why is it the best, you ask? Likely because its interior looks exactly like a spaceship. Yup, this is why I love Korea.

While we had hatched a plan to visit this noraebang before the girls left, it sadly never came to fruition due to time constraints. Thankfully, I have some amazing 3G (giving, good, and game) friends still kicking around Korea who love to sing and find my tone-deaf singing voice endearing.

Mary, Steph, Nina, Katie, and I visited the spaceship noraebang, called Energy Core, in early April. Energy Core was our first stop in KSU that evening, and the excitement was palpable. As we descended the stairs into the noraebang, we saw that Jess and Maddie were proven right. Energy Core had all the blinking lights, metallic gray walls, and leafy plants we could have ever wanted from a spaceship-themed karaoke place. We were very impressed with our service and our spacious room, with its sprawling red couch and polka-dotted pillows. There is truly nothing better than having expectations of dank smelliness and instead being treated like a space prince!

The song selection at Energy Core was absurd. I’ve heard tell that many noraebangs in Busan (and Korea generally) usually lack adequate songs for Westerners to sing, but this was not the case here. Energy Core’s songbook catered to American Top 40, K-Pop, J-Pop, and classic songs dating back to the 1970s (and perhaps beyond – I didn’t really study it that closely).

The five of us sang a variety of #relevant tunes including “Escape” by Enrique Iglesias, “Best Song Ever” by One Direction, “Red” and “22” by Taylor Swift, and “Timber” by Pitbull ft. Ke$ha. In addition, since we’re all living in Korea, we felt we would be totally remiss if a rendition of “Let It Go“, from the Frozen OSD, didn’t happen. The video recordings of these sing-a-longs will never see the light of day, I promise you that.

We closed out our hour at Energy Core with the rather nostalgic “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind (a total throwback to summer 2012). As the music stopped and the lights went up in our room, I couldn’t help but think how absolutely charmed life in Korea is these days.

Overall, Energy Core’s decor, songbook, and price are out of this world, so blast off into an hour or two of pure ecstasy with Energy Core today! (LOL space puns).

Directions
To get to the Energy Core Noraebang, take the Green Line on the Busan Subway (Line 2) to Kyungsung University/Pukyong National University Station (stop 212). Go out exit 5 and proceed straight. Once you reach the Outback Steakhouse, turn left and continue straight for two blocks. Turn right and the noraebang will be on your left. Take the stairs down to B2, and you’re at Energy Core! Entrance is ₩16,000 for one hour.

Busan Tower and Yongdusan Park

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

My first thought while researching Yongdusan Park was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I’m not exactly positive why, but I assume it has something to do with the etymology of the park’s name. “Yongdusan” translates to “dragon’s head mountain” and somehow this reminded me of Harry retrieving the Golden Egg from the Hungarian Horntail during the Triwizard Tournament. A non-sequitur if I’ve ever heard one, but YOLO.

My visit to Yongdusan Park, which is also home to Busan Tower, happened on a busy Saturday in Nampo (Steph and I had already visited Jagalchi Market and the Let’s Eat Alley earlier that day). Shortly after, we met Mary at Nampo Station, and headed up the escalator into the park.

Yongdusan Park boasts two pavilions, (one of which houses an aquarium), a statue of the famed Joseon Dynasty General Yi Sun-shin, a bronze dragon called Cheongdongyongtap (no doubt an homage to the “dragon’s head mountain”), and multiple stone monuments to literary figures and anti-government protestors. The park itself offered great bursts of colour, from the pavilion to the various gardens, and this was my first indication that spring was indeed on its way.

We stopped briefly when we came across a traditional fish throwing festival taking place in the centre of the park. [Note: Upon further research, I have learned that this occurs every Saturday at 3PM!] We watched as the large congregation of men and women, equipped with nets and baskets, swayed in unison to the sounds of a resounding drum-line. I’m still not totally clear on the significance of the ceremony, but I’m always interested in the unexpected, especially in Korea.

We made friends with a Korean gentleman at an elevated lookout containing a wall of “love locks”, a la Paris. After he snapped a few photos of the girls, he insisted on sending them to Steph via e-mail. Lo and behold, 72h later Steph received the photos. The kindness of strangers, right?

After checking out Yongdusan Park, we were ready for Busan Tower. We paid the admission fee, boarded the elevator, and ascended the 120m tall tower. When the doors opened and our ears finished popping, we were ushered into a quaint, albeit meagre, cafe. The Busan Tower has two floors at its crest – the first playing host to this cafe and sitting area, and the second housing an observation deck. Both floors have wraparound windows, offering somewhat mediocre views of Nampo-dong. I did find the views of Nampo Port and Yongdu Mountain nice, but found myself questioning why the tower wasn’t erected in an area with more to see.

One interesting feature of the tower is that each windowpane enlightens visitors as to what Busan sites they are looking at given their position in the tower (i.e. If you look out this window, you’ll catch sight of the Oryukdo Islands, Democracy Park, etc.). Again, Busan Tower is located in an area of Busan great for commercial shopping but less renowned for dazzling sightseeing. My personal opinion is that the tower would have been better suited to an area like Centum City, but alas, I am no urban planner.

While Busan Tower doesn’t offer the most spectacular views that the city has to offer, it’s worth a trip to visit Yongdusan Park during the warm months. At the very least, you’re five minutes away from Nampo’s premier restaurant, Arun Thai.

Directions
To get to Busan Tower and Yongdusan Park, take the Orange Line on the Busan Subway (Line 1) to Nampo-dong Station (stop 111). Go out exit 7 and turn left onto Gwangbokro Street. Proceed straight for about five minutes and you’ll come across the Yongdusan Park escalator (on the right side of the street). Entrance to the park is free, and admission to Busan Tower is W4,000.

Bound 4 Beijing

My wandering heart was not born from a family of explorers. My parents have always been content with a family road trip to Canada’s East Coast or a week-long stay at a resort in Punta Cana. While these family vacations are fond memories for me, the destinations always felt a little pedestrian. I love to travel and used to worry that I would never have the opportunity to really explore the world with my family.

Thankfully, this opportunity presented itself earlier this year when my older sister, Kayla travelled to China to visit her best friend. Given Korea’s relative proximity to China, I was lucky enough to spend 40 action-packed hours with her in Beijing.

The trip was a total whirlwind from the beginning. I boarded my flight with AirBusan on Friday evening at 7:30PM, landed in Seoul at 8:30PM, took the AREX train to switch airports in Seoul, caught my China Eastern flight at 11:30PM, and landed in Beijing at 1:30AM. This is all to say that I was completely knackered before I even reached Beijing-proper. I arrived at the Beijing Leo Hostel shortly after 2:30AM, where I was greeted with a warm hug from my slightly inebriated sister (she had discovered the bar with her newfound Australian friends). After about an hour of restless slumber, Kayla and I rose from bed, ready to greet our first Beijing morning.

1. Kayla at Deshengmen Gate bus terminal. Our original plan was to board the infamous 877 bus to the Badaling section of the Great Wall and spend our Saturday there. We were equal parts crestfallen and confused when we were greeted with wagging fingers and “No, no, no Badaling” repetitively. At this point, I had experienced the Korean language barrier for about six months so I didn’t find this situation completely overwhelming, just a little frustrating for my Type-A, plan EVERYTHING personality. We decided to spend our Saturday at Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven instead. Despite our disappointment, we marvelled at the beautiful sunrise and readjusted our thoughts from “ugh, Badaling” to “yay, Beijing!”

2. Me, at the Zhengyangmen Gate Tower in Tiananmen Square. Thanks to Kayla’s brilliant hostel booking abilities, we were but a ten minute walk from Tiananmen Square. The first thing Kayla and I explored was the Zhengyangmen Gate Tower, which was erected almost 600 years ago. The Square itself is massive in size; big enough to hold memories of the bloodshed from the anti-government protests a quarter century ago. The moments I spent in Tiananmen were a good reminder how insignificant my own problems are in comparison to the massacre that unfolded in that Square.

3. The Statue of the workers, in front of Mao Zedong’s Mausoleum. It’s so strange to think that Mao’s embalmed body was just hanging out in a crystal coffin in the Mausoleum behind this monument.

4. The Tiananmen Gate Tower into the Forbidden City. After walking across the Square, Kayla and I approached the Gate Tower entrance to The Forbidden City. We first yukked it up and took some photos in front of the classic portrait of Mao Zedong hanging above the entrance. It was no sooner that I finished my photos with Mao that my iPhone battery died. Yay for $50CAD cameras in the Forbidden City gift shop?

5. Pagodas on pagodas on pagodas. The palace complex itself was enormous. It was almost like sensory overload . There were so many halls and palaces – which one would we possibly visit first? Kayla and I worked methodically, perusing everything from the Hall of Literary Glory to the Hall of Spreading Righteousness. My favourite part of the complex was the Imperial Garden, with its 400 year old pine tree, incense burners, and beautiful Pavilion of Ten Thousand Spring.

6. Kayla and I in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Kayla and I enjoyed our time walking across the palace grounds. Despite an ambitious itinerary on Saturday, we were able to meander through the Forbidden City, derp about for photos to show our relatives, and sing “I’ll Make A Man Out Of You” from the Mulan OSD and “Bar, Bar, Bar” by Korean idol group, Crayon Pop. A very blissed out experience. Once we completed our walking tour, it was right onto our next bullet point: The Temple of Heaven.

7. The Hall of Prayers for Good Harvests in the Temple of Heaven. The Hall of Prayers at the Temple of Heaven is one of my favourite sights in the world, right up there with Berliner Dom and the Charles Bridge. It is so majestic, its designs so intricate – I was in absolute awe walking around the Hall’s perimeter. I was a little disappointed when we moved on to explore other areas, but I honestly could have sat and marvelled at its beauty until nightfall.

8. The park grounds at the Temple of Heaven. Another one of my favourite moments was walking through the serene park grounds at the Temple of Heaven. The trees reminded me of childhood in Eastern Ontario, where my friends and I constantly explored the wooded areas surrounding our elementary school. The Temple of Heaven was a perfect way to decompress and holds some of my dearest memories from Beijing.

9. A walk down one of Beijing’s historic hutongs. Kayla and I treated ourselves to a relaxing tuk-tuk ride around some of Beijing’s historic hutongs. These narrow alleys, replete with bungalow style homes and courtyards, have been disappearing steadily in the name of gentrification (boo!) which made the experience even more significant for me. Both our tuk-tuk driver and the hutong locals were so friendly, waving and bellowing “nǐ hǎo’s” at Kayla and I. The whole tuk-tuk ride felt so authentically Beijing and I’m thankful that Kayla suggested it!

10. Sharing a plate of Peking duck, because, Beijing. Kayla and I both agreed we couldn’t leave Beijing without sampling its most famous dish. We found a quiet little restaurant around the corner from our hostel, and settled into giant platters of Peking duck and spring rolls. Our conversation was minimal, reflecting how tired and hungry we were from a busy day in Beijing. We didn’t wait too long after our meal to rest up for a busy Sunday at Badaling.

11. Derpin’ strong at The Great Wall. Kayla and I woke up at an obscene hour to catch the train to Badaling. The train took about 80 minutes and offered spectacular views of the Yanshan Mountains. As soon as we stepped off the train, we were greeted by subzero temperatures and blustery winds. The weather felt even more severe with the 15lbs of luggage we were collectively carrying. As we trekked up the steep incline to Badaling, it soon became apparent that our baggage was not only causing tension on our shoulders but also amongst one another. Kayla was irritable and wanted to rest. I was eager to continue ascending, and wasn’t having any of her negativity. Kayla’s points were valid: it was absolutely freezing, our legs were chafed, we were not properly dressed, and we were not nearly rested enough. After about 20 minutes of bickering, Kayla rallied because she’s awesome. I kept reminding her every few steps that we were in one of the most historic places in the world and would be laughing about the situation in a few years. Her grimaces of pain indicated that she knew I was right.

12. A view of the Badaling section of The Great Wall. The Badaling section of The Great Wall has a reputation as “touristy”, given its relative proximity to Beijing. There were the requisite interruptions as I was trying to get my “Great Wall snapshot”, and vice versa, but on the whole our visit wasn’t too insane. I guess the snowfall wasn’t a huge draw for other prospective tourists. After a two hour journey, I finally acquiesced to Kayla’s requests to descend. One bizarre source of happiness for me during my visit was maintaining an integral tenet of my personal brand, “The Derp”. Not five minutes after I quipped, “I just want to make it down The Great Wall without falling” did I take a spill on an icy patch. This exercise of my true maladroit spirit was humbling both the first time and second I fell. I can still hear the muffled laughs of the young couple that were behind me to this day. Ah, memories.

13. Saying goodbye for another 6 months on the train to PEK. My last few hours with Kayla were extremely bittersweet. We enjoyed hot lattes and Oreos in the Great Wall gift shop, snarfled about work on Monday and fourteen hour flights back to Canada, and quietly reflected on our time in Beijing en route to the Beijing Airport. It was a peculiar moment saying goodbye to one another, simultaneously melancholy and nonchalant. A hug, kiss on both cheeks, and a hurried “see you in six months!”

Overall, my experience in Beijing was everything I had expected. It was utter chaos meets total reinvigoration. It was also everything I wanted: an opportunity to see a pocket of the world with my sister. While I wish I had more time to spend with Kayla and explore Beijing more thoroughly, this whirlwind trip has yielded stories my sister and I will be telling for decades to come. Zài jiàn!

Jagalchi Market

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

I am not a seafood person. Serve me any farmyard animal and I’ll scarf it down so fast that you won’t even remember that Old McDonald had a farm. Give me (most types of) fish, crustaceans, mollusks, echinoderms, or roe and I’m going to sit pouting at the dinner table until my meal is cold.

Despite my aversion to all of the things that frolic about the sea, I was eager to explore Busan’s iconic Jagalchi Market. The market, located on the edge of Nampo Port, is famed as the largest seafood market in all of Korea.

Steph and I visited Jagalchi at around midday on a Saturday. The market had already been abuzz for several hours and didn’t show any signs of slowing down. Equipped with our Nikon D90 and iPhone 5C, respectively, Steph and I made our way through the alleyway, and eventually emerged at Nampo Port. We watched a group of middle-aged men who appeared to be gambling near the dried fish racks before heading back into Jagalchi’s main strip, lined with colourful and holey umbrellas. We inspected baskets of fish and crustaceans that were pretty to look at, but not particularly palatable and tried to be as respectful as we possibly could when snapping photos, so as not to upset the ajummas working the stalls. [Note: We have both encountered situations where ajummas have gotten angry when we took their pictures. It’s better to err on the side of caution and ask first.]

The Jagalchi experience can be overwhelming. There is a constant barrage of shoppers pushing past you. The narrow alleys of the market are lined by booths selling every type of seafood you could imagine. There is water splashing, knives slicing, and grills sizzling. There are walls of tanks containing crabs and eerie fish, and buckets containing slithering eels and octopi. There are elderly Korean men frying mackerel on a hot plate and ajummas gutting fish and adding them to already towering piles. No matter where you go in Jagalchi, the market is alive with the sounds, sights, and smells of the sea. It sort of makes you forget the farm, if only for a second.

Directions
To get to Jagalchi Market, take the Orange Line on the Busan Subway (Line 1) to Jagalchi Station (stop 110). Go out exit 10, and take your first right at Jagalchi 3(sam)-gil Street. Walk straight for five minutes and the market will be on your left-hand side.