Well, I had a great day to start the weekend off. Caught the super duper train which sped over the countryside like it had absolutely no regard for the laws of nature. So quiet too, all I could hear was a dull rumbling sound and a cool swishing sound. Watching the beautiful country sweep by my window was great, simply breathtaking. I managed to capture some pics of the countryside, although because they were taken from a train moving at a speed of 300km/h they don’t do justice to their subject. But looking at the miles and miles of mountains that you can see in every direction, you really can appreciate the topography of the country. Indeed, Korea is 70% mountain. It makes for some very beautiful shots.
Upon arrival, I didn’t really know what to do, so I resorted to my Aussie instincts and went to the beach. That was a great idea. Haeundae beach is about 45 minutes ride on the subway from Busan station. I planned to stay there but lack of nightlife changed my mind. I relaxed on the beach for an hour or two, and soaked up the sand and the salt air, in an effort to make up for my lack throughout this summer.
As I was relaxing on the beach I heard some shouting from an old man behind me. He was yelling “hey! hey! hey!” in a hoarse old voice really loudly. I figured that his grandkids were in the water and he wanted them to come closer. A little while later he started up again and I turned to see what he was going on about. He pointed at me and kept yelling “hey hey hey”. I looked over my shoulder and saw some kids swimming in the water behind me. So I guessed that he was yelling at them. Plus, he couldn’t be talking to me. No-one yells at someone they don’t know “hey!”.. do they? So I sit there with all the yelling and quite contented to watch the water, when I hear treading next to me. Suddenly I look up and there’s the old man looking down at me telling me something in Korean. I tell him that I can’t speak Korean (in Korean) and he just keeps blabbing on. So I told him sorry for what I guess was ignoring him and then he shook my hand and started laughing.. all the while blabbing on in Korean. What he said is anyone’s guess. Then he left and went back to what I noticed was a huge pile of junk which seemed to be his pad. I should’ve right there taken a picture of the crazy friendly old beach man. Then I would’ve had proof. But now you just think I made it up.
After the crazy antics at the beach, I headed back into the center of town to look for a good place to stay. It seems like Busan has less foreigners than Seoul and so generally people look and stare more (yeah more than usual… for those who didn’t think it was possible). The fact that I’m 192cm only makes me more of a spectacle. The big surprise comes when I actually tell people my height. The usual response is to take a step back and put either or both hands over their mouths. It’s fun to see. It’s cool. I like the attention. So anyway, I cruised back over the famous Gwangan bridge (looks similar to the Golden Gate of San Fransisco) and headed to the center to find a hotel. I read on the web (http://www.pusanweb.com) the names of some places to check out. As one of them was a bar and was open, I went in to ask for some help in locating some lodging. It was the Hollywood Star bar and the people there were really friendly and helpful. I’d recommend it as a great place to go to chat with some locals. Anyway, to cut a long story short I found a hotel… the “Angel” hotel (called a yeogwon – aka love motel). These places are a great place to stay if you’re on a moderate budget because they have great amenities and are relatively cheap. TV, A/C and massaging shower head are standard. I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get the bed shaped like a heart and the window into the bathroom from the bedroom, but then I thought a little bit about the usefulness of something which I can’t really use and felt a bit better about it. So its here that I’m writing this entry. A great start and I’ve had a good look at what non-Seoul Korea is like. Makes me want to explore more. So on that note… *David exits the room *
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