January in Busan

Since we've been back in Busan we've been busy. First off was 2-3 weeks of English Camp for each of us. Around the board the consensus is - GREAT! We went in around the regular time, and we got off at 12, so we had our afternoons off. And now that it's over we have about 2 weeks of vacation again because the kids aren't back in school yet. But more about that later.

Since we've been back Brian and I have been taking care of Ryan and Shannon's rabbit, Chingu, while they're on vacation. She's been a lot of furry fun and a pain in the ass all at once. I'm glad this experience has cured me of my desire for a pet in our one room apartment. I think Brian's even more glad. There are some pictures of her in the slide show below.

Our big adventure day since we've been back was a Saturday; David, Duck, Brian and I played blackjack with coins at D and D's apartment Friday night. Then we were off to Shanghai street and Foreigners' street near Busan Station to explore. Foreigners' street used to be Texas street, but now there's so much Russian influence there that the name was changed. Most of the signs are in Russian, and the Russian mafia is known to cause trouble there from time to time. It might be the only part of Busan where you have to hold your bags close and stay clear at night (see slide show).

From Foreigners' and Shanghai we walked to Nopodong where we saw this friendly, cabbage covered lion. We also found a great street full of antiques and traditional ceramics near there.

After a coffee break it was time for the true mission of our day - sashimi (called hoe (hweyh) in Korea) dinner at Jagalchi market. This is the enormous seafood market near Nopodong, but upstairs are restaurants with a view of the harbor and delicious fresh fish. It was our Christmas gift to each other, and we ordered 2 small flounders raw and 2 small flounders fried (but not battered) along with various banchan and drinks and it was all less than 17 bucks a person. Here's the raw fish platter. Koreans usually put this in a lettuce wrap with some spicy/salty sauce, but there's also soy sauce with wasabi for dipping. It was amazing. OH, and on our way there we saw whale balene outside the market. The lady said it wasn't for eating, maybe it was just to let you know that they sell whale at those stalls. It felt like fingernails.

We milked our time at Jagalchi to enjoy the view, but once we finally left we walked through Nopodong once more on our way to Busan tower. The streets are festively lit all year round.

Half way up the escalators to the tower there was a little shop area with a traditional tea shop and these Buddhist lanterns.

And then finally, the tower. It changes colors of course. The view was pretty great with Pusan Port and a huge portion of the city visible. The glass angled out too so that you could look directly down and get dizzy, which is always fun.

Once finishing our tower observing we had to walk back through Nopodong on our way to the subway (heading to our apartment for a late night of gin rummy and rhum and cokes), and along the way we found a wig stand. Look at all those colors! And observe the slide show.

It was a great day in Busan.

Since then there's been a burrito bonanza at our place with Sunny and Yun Jae (I made pretzel appetizers but didn't think to explain the appetizer concept and Yun Jae ate 6 big ones because he thought it was the dinner I'd made, but he still managed to eat 2 burritos too), a seashore exploration at Igidae Park, and Seollal (Lunar New Year, biggest holiday in Korea) dinner at Sunny's apartment. And Brian and I just got back from a trip to Seoul. Check in soon for the post (there will be videos with gruesome footage!).

We made it out of Busan!

This Saturday we made our first escapade outside of Busan proper. Brian, David, Duck, and Ryan and Shannon and I headed out Saturday morning to see Gyeongju, a city about an hour north of Busan by bus that was the capital of Korea during the Shilla Dynasty. The Shilla Dynasty began in 56 or 57 BC and lasted over 1000 years. It was during this reign that peninsular Korea was first unified, and it's amongst the longest dynasties on record in Asia. Therefore, Gyeongju is loaded with Shilla era architecture and ruins.

We met at the express bus terminal Saturday morning, and I was amazed at what an easy time we had buying tickets. For 4000 won (about 4 USD) we got a luxurious cross country ride with leg space even for the freakishly tall amongst us. But before the bus ride, we stopped in Lotteria, the Korean McDonald's, where hidden between the normal beef items on the menu is the delicious shrimp and avocado burger. It was my first time in a Lotteria, and I think I'll go back, which is strong language for me and fast food. When we got to Geongju we stopped by the tourist information center and got maps and some advice. Then we hopped on some rental bikes and headed out to see the sites. Some of my favorites were the Gyerim (chicken)forest, where the 김 (kim) lineage was born - something like 85% of Koreans have Kim as their family name - and Cheomseongdae, the oldest standing astronomical observation tower in all of East Asia.

After an amazing dinner we found ourselves a cheap "love motel", which means you can rent it by the hour, but we took it for the night. Unfortunately, I felt really sick the next day, so Brian and I headed back to Busan early. But Duck has some great pictures of the temple the rest of the crew visited Sunday on her blog. Sunday night Brian made some traditional Korean food at home and it was better than many restaurants that we've tried. Hopefully we'll be pros when we leave so we can bring home the tasty treats we've tried here.

Jess