Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Exquisite Busan !

In Korea the four seasons are 100% enjoyable – you can ski in beautiful mountains during winter, admire the leaves changing colors in breathtaking mountains such as Seoraksan during fall.

In spring, anywhere smells and feels good. As for summer, you can lie on several beaches and gaze at palm trees while swimming in the ocean.


There’s a gorgeous island about 2 hours from Seoul (subway and ferry ride), Deokjeokdo. You can also go to what foreigners refer to as a “honeymoon island” south of Korea, Jejudo. The east coast is filled with crowded beaches in the summer, like in Sokcho. A little South East is Pusan, my greatest experience with nature so far in Korea!



The school gave us a 4-day week-end for Lunar New Year. Since my Vietnam plans weren’t going to happen, Erika and I decided to go to Busan. We flew in on Saturday morning and came back with KTX (Korean version of the French TGV) on Tuesday night.

You wouldn’t believe the awesome time we had there!

I slept about 2 hours on Friday night and we took a shuttle to the airport at 6am. We met Twyla, who was going to Vietnam, for breakfast before going through security. The flight took an hour and we were in Busan!

Our hotel, Novotel, is heavenly! Our room was on the 14th floor with FULL ocean view! In the morning, the sun would rise over the sea and wake us up.



The beds are as comfortable as a cloud! Usually a “suite” like this is 495$ in the summer, but we go it for 150$/night… and a 3rd night for free! Lunar special!

We were both really tired, so we had coffee and then spent the afternoon at the swimming pool. Oh! The swimming pool! Indoor, of course, but with glazed ceiling and walls. And again, ocean view included! We also had a relaxing time in the sauna.


At night we rode the bus for about an hour and got off at one of Korea’s largest fish market: Jagalchi. Very similar to Seoul’s Noryangjin fish market. In a way, it was shocking to see all those fish tanks filled with variety of fish you’ve never ever seen.


Countless little restaurants were open to the public, offering sashimi and soju for your pleasure. Also available were oysters, steamed crab, fried fish, scallops, and so.


Ajashis and ajummas, old men and old women, dressed in plastic aprons and wearing yellow rain boots yelled their “special” prices to the crowd. To us, foreigners, they would say “come in! very good fishi! Good prrrrrrrice!”


We walked around for a while and finally set our mind on a small place where we got sashimi and scallops.

At a fish market you get countless side dishes and the service is never-ending! Salad, marinated mussels, chickpeas, fried vegetables, kimchi, tiny snail-shaped shellfish that you suck at the end and some chewy little creature comes out… and of course, assorted sauces.


Erika took a video of the murder. I had already seen it happen at Noryangjin and couldn’t handle it twice. She picked the fish; they took it out of the aquarium and killed it with a spear. Then, while it was still moving (nerves I guess?), they cut it open, took off the flesh and tiny bones and cut off the head. Funny how there’s only blood in a fish’s head, not in its body…

We had a delicious dinner! But I mentioned that society isn’t logical; if we’re going to do this with fish, why not do it with every single animal?! Go to a steak restaurant, order beef and have it slaughtered in front of you!!! Want bacon for breakfast? Let’s see how they get the fat and meat out of its back!!



We headed back to the hotel, where we watched for a good two hours a live jazz performance at the lounge downstairs. It was quite enjoyable! And the pina coladas too!

On Sunday morning we had a delightful breakfast downstairs while gazing at the ocean. It was a beautiful sunny day and the buffet was the most attractive one I’ve ever seen! We ate like you wouldn’t believe, just because every single food that we like was displayed there.

We walked towards the port and hopped on a boat to Oryukdo, a rocky island about half an hour from Haeundae, our beach.


The boat ride was fantastic! The soothing feeling of floating on the waves, the sparking reflection of the sun on the water, the salty smell of the ocean breeze, and the birds flying high in the sky.


Luckily, the boat was almost empty so we fully enjoyed it. At first a crowd of seagulls harassed us because people were feeding them chips. They followed us for a while.


Back on solid ground, we ran into Lilly and Matt and we all decided to visit a Buddhist temple set by the ocean. The cab ride was quick; until we reached the entrance… we were stuck in the taxi for a good 20 minutes – lunar New Year traffic jam! Everyone single Buddhist was going to the temple to bow and celebrate. Ouh!


There was a huge crowd of course, but the view was totally worth it. Of course, I feel like if you’ve seen one temple you’ve seen them all – and it is partly true. But this one, right on a creek, was spectacular!


Obviously getting a ride out of the temple would be an impossible task. We still tried because of Erika’s leg (she got in a massive accident in Thailand a few years ago) and Matt and Lily’s baby James. But we gave up.

That night Erika and I had a delectable steak at the famous “Outback” restaurant. We ate every Korean woman’s sinful fantasy: huge piece of meat, potato with sour cream, and a beer! It was so wonderful that, back at the hotel, we passed out on the bed!!!

Seriously, we still wonder what was in that food. We literally fell on the bed, to wake up only an hour later. By then, our tickets to a Korean traditional drumming show were expired. And we were still tired and confused.

Nonetheless, went for a walk and had a drink before finally calling it a night.


As for Monday, that was our big fat “doing nothing” day!!! As so we did!

We woke up early, went for a walk on the beach and lied there for a while. The sun was so warm, it felt like summer. I actually got tanned a little ;)

Since Erika’s leg was painful, I went alone for a great walk up to the lighthouse. The view was as gorgeous as in Jejudo. But it was full of Koreans. In Korea, you can enjoy beautiful sceneries but you have to do so with countless human beings surrounding you. No peace here.

Back at the beach I took a nap and read. We then headed back to our hotel for a swim. It truly was as if we were lying on a summery beach! With the sun coming in through the ceiling windows, the magnificent ocean view and, of course, the swimming pool.

Around 5pm we had the BEST full-body massage I’ve ever had! Over an hour and a half of heavenly movements on my body… I still can’t believe those hands!

It was Korean-style, but not as brutal as they usually are. Instead of having me lie on my stomach and slapping my back, the woman let me on my back and slid her hand between the table and my back – thus using the pressure of my body to fully massage. That’s totally the way everyone should do it!

Of course she mixed all my vital organs together when she sat on my hips and started rubbing my stomach, but it wasn’t as bad as the masseuse in Seoul who was apparently trying to perforate my liver!

It was heaven. Erika and I were both really high when we got out of there.

We changed and headed to the hotel’s restaurant. Oh my! They so got ripped off!

The buffet was 40$ and included wine. We drank a lot, but we mostly ate every single thing on the table! They had king crab, roast beef, curry, sushi, shrimps, salami, shabu shabu, cheese, stroganoff beef, and so on.


As for desserts, aaaaaaaaah! It was the best! Tons of fruits, cheese cake, chocolate mousse, ice cream and berries. And to top it all – a French dessert (it’s a French hotel): la crepe flambée! Fruits flambes in orange juice, sugar and alcohol, then served on a crepe with whipped cream and chocolate. Like summer in your mouth!

We needed a very long walk after such a heavy meal. The ocean was so nice. There were many people but it wasn’t too crowded. We ended up going on those creepy little bumper cars!

Those things are much more dangerous than back home!! Moreover, you get your own little speaker in the car so you hear all sorts of different music playing at the same time. At that time of the night, it felt as if we were in Chucky or something.

An hilarious video (you had to be there though....) is on youtube for more live performance ;) Right here

Afterwards we sat on the beach and lit a few firecrackers. Koreans go insane with those – they love them! So we figured we might as well do it too. It was cool.

The next day we spent the morning at the swimming pool and the headed for Kimchi jiggae (the most delicious one I’ve had so far). I got on the 1pm ferry ride to enjoy for one last time the beautiful ocean. Erika stayed on the beach.

The boat was late, I got back late to the hotel and there was a huge traffic jam downtown. Maybe we would have made it if we had taken a cab, but we didn’t; we missed our train! ... for this breathtaking view!



The train station was as crowded as it would be on Christmas. We finally got “standing” tickets for 6pm. “Standing” means that you sit on the floor near the bathroom. And it costs the same price.

So we ended up spending the afternoon at a café, playing guitar outside in the sun, and going for a walk on hookers hill.

I never ever thought I’d see this in Korea: it’s like Chinatown back in Montreal, but for Russians!

A huge street where everything is written in Chinese and Russian. Blue-eyed, blond hair people on the streets. Russian women sitting outside shops and just waiting for men. Very sad.

Back in Seoul, if you’re blond with blue eyes you often get asked if you’re Russian. I was quite confused the first time it happened. Do I look Russian??

Erika has been asked that very question far more often. “Are you Russian” means “are you a hooker”? Taxi drivers ask. Married men ask. Total strangers will stop you on the street. Sometimes they chase you. They’re horny. It’s pathetic.

The KTX ride turned out to be fun. We got folding seats next to a vending machine (not a bathroom) and ended up reading and chatting for the 3 hours. I also took a nap and woke up with Koreans staring at me. Always nice.

I had fun pretending to be this French girl in Paris coming out of the train at the last minute to say goodbye to a loved one hehe


Back in Seoul it was insanely crowded. At the train station I got 5 DVDs (movies) for 10$! That’s the beauty of Asian countries!! And the quality is quite good. I don’t mind Korean subtitles.

I was only teaching 3 days this week, then I’m going to Japan (Nagoya) for 4 days! I’m thinking about taking a week off in April and get some rest on a beach before leaving Korea at the end of May. But I’ll be back before long.

I’m totally in love with this country and its people.

Saehaebong mani paduseyo!


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