Busan

So I arrived in Busan around midmorning and had wondered what exactly I was to do next, Jinmi helped solve this problem as he decided to be my Korean guide. Originally he planned to go to the bus centre and catch a bus that would take him all the way home in eastern South Korea but he decided I was good company perhaps. ^^ Either way, after explaining that I had no Korean money and had to exchange my yen he said he’d take me to a bank.

A small part of the bay of Busan

Turns out he didn’t need to as there was an exchange counter just outside of port immigration which I might add gave me a very nice stamp in my passport (I’m somewhat of a collector now. xD) anywho, I was able to exchange my money quick smart and grab a tourist brochure. Going through the brochure I decided I’d really like to go to Busan Tower and sample the views of Busan, Jinmi although already going to said Tower obliged me and came along. We sat up the top of the tower and I was able to snap the photos seen above. After talking to him some more and Jinmi consulting the cafe staff on what to do next, we decided we’d go to the largest fish market in South Korea (and the second largest in the world – I think) and have some fresh seafood.

He's too nice for his own good!

Well after taking some snapshots of the surrounding area we finally found the fishmarket (or part of it) in a seagull shaped building. Upon entering this mammoth of a building Jinmi was immediately engaged in conversation with who I can only assume is a fish monger. Sure enough, these two Koreans talk at insane speeds and the fisher guy starts putting one fish and then two fish and then some weird thing with a oceanic-origin-appearance into a basket and then Jinmi turns to me and tells me that we’ll be eating this for lunch today. When I ask him how much it’ll cost he casually tells me 50,000 won which is around 50 bucks. I tell him this is too expensive and he shrugs it off telling me I’m his new friend and it’s his treat. This coming from the guy who I have had straining conversation with over the course of the last 18 hours. Man, what a guy. So we’re taken upstairs to a fancy restaurant where we sit down with a view and immediately all these little dishes are placed on the table; condiments, spices and certain leaf like vegies. Before long, our comes the first fish (raw) beautifully presented. Jinmi starts showing me how I’m supposed to eat this little assortment of food and surely enough I’m eating and talking to this guy I hardly know. He gets us a bottle of Korean rice wine (like osake) and we drink it with the food while talking about stuff like the North Korea and his time in Japan. I found his view on the reunification of the two Koreas interesting because he was absolutely positively sure of himself when he said that the two Koreas will eventually reunify because they are the same country with the same history, culture and language. When he laid it down on the table like that I had to agree with him. I asked because of my interest in wanting to go to the shared border between North and South the next day.

Couldn't resist!

After finishing up our meal, Jinmi tells me I have to see Korean beaches despite me coming from Australia and more specifically the Gold Coast area which has the best beaches in the world. Sure enough we go and I’m slightly disappointed yet happy that Australia still wins in beaches worldwide, we head over to some Apec house but find that we’re almost out of time. After voicing my want to secure a booking for this DMZ tour Jinmi decides to help me by looking up some websites at a internet cafe we go to, after finding some sites and a excruciatingly quick convo with Ange over msn we find a payphone and me being short on change find myself accepting a few coins off him to make the call. Reservation made we head over to the train station in delight, until it’s worked out we’re heading in different directions. With a shake of the hand and a pat on the back we exchange contact details and go our separate ways, Jinmi has been a great friend and provided me with the info I need to catch the KTX to Seoul.

Looky looky!

I slow my pace and take a few pictures of the major station Busan Station and get in to find that the next train inbound for Seoul is in 5 minutes. I buy my ticket using the automated machine and then become aware of the fact that I have no idea where the heck I’m supposed to go, feeling that strain of panic flooding my head I start rushing around flashing my ticket to whoever I meet. Lucky for me the first guy I show it to points past a few columns and says with a resolutely confident voice “Go!” so I start my run down showing my ticket to another person once I get to the platforms. Kanji reading skills not helping at all here in Korea and make a guess and go down a platform where I find some attendants, showing my ticket to them they just wave me onto a train where and I jump in and sit down, feeling relieved. Then of course it bubbles up inside of me that maybe that person wasn’t really paying attention because it didn’t really seem like they were! and that they could have put me on some train that goes into the ocean for all I know! ^^ so out I go and consult them again this time repeating the words Seoul to them, they nod impatiently and a minute later the train rockets off to Seoul!

The mix of feelings that flew around me in those last few desperate moments leaves me mentally exhausted and I just sit back and enjoy the ride, not really thinking of what awaits me when I have to disembark the train. Bye bye Busan, it was great.