Busan
Jinu had a couple of days off, so he took me to the second city Bussan. A journey of only 4 hours by bus on a multi-lane freeway which went through a mixture of smaller towns and agricultural land. The most famous sight of Busan is the Beomosa Temple which I admired in its original state. The location is beautiful against the slopes of the outskirts of the city. The view is nice and the temple is much more peaceful than the ones in Seoul. Here I had a vegetarian meal provided by the monastery. The flavours of the meals in Korea are generally different from what I’m used too. Spicy with sour and bitter with sour. Kimchy is especially strong and sour. Seaweed leaves gives the salty taste. Maybe these are the few things I could eat as a vegetarian.
Busan is widespread too and has also districts with bars and restaurants. Not as similar as in the capital, because there are more overseas students and people who work here as expat or a teacher. The pace and atmosphere is much more relax then its counterpartner Seoul and it’s easier to meet the locals. Unfortunately all these districts are far apart and it took a while by metro to reach these places. Hyundai Beach is the most famous beach in Korea, but it’s not the best place for swimming. The pathway goes alongside the cliffs and light house which gives some nice views on the harbour and the Diamond Bridge.
Close to the city is a national park where turqoise water of the ocean meets steep cliffs with old fishing villages. It feels like stepping back in time with the old fashioned way of drying squid and other fish. Personally I like Busan much more. The hectic is absent and the pleasure is present.
