Busan

After a year and a half of living in Korea, Ian and I finally put aside a weekend to go down to Busan. We left Friday night and drove up to the Choenan/ Asan KTX station and boarded a very full train. All the seated tickets were taken so we ended up having to sit in the area that also housed the toilets and vending machines. Not ideal for a two hour train ride.

We finally arrived in the city of Busan and after 45 minutes of trying to find our hotel, we finally got checked in and headed out for a night out on the town. We met up with Paul and Andy who took us out in Geumnyeonsan. Paul is an old friend of mine from junior school, it was great seeing him after so many years. The area has a great atmosphere and you cannot go far without seeing a group of foreigners enjoying a few drinks under the bright lights of the city. We visited two places in the area. The first was Fabric, where live bands were entertaining a crowd of people with songs that were a mixture of electronic and rock. The second bar we went to was Eva's (across from Family Mart, above Gogiya on the 3rd floor). Eva's had a great view and the drinks were reasonable.







Paul at Fabric








Saturday was a beautiful day in Busan. We headed to Haeundae area and began our day at the Busan Aquarium. There was a lot to see, even lions and tigers. We then set off for the beach. The water was warm, but like any typical Korean beach, there were no waves.




After we had soaked up some sun, we took a boat ride from Haeundae to Oryukdo. It was really nice to look at Busan from a distance and get an idea of where everything is in the city. After such a busy day, I was pretty hungry. As we walked along we found a Geko's restaurant that looked onto Haeundae beach. After such a busy day, watch the sun go down, have a few cocktails and enjoy a good meal.







Oryukdo from the boat










On the Saturday night we went down to Gwangalli Beach. The weather was gorgeous, attracting many people there to sit and admire Gwangan Bridge from a distance. Watching the lights from the city and the bridge dance along the water.



On Sunday we gathered our belongings and headed to Gukje market situated at the
Nampo-dong station. There you can purchase a variety of cheap garments, electronics and Korean curios. Our last stop before we headed back to Cheongyang was Shanghai street. Situated across the road from the Busan station, which houses Chinese and Russian stores. Our train ride back was a lot more comfortable then going to Busan, as the only seats available were in first class. After a busy weekend, it was great to stretch out, close my eyes and listen to some music on my ipod.

Travel trips for those interested:

Accommodation:
We stayed at the Angel Hotel in Busan. You can visit their website at http://www.angelhotel.co.kr/.
The hotel itself in situated in Seomyeon which is 5 stops on the red line from the train station. The area is great for first time visitors in Busan as there are many restaurants and bars. The only negative aspect about it is that it is quite far away from the beach areas. There are a few motels in Haeundae and at Gwangalli Beach that are easy to find from the subway station.

When to go:
I think April/ May is a perfect time to go to Busan as it is just warming up. Summer time in Korea can get VERY hot so being in a city is not ideal, even if it is a city by the beach. Haeundae beach is also packed to the brim in mid summer so if you are there during that time, you should try go to Seogjung beach which will be a little less crowded. To get there, go to the last station on the green line ( past Haeundae) and then take a taxi to the beach.