Busan

We boarded a decorative bus with a lively guide, Kim. Busan, also spelled and pronounced Pusan, is South Korea’s second largest city, behind its capitol, Seoul. Pusan is situated on the southeast tip of the Korean peninsula and translates to kettle (pu) mountain (san) describing its setting. As the bus sped along modern freeways and impressive bridges Kim entertained us with her wit and knowledge. She gratefully acknowledged the United States’ help to South Korea during both WWII and the Korean War. She also expressed a wariness of the Japanese who have overrun the Korean peninsula more than once in the past. Everywhere, we could see beautiful cherry trees at the peak of their flowering.

We then had a wonderful buffet lunch at the Blue Kitchen with authentic Korean and other international cuisine including a separate room with sushi choices. We all sampled new dishes and waddled back to the bus over-satiated. 

The bus then deposited us in the parking lot for Haedong Yonggung Temple. This is one of a few coastal temples in Korea, most temples being tucked away in forests or buried in bustling cities. This temple was originally built in the 14th century but reconstructed in 1970 using traditional colors. 

We descended through shops and passed a pagoda with a large tire in front of it in order to pray for the safety of travelers. As our descent approached the temple, we encountered an ornate building housing a huge golden reclined Buddha embracing death. The main temple was also ornate and complete with an authentic incense-burning sutra-chanting monk. We wound our way through the grounds visiting various structures including a large beach Buddha facing shoreward. Jane and I then realized that our group had already departed. So, we hurriedly wound our way back through the browsing crowds and were able to catch our group halfway up the hill. We took photos as we passed a line of Zodiac animal statues before boarding the bus.

Our next stop was a couple of  famous markets. As we crossed town, we viewed a lot of impressive modern architecture from impressive modern highways and bridges. However, the markets were in an older section of Busan. After disembarking from the bus, we walked toward Jagalchi Fish Market. Along the street were displays of live sea creatures (fishes, eels, crabs, etc.) where customers could select their meal and have it prepared and served in a restaurant behind the displays. When we made it to the actual fish market, no one was there. Kim then realized that it was a fish-market holiday. Oh, well. Actually, my nose wasn’t too upset that it wouldn’t experience that market. 

Next, we walked a few blocks to the Gukje Market, a labyrinth of alleyways with traditional markets selling clothing, jewelry, ceramics, food, and more. We were only allowed 30 minutes so Jane and I hurried to see as much as we could. It was fun observing Korean shops, but the schedule precluded any real shopping, so we returned to the bus empty-handed.

Kim continued her friendly banter as the bus headed back to the Nautica. She sang a traditional Korean folk song for us before saying her heartfelt goodbye. We were disappointed to have to leave this bustling western-style city after such a short visit. Onboard, we enjoyed a fun dinner with fellow NCSU alumni in the Grand Dining Room. The Nautica, set sail at 8 pm to return to Japan.