April 25, 2023: Heading to Busan, the Miami of South Korea.

April 25, 2023 cjbishop@yahoo.com

A rainy day- the first bad weather we have encountered. Luckily it is only expected to last one day, and a good part of the day will be spent on the bus as we work our way to the coastal city of Busan.

Whimsical art work in front of the hotel.

Hydroponic tanks growing lettuce for the restuarant.

Before leaving the area we were taken to tour a very large Buddhist temple complex called Bulguksa. It is considered to be the most famous temple in Korea and is rated as the #1 historic sight to see by the government. The temple dates back to 751 but wars resulted in destruction and some rebuilding since that time. However, the stone steps leading to the complex are original. We spent at least an hour walking around the different worship halls in the complex, buildings that contained different Buddha statues dedicated to different needs.

The Bulguksa Temple Complex, dates back to 774CE.

Mythical gods protecting the temple entrance.

The stone steps are original, but were rebuilt in 1919. They lead to the entrance of the temple complex.

The main worship building is called the “Hall of the Great Hero”, dedicated to the worship of Sakyamuni, a historical Buddha from India.

One of two stone pagodas in the courtyard.

Ceiling artwork within the worship hall.

Petitions hanging from the ceiling in a nearby building.

Worship hall (Gwaneumjeon) dedicated to the veneration of Avalokitesvara, the savior of all living beings who suffer in their present lives.

A monk waiting to climb the nearby stairs. He was one the few monks we actually saw while in the complex.

Worship hall (Birojeon) dedicated to the veneration of Vairocana, who represents absolute universal truth.

Cairns built by worshipers who add stones to the rock piles. I added one in memory of grandson, Noah.

Some of the elaborate exterior decorative wood work on a worship hall.

Worship hall (Geungnakjeon) dedicated to veneration of Amitabha, to symbolize western paradise. It dates to 1750.

I liked the scene- low lying clouds in the mountains behind the temple buildings.

A selfie of Rob and me showing off my new umbrella that cost me $2.80. I joked that I wanted to keep my raincoat dry!

Another view of the entrance building to the temple comlex. The building is known as Cheongungyo.

Another example of some of the wonderful trees that grow in Korea.

Interesting lighting poles throughout the temple complex.

From there we were back to the bus and continued our way to Busan. Lunch involved a new adventure- a stop at the highway rest stop where we ordered lunch at their eatery which necessitated using a computerized order system. Luckily Rob stood by and helped us interpret the offerings and make our orders which were quickly made and posted on their “ready board”.

The computerized restaurant at the rest stop.

Cannot go wrong with an udon bowl. You always get some kimchi and pickled radisheS.

I could not believe how many options of drinks were for sale at the rest area.

Once we reached Busan (called the Miami of Korea) we first went to the Gamcheon Culture Village for a short walking tour. The village, known for its layered streets on the side of a mountain, twisting labyrinth alleys and brightly painted homes has become a major tourist attraction, hosting over 1.5 million visitors a year. It was originally built in the 1920-30s to house workers and has since grown into the tourist attraction it has become. Unfortunately the rain continued as we walked the streets, taking away some of the allure of our visit.

Inviting visitors to tour Gamcheon Village.

Views of the colorful homes on the hills of Gamcheon Village.

Colorful homes dot the hills in the village.

Some weird types of ice cream. Green tea or cheese seem wrong!

If it were not so cold I would have tried this frozen beer!

Several murals decorate the walls of buildings in the village.

From the village we did a walking tour of the enormous Jagalchi fish market in the downtown area near the port. The Jagalchi market is the largest seafood market in Korea with both indoor and outdoor stalls where vendors (almost always women) sell both live and dried fish and a huge variety of seafood- octopus, abalone, clams, oysters, urchins and things I did not even recognize. There are also restaurants on the 2nd level where you can take your freshly purchased fish to be prepared. Sashimi (raw fish) is obviously a popular product. I had never seen so many live tanks with every conceivable fish or sea creature imaginable.

The outdoor stalls sell mostly dried fish. Because it was raining many of the stalls were empty.

The famous fish market. The second floor has restaurants to cook the fish you bought downstairs.

Rows of merchants selling live fish and seafood in the indoor market. Most stalls were run by women.

Dozens of live tanks throughout the building, containing all sorts of live fish.

Clams, scallops, abalone and other seafood options for sale.

This lady supposedly appeared in the Black Panther movie.

One more stop before we go to our hotel- a visit to the Haedong Yonggungsa Buddhist temple, which is unique in that it is located on the shores of the Yellow Sea, whereas most Buddhist temples are located in mountainous areas. It is stunning! It was originally built in 1376, but had to be rebuilt in the 1930s because it had been destroyed during the Japanese 16th century occupation of South Korea. If I were a Buddhist monk I would want to be here. We were given free time to discover and appreciate the temple on our own.

Sidewalk vendor near the temple. There were several, along with souvenir shops for visitors.

Statues representing the zodiac animals along the walkway to the temple.

Petitions to Buddha posted along the fences near the temple.

These are building tiles that are decorated and sold to people. If they were not so heavy I would have brought one home.

A smaller temple with hundreds of petitions located on the walls (candles) and ceiling.

The Buddha statue inside the worship building.

Statue of Gwanseum-bosal, the Goddess of Compassion.

After seeing this temple complex I would agree.

The entrance to the temple complex at the bottom of the stairs.

View of the beautiful temple by the sea.

108 steps down to the temple. 108 is an important number to the Koreans.

Entrance to the Haedong Yonggungsa temple complex.

Finally, after a long day, we made it to our hotel for the night. Since we were in Busan Rob told us he was headed to his favorite seafood restaurant and again we were free to join him, which many of us did. It turned out to be an “interesting” evening in what was on the menu and what we ate!

The seafood restaurant Rob took us to on a side street near the hotel.

Another small, family owned restaurant in Busan.

The always present side dishes to our seafood dishes.

Lauren wondering why she ordered a medium portion of tempura shrimp rather than the small size!

Not being able to decide I ordered a “medium” sized mixed seafood platter. I finished most of it.

These are still live octopus tentacles that have been cut into small bite-sized pieces. They were still moving on the plate. Rob offered to share them. Needless to say, I passed!

Rob added another surprise after dinner suggesting we join him to participate in a very popular, an almost “must-do” Korean activity- karaoke! Well….when in Rome…..so I joined him and 5 others in venturing forth to a local establishment dedicated to the art. I was surprised and impressed at the setup of the studio we entered- comfortable couches, a large screen TV, professional microphones, snacks, soju and a huge book of both English and Korean songs to select from. It was first class. I contributed by leading with one of the few songs I am capable of leading-Sweet Caroline. The good news is everyone joins in so you are not singing alone! Rob did treat us to a rousing “Gangnam” style Korean song which everyone loved. Others did their share at leading songs and our 1 hour passed quickly. Amazingly the total bill for everything was $56! It was a fun experience.