Being the coastal city that Busan is, we couldn't have left without visiting the beach. Haeundae Beach 해운대해수욕장 is the most popular sandy spot for local and foreign tourists alike.
It was a strange sighting at first. It wasn't like the water was any bluer or clearer or the sand was a completely different color. (Don't get me wrong, compared to the stuff we have in NYC, Haeundae was beautiful in terms of water and sand quality. But it is no Maldives of course.) This beach was still nothing like I had ever seen before. Coney Island can get really crowded in the summer once it gets hot enough. Yet umbrellas are typically sparse and unorganized because everything is personally brought.
Sun umbrellas at Haeundae were all so neatly lined, row after row. Sections of different colored umbrellas next to one another, each color corresponding to a different beer company. All umbrellas had lounging chairs that were perfectly shaded. To my understanding, these were all rentable during a period of the day. The furniture were neatly tidied up once it hit early evening hours.
Like how food deliveries can be made to people in parks, I believe the same could be done at the beach. If I remember correctly, we also saw people walking around all the umbrellas advertising for restaurants (most likely chicken).
For my friends and I, we opted to go to the nearby restaurant street to grab some eats. I don't remember the name of the area exactly, if there was a sign, but it was hard to miss. There were many shops with water tanks out front that held all kinds of fresh seafood. Some vendors sold snacks and drinks. We were especially intrigued by the black eggs and decided to give it a try. In Korean it was called Myeongpoom Goo-oon Gyeran 명품구운계란, the literal translation is luxury roasted/baked egg. I am not 100% sure what they do to get the shells such an intense black color, but I think it tasted like any boiled egg. Maybe just a bit more chewy/rubbery? At 2 for ₩1,000 it was worth a try just for pure curiosity.
Even though we saw all those shops with tons of the seafood, the 3 of us ended up getting a meaty dish instead. Dwaeji gukbap 돼지국밥 or pork rice soup was supposedly another Busan specialty dish. As with most other soups that are milky in color, it usually means bones have been stewed for hours in order to achieve the desired consistency. When the hot bowl of soup arrives, it only comes with soup, thinly sliced tender pork, and scallions inside it. Along side the main dish, we were given seasoned chives, salted little shrimps, a peppery sauce, ssamjang (mix of dwenjang - soy bean paste and gochujang - red pepper paste), raw garlic, raw onions, raw green hot peppers, kimchi, and most importantly rice.
It was up to the person eating to put in as much or as little fixins as desired. But the thing that makes the dish was the rice. It needs to go in for the the dish to be really gukbap. This was my first time having this particular dish and I remember it being pretty darn delicious. The little salted shrimp with a piece of the tender pork was the perfect combination. The thing I would suggest is, don't be heavy-handed with the condiments because everything is salty on its own. A little of each will go a long way. Another must try if you ever visit Busan. Otherwise I would have preferred more meat and more rice for all the liquid there was.
Busan's Sea Life Aquarium was another one of the city's attractions. It was a nice escape in Haeundae since we had spent the entire morning and early afternoon in the sweltering sun. If I had to choose again, I may not have gone to both the COEX Aquarium in Seoul and Sea Life in Busan though. Both were pretty pricey (~₩20,000-₩25,000) and had more or less the same kind of animals.
One of the must sees in Busan is IMO definitely Gamcheon Culture Village 감천문화마을. Therefore, my must do suggestion would be to hike and wander the village.
If Santorini in Greece attracted visitors with their white houses and blue roofs, Gamcheon Culture Village charmed with their multicolor bright homes. Dwellings in both places were built on hilly landscapes but one overlooked water while the other mountains. Even though I would love to see Santorini and it's beautifully maintained attraction, there was a rustic homey quality to Gamcheon that made it equally as captivating.
There wasn't a direct subway to the village. It required a subway & bus ride. For those who may be weary of taking a local bus in a foreign place, don't worry too much! Since it was a tourist attraction there were signs with English to say which number bus to take. More likely than not there probably will be other tourists also headed in that direction. Otherwise, I would suggest having the name in Korean and just grab a taxi there from the nearest subway station. Taxis in Korea are very inexpensive.
We knew we were in the right area once we saw all the bright colors and art everywhere. Whether it was a mural or sculptures, artwork was abundant.
The hike up to the top took a while with all the stairs and slopes. But it was worth the view of the whole village. I don't remember it being a difficult climb since there were lots of things to see along the way. The village itself was a huge tourist attraction, the city (I am assuming) had various homes scattered throughout the village converted into galleries for art installations. Other than providing an item of interest, it was a great resting spot as well.
There are many ways to ascend and descend the village. My friends and I took the longer route and ended up navigating in and out to see all the art installations and murals. It was the first route we saw and I am kind of glad for that. The direct route was named "Stairs to See Stars". The reason being? Of course because it was steep and long enough that the tourism board stated many people saw stars while going up. I cannot attest to this myself though. We, luckily, walked down those 148 steps. I can say that I felt pretty nervous going down since not all the stairs were even. Plus tumbling down stairs is much scarier than tripping up them, right?
If someone told me a few years ago that I would 1. wear dresses more than just occasionally and 2. have not just short but also wavy hair, I would have called that person crazy.
No fabric to cover my body fat? No hair to hide my acne and scars? My security blankets gone?
Blasphemy!
Truth be told, my insecurities are far from going away. But I have been more open to try different things and be a little out of my comfort zone. Dresses? I am getting to be more comfortable in them after discovering the one thing I needed in conjunction with them. Hair? After years and years of long hair that would get oily very easily, a chop just feels so right and much easier to manage. The waves provides oomph and lift to my flat hair.
Hey, as the saying goes don't knock it 'til you try it.
Korean brand wayfarer sunglasses
Aritizia TNA outer layer of 2-piece parka (similar)
LOFT Tulip Back Tank (discontinued)
American Rag Lace Illusion Skater Dress in Pale Mauve
Birkenstock Yara Sandals
Rebecca Minkoff MAB Backpack in Black
Now I am no fashion blogger. The clothing I own and wear on a normal basis is kind of boring. Most of my closet consists of either what I feel most comfortable in and/or what I think looks nice. Sometimes those two traits coexist in one item, sometimes it's just one or the other. In this particular outfit, it is maybe 50-50? (66-33 to be more precise.)
The parka, sunglasses, sandals, and backpack fall into the comfy AND pretty category. These are items that I have worn time and time again since buying them. If anyone is interested in the cost per wear, I would estimate these to be in the cents range by now and they're all fairly new buys (i.e. within the last 2 years).
The tulip back tank and dress are both just pretty when they are their own. The tulip back on the tank top makes it breezy and flowy, but very revealing if not careful. The lacey skater dress is very form fitting on the top section and has a sheer mid-section, which I love, but with my recent weight gain made me feel even more self-conscious. Since buying both of these items, I have probably only worn both once or twice max. So what is my solution? Pair the two together! The dress covers my back so I didn't have to worry about any risqué exposure and the tank perfectly covers my belly area. It is a win-win situation.
While, what seems like, everyone I know is starting or growing their handbag collection, I am kind of regressing back into the backpack stage. Backpacks can safely hang on both shoulders and can hold a ton of stuff. They're the best thing to keep the mind at ease and hands free. What's not to like?
I was searching for the perfect black backpack after using the Jansport backpack for a while. Just something different for a change. Maybe one where cool meets practicality. There are tons of leather and faux leather bags on the market. But of the inexpensive ones, it seems like everyone has the same one or the quality is subpar. I definitely never took the plunge to buy any designer ones because I didn't really love any particular one and of course the price.
Somehow, sometime last year, while diving into the deep corners of internet shopping, I found it: Rebecca Minkoff's M.A.B. Backpack. At the time it wasn't one of their styles that was heavily promoted. I think most shoppers are more into their satchels and little cross-body bags. I actually fell in love with the brand after getting their M.A.C. cross body. But for me, at that point in time, I felt like I found a gem with the backpack. Simple but unique, fashionable but functional.
Of course, Rebecca Minkoff is affordable compared to names like LV, Prada, etc. But it is still high-end/luxury for me. I looked through so many sites and scoured their sample sale multiple times until I found the best deal. It was a combination of an eBags holiday/anniversary discount and ebates cash back. Oh the feeling of when patience and persistence pays off.
A little side note. We are finally seeing some sun in NYC after almost 2 full weeks of gloomy skies and wetness! Rainy days are just not my thing. I think it is safe to say that the sunshine was very much welcomed throughout the city, especially since it was Mother's Day yesterday. Nothing like good weather, a day of appreciation, and great eats to start the new week right.
When the rain clouds didn't look at all forgiving, the three of us shifted into a nearby department store. Lotte Department Store was only a couple streets away from BIFF Square and easily accessible via the underground subway tunnels.
While we were exploring the store, we noticed the clouds finally letting up. It was great to see the purple and pink skies as the sun set and clouds slowly blew away. We even got the treat of spotting a rainbow!
Lotte Department Store was different from any other department store we'd been before. Other than it being more mall like, there was also many things to explore on it's rooftop. We found a petting zoo area with bunnies, goats, and other small animals. Even all the animals were hiding from the rain.
This Lotte store had a upper floor dedicated to proper sit down restaurants. We opted for a simple meal of bibimbap and pajeon at a place called Mihyang 味(미)香(형).
The best way to end any night in Korea was with bingsoo. Sulbing 雪冰 설빙, in particular, was on Bestie C's must try places. We spotted it during our outside street exploring. So after dinner we found our way back to the BIFF Square and Nampo-dong area for dessert. We decided to try a classic flavor and bought the Injeolmi Patbingsoo with soybean powder, chopped dates, red beans, and ddeok for ₩6,000. Shaved ice at Sulbing was unique because we were able to pour the liquidy condensed milk onto the dessert ourselves. Of all the places we tried, Sulbing's ice quality was one of the best: just like snow. At the time, it was one of my top places for shaved ice simply for the ice component. But now that I am reflecting back on all the places we tried, it still wasn't my most favorite bingsoo spot.
Our bellies weren't very filled from the seafood lunch we ate, so we were off to find some street eats. The Jalgachi market was opposite a main shopping area in Busan called BIFF or PIFF Square. BIFF or Busan International Film Festival is an annual event that is held in Busan. I don't think the festival itself takes place at the square since it is very akin to Myeongdong in Seoul: shopping and street eats.
The waffles with ice cream I had in Sinchon were great, but the apple jam waffle we got in Busan was unbeatable. Melting ice cream will easily compromise the crunchy exterior of waffles. Apple jam with a light spreading of whipped cream will not. For those who want something sweet, filling, and heartwarming, this would be the type of waffle for you! I would imagine this to be excellent on a cold wintery day. The best part was this snack was only ₩1,500.
We also bought some of the peanut shaped breads and egg shaped breads. But my recommendation is 100% for the waffle.
Another beauty of Busan street snacks: sunflower seed hoddeok or ssiat hoddeok 씨앗 호떡. Hoddeok is a very common filled & fried pancake street snack found in Korea. In Seoul, we mostly saw ones filled with the traditional sugar, cinnamon, and nuts combo. Certain specialty shops and vendors may have a japchae filled version. The sunflower seed type was more typical in Busan.
I really liked the traditional version because of the gooey melted sugar filling. However, if not careful it was super easy to burn the tongue from the sugar syrup interiors. The sunflower seed hoddeok would save you that pain. The filling mixture was sweet but there wasn't nearly as much molten sugar. Crunchy sweet seeds and fluffy fried dough were an expectingly good combination. Another must try if spotted! If you have a lot of spare change might as well get a few, it was ₩1,000 a piece.
With the rain continuing to pour, we spent most of the afternoon dodging it in various clothing and stationary shops. So many cute things were spotted along the way!
It would have been a wasted opportunity if we spent 50 days in Korea but never explored outside of Seoul on our own. On an impromptu weekend, Bestie C, our UK friend, and I took a trip to the South of Korea to visit the city of Busan.
We had only decided to go that particular weekend during the week of. There was a last minute scurry to purchase Korail KTX tickets online and secure a place to stay. The round trip price from Seoul Station to Busan Station was ₩57,700. I would recommend pre-ordering the tickets to save the stress of trying to figure it out at the train station. The KTX online site was available in English and was a smooth process overall. The train ride wasn't bad either, it only took a little over 2 hours to get from Seoul to Busan.
Since we were going into an unfamiliar territory, my criteria while searching for accommodations were:
- proximity to public transport station
- affordability
- location in comparison to major destinations of interest.
Even though we were traveling as a trio, we weren't too particular on the size. Luckily I was able to come across a rather nice and new looking studio on AirBnB. It was pretty affordable since it was newly listed. I wouldn't typically pick a place that didn't have any reviews but decided to take the chance anyways. The sweet points of our new home for the weekend:
- only a few minutes walk from the Busan KTX train station
- subway station was right around the corner from the apartment building
Both those reason allowed us to save on taxi and transport money to get there. We also avoided any potential dialect/language barriers upon immediate arrival in Busan.
Once we settled in, our #1 stop was to the Jagalchi Market 자갈치시장. If one were to Google top places to visit in Busan, this market is usually a top suggestion. The area has many shops selling seafood and other groceries to locals and tourists. If you visit the multi-story building labeled Jagalchi Market, you could browse & purchase from the many vendors on the first floor, then have your seafood prepared for you on the second floor.
This market was a really neat place to explore. There were so many different types of fish and sea critters that I don't normally get to see, even with all the Chinatowns in NYC. But unless you really want the experience OR have a fluent Korean friend along with you, I would recommend to save your ₩₩₩ to eat other foods at Busan.
Our small loot of 1 fish, 3 scallops, 3 abalones, 3 clams, and 3 frozen shrimp came up to ₩50,000. The cooking and preparation fee was an additional ₩25,000. It was refreshing to eat (mostly) fresh seafood, don't get me wrong. I also got to try raw fish which I don't typically eat. However, we could have had many many more meals for that ₩75,000. To my memory, prices of the seafood weren't really written anywhere and you either have to trust the sellers or try your best to haggle no matter the price.
Shortly after reaching the indoor fish market, heavy rainfall swept through Busan. It was pretty unrelentless for most of the day. But we continued to venture outdoors anyways to make the most of our short stay.
