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.
