The trip was a relatively short 3-hour train ride away, which basically crossed the entire country. When we arrived at the hotel there was a misunderstanding about our arrival date, so the concierge called a nearby hotel and taxi to bring us there. It ended up being in a more convenient location, right next to Busan Tower. The tower is an icon of the city and offers some great views from the top.
The first day there we spent roaming the city in search of a popular “Mexican” “restaurant”. I use both of these words lightly, since the restaurant was actually a closet with a hole in the wall to place your order and a few plastic chairs in the middle of an alley. When a car needed to pass, we had to stand up and plaster ourselves to the wall for them to squeeze by. The Mexican food was also questionable, considering the closet was lined with Pace Picante wallpaper… but there were jalapenos and Tabasco sauce!
After that, we strolled down to the beach to take in some PIFF action and to paddle in the Sea of Japan.
PIFF stands for the Pusan International Film Festival and it was full force during our visit. A red carpet and tents were set up along the beach to promote the movies, producers, sponsors, etc. The actual movies were being shown at various theatres all around town. We got tickets for “Disgrace”, staring John Malkovich. The movie itself was pretty depressing, but for my first international movie theatre experience it was really exciting! (For the curious, the movie was in English with Korean subtitles)
The Busan itinerary also included a trip to the fish market, which was full of everything from live squid to penis fish (they are really called this!). Pictures are worth a thousand words, so I’ll let them narrate this experience.
The one thing I will comment on is dried squid, stingray and cuttlefish. These are really popular snacks here, like beef jerky. I tried the squid and it wasn’t horrible, it was sweet like teriyaki but with a fishy flavor.
Another unusual snack here is Beondegi, pronounced “bom-dig-gee”.
It is steamed or boiled silkworm larvae that have been seasoned. Many street vendors serve it, but you can also find it in cans next to the tuna fish. On the street, you can smell it long before you see the actual vendor. It is distinct and the taste is not too far off. For me, the worst part was the pop as you bit into it (imagine Bear Grylls eating grubs). The texture was gritty, like an undercooked kidney bean. One was enough for me…
Before
After
We also took in a sunset cruise which gave us a great view of the skyline and iconic Oryukdo Islets.
ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! Lucky girl! Who puts these little vacations together for you guys???
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