Long weekend

            Hello! It was a long weekend for us here in Busan (National Liberation Day) so we made the most of it and checked out some of the features of our fine city. Friday night we went out with our fellow foreign teachers to a bar called “Thursday Party.” It was pretty fun and Gavin killed it on the beer pong table with another COREM teacher, Kyle. Before leaving the building we met up in Kyle’s room to have a few drinks. I had been warned about soju, a Korean alcohol that tastes like watered down vodka, but wasn’t deterred and had a few drinks of the stuff. Suffice to say the hangover took a day and a half to subside. I will not be indulging in soju anytime soon, or probably ever again.

Vendors and crowds at Nampodong market.

     So Saturday was a write-off (although laying in bed watching action movies all day wasn’t terrible). On Sunday we decided to venture down to the famous Jigalchi fish market and the nearby Nampodong market. I wanted to find some fun souvenirs to send to a couple of friends and we thought we might find some tasty fresh scallops to cook for dinner. I was not prepared for the crowds, noise, or sheer volume of stuff and quickly became overwhelmed. We spent a few hours wandering the narrow streets of Nampo, looking at the zillions of things for sale. You can pretty much buy anything there- clothes, shoes, toiletries, food, bedding etc. Eventually we found our way out of the mayhem and back onto a main street (thanks to Gavin’s sense of direction). We decided to check out the fish market and found it to be even more crowded than Nampodong. It was difficult to turn around and walk back against the rush to where we started, but we found our way out. At that point I was ready to get the heck out of there so we hopped on the metro and back to Hwamyeong (our lovely neighbourhood). The experience was kind of nuts, but I’m ready for round two now that I’m a little bit familiar with the place and how it works.

The trail on the mountain

A couple of massive slugs we passed en route.

       Yesterday we went hiking on a nearby mountain. Gavin had tried to find a route up the other day, without much success, so we went by Google maps and a map of Busan we have. We ended up walking along a wooden boardwalk-type path next to a road that wound up quite high. The walkable part ended at the entrance to what I think is an old fort that has been converted into a tourist attraction. After some wandering around, we decided to follow a couple of hikers we’d seen taking a path off the road. It wasn’t marked at all and didn’t look like much from the street, but it turned out to be well maintained. The only sketchy part was the cables hanging from the trees (probably not electrical) that we had to occasionally duck under. Also the heat and humidity were insane. I have never sweat so much in my life. It was like walking through 32-degree soup. The pictures do not do justice to how wet and hot it was. That being said, it was a great introduction to hiking in Korea and I’m sure we’ll do much, much more of it, especially when the weather gets a bit milder. We were surprised to find vegetable gardens along  the way, even after hiking for an hour! I guess they belong to the people that sell their produce on the side of the road in town. 

            I’ve added a few other pictures that don’t fit into longer narratives. And soon we will write about the teaching and the kids!

A garden on the mountain.

Gavin at the top, checking out some gardens.

 

Since the caption option isn't working, clockwise from top left: Gavin drinking a queen sized beer at a nearby bar called "Long Life." They have sizes that go up to ace, which looks like a yard glass. A view from outside our building. A rice triangle meal that is quick and cheap (about $1.50 for one) and therefore a popular lunch option. Finally, me drinking a queen as well.