South Korea

From the warm and very pleasant weather in Nagasaki, the next day (Wednesday 17^th) we were in Busan (or Pusan), South Korea where the cold wind greeted us harshly. Even though there wasn’t a terminal building, the facilities on the pier were quite ample – currency exchange, tourist information, etc. Since I’m on the ship as the port lecturer, I chose to find out more about the port and local areas rather than go on one of the ship’s excursions. One of the buses that was on the pier was apparently a believer in the saying, “The good die young” – check out the name of the bus line. I guess you get there even faster on that bus!

I went out to the bus stop and took local bus 66 into downtown. The fare was 1,200 Won (about $1.10). The drop-off point was right at Lotte Department Store (a huge shopping store), plus there was a subway stop right under ground. After watching the amazing 4-story water show (it ended with spelling out “Thank You” in Korean in English as water dropped from the ceiling), I had a bite to eat in one of the many eating areas and then went to the observation deck on the roof. It was very windy up there, but the views were worth it.

One of the views from the ship was that of the unfinished Gwangan (Diamond) Bridge. Here is a photo of the roadway where there are still a few sections left to be installed.

As we left the port, there was entertainment – a fantastic saxophone player, plus a couple traditional dances. The wind was still blowing, and the cold was quite biting, but these performers were fantastic. Hopefully the warm applause from the guests let them know how much they were appreciated.

The ship pulled into Jeju Island on the 18^th. The weather had improved a bit, but it turned out to be only a brief respite. Jeju Island is one of the new Seven Wonders of Nature. There is so much to see and do on this resort island, but I spent my day in town. I took a taxi in to the large underground shopping area, as it was conveniently in English and Korean on the map. I then strolled around town (not really much to see and do there), and then walked back to the ship. Given that I’ve been battling a sore throat, that was about the end of my activities for the day.