Except… we are taking the train FROM Busan. Do any of you know the reference? The Korean zombie movie? I am literally starting to write this entry on said train (other direction) and so far - no zombies!
We are LOVING Korea!! It is fabulous! It’s relaxed, with amazing food and full of gorgeous scenery! JeJu was gorgeous but we really loved Busan! The relaxed vibe, food and beaches were fabulous! We were able to see a lot but not everything… next time?
Yeseul (Brayden’s partner) was extremely helpful with the planning and we def would have missed out without her guidance! Sadly - these old bodies couldn’t see everything we wanted to :0( But because we enjoyed Korea so much - we hope to come back!
We decided to start in JeJu and make our way north. This means we arrived in Seoul at Incheon Airport and had to take a train to Gimpo Airport. Hmmmm - a long day and not without incident! I think if we did it again - we would have done Seoul first - gone south and then back to Seoul from JeJu (hindsight is so great).
When we arrived on the train at Gimpo Airport, we headed the MILES to the Domestic Terminal. Mark, as the navigator, checked his phone once we got there and his information said the airline we were taking was located in the International Terminal!!!!! So - we walked MILES back from where we started and began the trek to the other terminal. One of those volunteer vehicles was nearby so I upped my limp (legit limp but I exaggerated) and we scored a lift!!!! Thank goodness! Once we arrived, we headed straight to Information where they promptly told us our airline was indeed in the Domestic Terminal - I kid you not!! ARGHHHH!! Mark is brilliant at finding us deals but occasionally we get suspect info! How grateful was I to learn that from where we were, there was a shuttle - no walking!!
JeJu Island is gorgeous! I am a “view” girl and a “water” girl - lots of boat rides and cable cars on most of our journeys.
Not everything goes as planned as we ended up on a dolphin watching boat (no dolphins) instead of a boat to see the UNESCO heritage sites but when you travel as much as we have in the last two years, you learn to roll with it!
I should mention here that they were handing out gravol on this day and it was not optional!!
BEACHES GALORE!!
An unexpected highlight for both of us was Snoopy Gardens on JeJu. Mark couldn’t believe the reviews said you needed at least two hours to do it justice - you definitely did!! I grew up loving Snoopy (70’s) because my mum loved Snoopy. One of my all time favourite Christmas rituals (passed down to the boys) is the Peanuts Christmas Special.
Anyway, this was a GARDEN! There were nostalgic displays in the building - so many!! But the real treat was outdoors. It was a really lovely experience. Except for the snake…
CAN YOU SEE HIM??
When is the last time ANYONE has seen me run????? There was a little side path in front of the building that we wandered onto before we even entered to pay. Mark pointed it out to me and I WAS GONE!!!!! As he slowly came back down the path behind me he tried to ask a Korean family about it and show the picture but all they heard was SNAKE and they promptly turned around and hurried back down the path?? We have narrowed it down to 2 possibilities - one is no big deal and the other is a poisonous viper!!
We saw this guy everywhere in JeJu - not often anywhere else... He is a Dol Hareubang (grandpa made of stone). Apparently he is the protector of wealth and fertility? He isn't doing a great job on the fertility front as South Korea has the lowest birth rate in the world! But he is cute!
We really loved Busan - one of my favourite things is all the street markets that we have visited on this side of the globe! We hit our fair share on this trip too!
We visited the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple overlooking the sea...
We also road the BLUE LINE right behind our hotel! Kinda kitschy but so fun and exceptional views!!
But my absolute favourite in Busan was the Gamcheon Culture Village! An artistic fantasy in the middle of Busan! Beautiful!!
Such a gorgeous place - wish we could have stayed longer!
Seoul is also a beautiful city! I enjoyed the walk by all the streams in the Cheonggyecheon area. We hit it around lunch time on a Monday and there were soooo many people enjoying lunch outside by the streams. One of our tour guides told us that many Koreans love to picnic - but only in the spring and autumn because summer is way too hot and humid!
We visited the Changdeokgung Palace which was breathtakingly beautiful!
We also visited the Bukchon Hanok Village. Many people were in traditional dress here and also at the palace. Beautiful!
And I am a sucker for a boat!! Sadly the "sunset" cruise was over long before the sun actually set! Still beautiful views of the city and some fun with the seagulls!
One of my absolute favourite things about travelling is history. Our tour to the DMZ (demilitarized zone) between South and North Korea was a highlight. Our guide was tremendous and I learned so much about the Korean War and the history and relationship between South and North Korea. Fascinating.
The food was so amazing!! How lucky are we to have Sul & Kim (Cucina & CHi MAC) in Rocky Mountain House!! We had a blast eating Chi Mac and Korean BBQ, we braved the fish market in JeJu (no raw lobster for me) and ate fresh lobster and fish - paid for it downstairs while it was alive and ate it on the floor above - when it was not! Speaking of RMH, this trip was also special as we have both taught many fabulous students from Korea over the years!! Eugene (of Cucina blood - lol), is now a chef in his own right and he was helpful in making sure we were brave and tried many dishes!! Don’t get me started on the STREET FOOD!!!!!
We also heard from our students who saw the stories on social media and reached out to see if we were enjoying “their country” LOVE THIS opportunity to share this experience with them!! Shout out - of course - to Kevin and Yeseul!! Kevin is like a third son to us and I always wanted Carter to have the opportunity to go to Seoul with him when they were growing up - I am grateful that Mark and I were able to. And Yeseul - who we finally met in person in November - is from Korea!! We are thankful to have had the opportunity to travel to her country of origin. She will have the chance to share all things Korea with Brayden, when they travel to Korea this winter!
The vibe in Korea is much more relaxed than Japan. Even though half the population of Korea lives in Busan and Seoul the pace is not frantic like Tokyo or New York.
What else did we notice about Korea? As I said, Korea has a way more chill vibe than Japan for sure! It may not be as spotless and it didn’t often have the luxury toilets you get travelling in Japan but it was FUN!! Loads of tourists - way more diverse - lots of English speaking travellers too!
What did we learn as travellers?? Well - as much as I appreciate how amazing Mark is at getting deals - this trip ended up having multiple weight allowances. I literally dragged a carry-on suitcase around Korea because on one flight - the checked baggage allotment was 5 kilos less than all the others! I think I can safely say (and Mark has figured out) that I cannot do 10 or more days without at least 20 kilos!!
Although I started this entry on the “Train FROM Busan”, I am finishing it on the plane back to Tokyo. Korea is definitely up there as one of my favourites For sure!! And I feel like I need to go back and see more!! I struggle sometimes when we can’t see “everything” on our trips. I try to remember that I would never even get to most of these places were it not for the fact that I have been living here for the past couple of years. So even if I haven’t seen everything? I have visited the county and learned about the culture…
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