Korean Adventure: 6

 

Korean Adventure: 7

Busan Day 2

I woke up in the morning with a start. The anxiety about finding the ‘Meeting Point’ still shadowing over my mind, I dreaded that I am going to miss, this one too. What a waste of honestly earned money. But a message was waiting for me on the mobile. With trembling hands [well almost] and heavy heart [that’s true] I opened it. And it was most ecstatic news for me. It was message from Ktourstory, the tour operators.

‘Due to unavoidable circumstances the tour to Oedo Island is cancelled’

I didn’t know how to react to the excuse; at one level it was stupid at other; boon for me!

‘Our Tour Guide has contracted COVID and for want of equally efficient and qualified replacement we are cancelling the tour!’

Unfortunately Busan City Tours do not operate on Mondays and Tuesdays so my plan to take other lines went Kaput!

So it turned out to be yet another day for me to be on my own in Busan. May be I am gifted with ‘Never say die’ spirit and insatiable hunger for innovation I immediately charted out plan B and decided to visit few places in Busan on my own. I was still holding T money card from Seoul that works on Busan subways too. After recharging the card at nearest ‘Nice to CU’ I ventured out to visit Guemgang Park situated in the northern mountains by the same name.

Taking line number one from Busan KLT station I alighted at Myeongnyun station, any takers for  correct pronunciation. Surprisingly youngish station master knew good English and he directed me correctly. I was to take a bus going to the base of Guemgang Mountain and after a walk of 5-10 minutes I would be at the destination. I crossed the sky-walk and came across something that I had never seen in Korea so far. A poor street vendor selling vegetables on the sky-walk! I did not know where to put her in ultra prosperous Korean economy!

I got down on the correct stop with help of the driver but last 10 minutes walk turned out be breath taking for me, literally. Naturally as I was to reach the base of mountain the ascent was going to be steep and steeper. I reached the park with dense forest and Guemgang Mountain, also known as Guemgang–san, without breath! The notice at the entrance declared that ‘Rope way’ is operating today. So I gladly climbed up to the cable car station. I saw many veterans like me waiting there for the Cable car to start. And one of them pointed out that being Monday it was not going to operate. Hurdles after hurdles. With small heart I loitered in the park for some time, as hiking to the top was out of question for me. Okay certain things are not for everybody in this world!

I caught the return bus to Myeongnyun station. Just next to the bus stop there is/was this huge Lotte mall. As my phone battery was dying too frequently, due to excessive usage while searching for subway lines, buses, and other sundry information, I was advised from Mumbai to buy Power Pack Back up storage device. [Thanks to I-Vodafone’s faultless International roaming facilities]. And the choice was huge I selected the one that had sufficient storage for my needs, 10000  and suited my pocket, K won 19900/- around Rs 1100 or little more.

I had selected the places those were on the same line, number one as it was convenient. I caught the train to get down at Nampo station from where the Busan tower was at a walking distance! God knows how much I must have walked saying, Walking distance of few minutes!  

The road leading to Busan tower went through ultra posh avant garde market of Busan. Along with the usual famous brands it had franchises of National Geography and Discovery in the near vicinity. The layout of the road was very neat and tidy with huge pots of flower bushes placed in the middle of road.

I was able to see the Busan tower from below but didn’t know how to reach it. There is no dearth good Samaritans in Korea, one such helped me till I reached the escalators those take you to the tower. The ride on the escalators was nothing less than pleasant and surprising. There were three or four of them taking one to higher levels, after every ride.. Each one was decorated with lovely Neon signs or LCD displays.

On the outer skirts of the tower, known as Yongdusan park, there is artificial water fall, a flower clock, Buddhist Canopy and statue of warrior who safeguarded Busan against the invasion of Japan, Admiral Yi Su-Shin, the same one from the Seoul Palace. 

The Busan tower is smaller than Seoul tower but the view from the top is more eye-catching.The view of entire harbor, innumerable bridges, bright blue water front, air cruise Gondolas far beyond and mountains in the background leaves you awestruck because it tells what Korea is all about, progress, progress and more progress!

Busan any day is better than Seoul! All the capital cities in the world have that bad/negative political aura around them, which 2^nd cities don’t have. They have rich cultural background, better camaraderie, and down to earth people. Busan to Seoul is what Mumbai is to Delhi!  

The serving of ‘Fish & Chips’ [For a change no Korean food for me!] on the 1^st floor restaurant of the tower was so sumptuous that problem of my evening dinner too was solved! The fish was so delicious without any smell; it was dissolving in the mouth! No chewy Korean consistency, again for a change!

Oryuk-do sky-walk is supposed to be the best among-st all the sky-walks in Busan but it was way out of my reach  so I decided to visit the nearer one at Song-do beach.

There was direct bus from market to Song-do beach with a walk of few minutes thrown in as usual! Here the Google map went berserk and did not give the proper number of bus. Luckily few Firangs at the bus-stop too were going in the same direction and the same beach; they asked me to tag along. They had it easier because they had their Korean friend with them.

Song-do beach is/was semi lunar smallish man made beach with rugged hillocks surrounding it. Picturesque view! Again a jolt: Sea walk which is also known as Cloud Trail was closed for repairs. But much better option was available just round the corner, Busan Air Cruise. A rope-way that takes you to Amnam Park situated atop the mountain, hanging way above the deep sea below! I opted for glass bottomed gondola which cost just a few thousand K won more but it turned out to be wise decision because the view below your feet was just phenomenal!  

Amnam Park was/is designed on the lines of Dongbaekseom Island trail, only difference is here the children are at the center of concept. So there are huge replicas of mechanized dinosaurs which move and make sounds along with Plastic snails, from small to big and umpteen numbers of plastic pin-wheels.

Food court offers variety of Korean dishes at reasonable prices. I was dying to eat ‘Corn Dog’ which was available for K-won 3000/- only around Rs 150/- or so. It was yummy and was not problem for me because it had hot-dog under the cover of Corn batter. I had seen the recipe of fish cake so was wishing desperately to taste it but my nose refused the demand of tongue so I had to leave it at that. Return journey to Cable car station too was equally enchanting because whatever I could not see that was behind my back, I could enjoy thoroughly.

Back to Nampo station, but down Bus Stop was far away. Walk, walk and walk! I passed below the Busnandaegyo Bridge and realized how mammoth it was. With many lanes going up and down it looked like giant octopus with many tentacles.

From Nampo to Toseong station on the same line and few minutes’ walk to Gamcheon Cultural village. After taking correct exit I landed up on a square and I got confused. Which road will take me to Gamcheon village? Simple solution, ask somebody. I asked a lad may be in his late teens and may be a college going student. And what, he looked through me; not only he did not answer to my query but rushed away as if I did not exist.

“What a rude!” escaped from my mouth. He turned back, looked at me [? disdainfully] and walked away again. I pushed the incidence under carpet and went to explore on my own. Just few meters away round the corner the board said, ‘This way to Gamcheon Village’ one and half kilometer!

‘No I am not going to walk again for 35 minutes, [? Few!].Luckily a lady standing next to me on the bus stop understood my problem and said in sign language pointing towards the bus stop,

‘This bus will go.’

And within few minutes I was on the bus to Gamcheon village. It turned out again to be a wise decision because the distance to the village was ‘Unwalkable!’ It was that far off!

Gamcheon Cultural Village. Let’s see what happens to Dharavi now that Adani has taken over the reins of Dharavi’s ‘Kayapalat’! [;Make over!]

Exactly that’s what happened to Gamcheon. The refugees from the Korean War settled on the slopes of one of the mountains, by building their houses in completely hap-hazard fashion. As the prosperity started dawning upon them rather than giving the houses to builders they renovated the entire locality, that has now become UNESCO Heritage site. Every house has its own entrepreneur. And myriads of curios, artifacts, and fashion accessories are made locally which compete with bigger brands in quality and design.

I had a short round of the locality as it was not novelty for me! The curios and artifacts were very expensive for Indian in me so I caught the return bus empty handed.