GIVE ME LIFE, BUSAN 😆

"May your soul revive, rekindle and rejoice.” - Lailah Gifty Akita

OH HOW TIME FLIES.........

So, I've made it to the half-mark of my 1st year in South Korea!!🙌 Let me tell you, it has been a journey of lessons and adventures. God has brought me through so much, and I can't thank Him enough!😩🙏

Well, I got a break (which was sooo much needed), but I wasn't sure at first of what and where exactly I wanted to spend that time. The only thing I did know, was that I wanted to be on someone's beach, soaking up the good sun, in good weather. I decided to stay in the country and explore more places. I heard so many good things about Busan that I had to check out the hype for myself. Let's just say I prefer Busan more than Seoul. (Yes, mostly because of the beaches.🙄🤷) 

It might be hard to believe, but sad to say, I can not give a comparison since I haven't "traveled" my own country like I do others. Anyways, you're probably more concerned about my adventures and what I got into while in Busan.

The Arrival
A caught an early morning bus from my city to Busan, arrived with good time and took the metro to my guesthouse. Checked-in, got myself situated, and found a map to work with. (I already had my itinerary laid out, but I wanted to see what else I could come across.) The first stop was 용두산공원 (Yongdusan Park) then on to 태종대 (Taejongdae). Taejongdae is a natural park on cliffs that face the sea. You can visit a temple, the lighthouse, take a boat ride, and/or each fresh seafood from the local sellers on the bay. (By the way, if you're a seafood eater and don't mind trying new foods, BUSAN IS THE PLACE FOR YOU!)🙃 Speaking of seafood, I went to the famous fish market, Jagalchi- 자갈치시장, (just to look and say I've been there💁) where you select the seafood you want and either take it home to cook, or you can go upstairs and have it prepared to your liking and eat it there.🤗

Jagalchi Market

When the Day Trying to be Cute was not the Day🙄
So I woke up feeling good, the weather was great, and felt the need to look how I was feeling.💁

 

I wore this black, maxi dress in 31℃ weather...💀 At least I wore my Sperry's and not flip-flops. I ended up tying my dress up before I even made it to my first stop. On this lovely, hot day, I visited the Gamcheon Culture Village (감천문화마을), which they say is the Machu Picchu/Santoronio of South Korea.🤸 I spent more time there than expected, as those hills were no joke. I wanted to see a specific temple, but I decided to visit the beaches instead. I just walked around Dadaepo and relaxed at Gwangalli. If you ever visit Busan (as I was recommended), I recommend that you visit Gwangalli in the afternoon and stay til sunset to see the bridge light up. It's an experience!

Dadaepo Beach

Gwangalli Beach

A Change in the Schedule

It's day 3, I had major plans, but due to inclement weather🙄.... Some words of advice: Whenever you're on vacation, always have a back-up-plan and/or make the most of your time with the change.  Things happen, and your plan may not go as scheduled.  Try not to let things ruin your trip.  Moving along now... I pulled out my map and picked out an area that I'd like to see.  The weather was a little muggy, so I didn't mind sight-seeing and wandering through Busan's streets.  I stopped by the Busan Asiad Main Stadium, Samgwangsa Temple, and chilled for some time in Samnak Eco Park.

Fun Day at the Beach

I was extremely relaxed to the point I didn't have the urge to get up early and "explore."  I took my time getting my day started and headed for Haeundae Beach.  Along the way, I stopped by the Murimaru APEC House to check out the views.  Once I arrived at the beach, I set up my "campsite," played in the water for a bit, and laid out, soaking up the sun.  Later on, the clouds started to take over, so I decided to pack my things up and check some other sites out.  On my handy-dandy map, I saw a baby bottle-shaped lighthouse and wanted to check it out. (It is located in the deep outskirts. So deep that when I got off the long bus ride, took my pictures and walked back to catch the next bus.  I missed one walking back, so I had to wait another 15-20 mins for the next one.🙄😑)  As it was getting late in the evening, there was one last place I wanted to check out before I left Busan, Oryukdo's Skywalk.  Let me tell you, it was so majestic that I didn't want to leave. But, I had to🤷. I think I visited the mall's sky-view 3 times to see good views of the city.  I caught the views from the top of the mall one last time.  I'm sure you can tell from my picture that the views were amazing everywhere.  This is what caused me to over-stay my time at these places.
And finally, another recommendation I have is SPALand!  If you want to experience an amazing Korean public bathhouse, THIS IS THE PLACE TO GO while in Busan.🙃  It was wonderful.  Since I went late in the evening, I only stayed 2 of the 4 hours we're granted.  (Now if you don't plan to visit Korea, the "closest" experience you can get that I know of🤔, is from King's Spa in Dallas, Texas.)   

Murimaru APEC House

Haeundae Beach

Oryukdo

Yeongdodaegyo Bridge

Peace out BUSAN!
This was the day I went to the bus station (after some last minute wandering) and took the next available bus to my city. I didn't see the point in staying, as I had nothing planned.  But, the ONE thing I did see was the raising and lowing of Yeongdodaegyo Bridge (the bridge in the previous picture.)  I read somewhere that the bridge raises once-a-day.  I had very little intentions on seeing it before, but I was sitting on the metro and thought, "I wonder if I could catch the time."  I google-searched the bridge and found out the time, 14:00.  It was 13:42 and I was one metro stop away.  Can we say perfect timing?🤔😌
 

잘가요 부산!

*VIDEO WILL BE POSTED SOON*

***All PHOTOS were taken with my phone's camera***