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See South Korea, minus Psy - The Globe and Mail

SeeSouthKorea,minusPsy
MICHAEL FRAIMAN BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA Special to The Globe and Mail Published Thursday, May. 30 2013, 3:31 PM EDT Last updated Sunday, Jul. 14 2013, 11:40 PM EDT

ForeverySouthKoreanandseasonedexpathere,NorthKoreasrecentbluffofwarwasasmuchapart ofeverydaylifeasasidedishofkimchi.BothKoreasareproudandstubbornnations,bornoftradition andeagertoshowitoff. Butonethingischanging:tourism.IvelivedinSouthKoreafornearlytwoyears,andinthattimethe numberofannualinternationalvisitorshasjumpeddoubledigitpercentagesto11.1millionalmost doublethenumberforJapan,IndiaorIndonesia.

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ThisisinpartthankstoYouTubephenomenonPsy(whosgottensohugethattheKoreanTourist Organizationrecentlyappointedhimtouristambassador,replacinghishilariouslychosenpredecessor, KennyG),buttheresalsosomethingtobesaidforthecountryscombativehistoryandmiddleground costasanAsiandestination:ItspricierthanThailand,butstillhalfthepriceofJapan. MosttravellersheadstraighttoSeoul,butIwantedtoshowavisitingHalifaxfriendthebestofBusan, SouthKoreassecondlargestcity. Itsprawlsaroundfivetoweringmountainsandliessandwichedbetweensixsunnybeaches,and generallyfeelscozierthanitsbigbrothersmercilesslywidestreets. AndsinceitremainedmostlyuntouchedduringtheKoreanWar,Busanmanagedtoretainanengaging culturallandscapethatsequalpartsmodern(wevegottheworldslargestdepartmentstore)and historic(alsoKoreaslargestconglomerationoffishmongers). GettingtoBusanisaseasyasbuyinga$50ticketfromSeoulfora21/2hourrideononeoftheworlds

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See South Korea, minus Psy - The Globe and Mail

fastestbullettrains. Myfriendboughthisreturnticketforthenextday,soweneededtomakequickuseofourtime. 10:00a.m. OurfirstdestinationisNampodong,twosubwaystopswestofBusansmaintrainstation.Thecitys olddowntownisdividedintotwoshoppingdistrictsaluxuriousmainroadlinedwithgoldcoloured statues,andtheBupyeongMarket,aswarmingselectionofearthenwarekimchipotsandfarmfresh produce. AquickstrollthroughBupyeongsvintageclothesmarketleadsustoBIFFSquare,namedafterthe BusanInternationalFilmFestival,Asiaslargest.ItsalsohometothebestofKoreanstreetfood,and wedevourricecakesdousedinchilipepperpasteaswellashotteok,athinpancakefilledwith cinnamon,brownsugarandchoppednuts,allforlessthan$2each. 11:15a.m. Wewalknorthfor10minutestoreachBosudongBookStreet,oneofmyfavouriteBusansites.Its hardtogetmoretraditionalthanBosudong,whichwasbornbyanimpoverishedelderlycoupleselling usedbookstogetbyaftertheKoreanWar.Itssinceevolvedintoanalleywayfloodedinrare paperbacksandmagazines,allrunbyacollectionofaround60utterlydevotedbookloverswhocanbe seen,undertheirgreenandyellowcanopies,unpackingtheirstockeachmorning. AfterbrowsingthefewEnglishselections(SATprepbooksandGoosebumpsnovels),werelaxwith coffeeandteaintheadjacentcafofYeonhapBookstore,whichhouseshundredsofmustyartbooksin itsclaustrophobicbasement. 12:30p.m. Asrealhungerstartstosetin,weheaddowntoBusansmostworthwhiletouristspot,theJagalchiFish Market,justa20minutewalksouth.Equalpartstouristyandtraditional,itsfullofoldwomen skinningeelsnexttomassiveaquariumsofsquirmingoctopusestryingtoescape. Weopttolunchonaheftykingcrab(around$90,butitsgoodforthreepeople)afterthehostess drawsusinwiththepromiseoffreegrilledfishasanappetizer.Anhourlater,weagreethatthesoft crabmeatisonparwithanyHalifaxlobsterweveevertried. 2:00p.m. Ourbelliesfull,werideabusfor20minutessouthwesttoGamcheonCultureVillage.Gamcheonhas beenpoorandremotesincetheKoreanWar,whenamannamedChoCholjebegandrawingin displacedrefugeesunderthebannerofareligioncalledTaegeukdo.Hehelpedfosterthe

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See South Korea, minus Psy - The Globe and Mail

neighbourhoodfromafewhundredcitizenstoroughly10,000,inspiringKoreasMinistryofCulture, SportsandTourismtohireprofessionalartistsin2009totransformitintoafreeinteractiveart gallery.Vacantshacksbecamecafs,artistserectedoutdoorsculpturesandlocalshelpedby repaintingtheirhomesvibrantyellows,bluesandreds. 5:00p.m. Afterhoursofwalking,wedontbotherwaitingforthebus,andinsteadhitchacabnortheastto Seomyeon,Busanscore.Icantletmyfriendenjoyanyoftheareastrendycafsorcheaprestaurants withoutfirstintroducinghimtoWorldArcade,acityblockofgamesthatnevercloses. Afterlighteningourpocketsofcoins,itstimetoeat.Myfriendisavegetarian,whichisdifficultin Koreaandeliminatesbarbecue,oneofthecountrysstaples. ItakehimtoaholeinthewallcalledSeokaeCheonbool,wherewedineonequallytraditionalgrub: pajeonandmakgeolli,a.k.a.greenonionpancakesandricewine.Koreansclaimtheygotogetherlike spaghettiandmerlot.Weorderafewkimchipancakesandgoldenpotsofthehomebrewedmilky alcoholtogetthenightgoing. 8:00p.m. A15minutesubwayridelandsusatthecampusesofKyungsungandPukyonguniversities,wherecheap KoreanbeersaredownedoverroundsofdartsatKinoEye,anexpatfriendlydancebarwallpaperedin movieposters.IhavehalfamindtodragmyfrienddownthestreettoabasementjointcalledMonk, oneofKoreasmostfamousjazzclubs,butweneedtokeeptheenergyup. 11:00p.m. MaybethemostcrucialKoreantraditionisthecombinationofsoju,Koreasfamousriceliquorthat tasteslikesweetvodka,andnoraebang,literallysongroom,whichCanadiansknowbetteras karaoke. ForthisfinaleweheadtoHaeundaeBeachintheeast.Haeundaeboasts1.5kilometresofwhitesand andisoneofAsiasmosttouristybeachesfromabirdseyeviewduringpeaksummermonthsyou cantseethesandforalltheumbrellas. WeprefertogoatnightfortheabyssthatisthePacificOceanaftersunset,nottomentionthesmall crowdsandcoolbreeze. Theresnoshortageofnoraebangsinthesurroundingneighbourhood,either. Wechooseoneatrandomandfillitwithsoju,beerandpotatochips,singingOneDirectionandLion Kingclassicsuntilthesuncomesup.

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5:00a.m. OurfinalKoreanritualisanespeciallysignificantone:watchingthesunrisefromHaeundaeBeach. ThousandsofKoreansflocktoHaeundaetowitnessthefirstsunriseonNewYearsdawn,buttonight werejoinedonlybyafewdozenuniversitystudentsandemptybottlesofsoju. Theskywas,notunusually,toodustytospottheactualsunrising,buttheslowbluenessthatgrew overheadconfirmedthatwedmadeit.Thesubwayhadopenedagain.Andmyfriend,halfasleep,was happy.Afterall,therewouldbeplentyoftimeforsleeponthetrainbacktoSeoul.

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