Walking and Exploring

Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2006, Busan (Cont.)

Went through the fish market which is rather famous here. It was in the late afternoon, and I didn't expect anything to be going on there. But I saw a tour group coming out of the area. When I went to explore, I was surprised. There was as much activity as I would have expected in the early morning hours. Of course, the auction of the fish fresh off the boats was long over, but the stalls were full of fish and people selling it. To be honest, there was much more than fish. There were all kinds of horrible looking sea creatures for sale, and those were the things that were selling the most. Yuck!! It is difficult to find a place to eat here without some slimy seafood being in the dish you are served, too. Compared to western tastes, Korea must be about as far away from what is acceptable as any country in the world.

Two funny stories:

1. When I ate my rice dish which I wrote about yesterday, there was a small portion of slaw on the plate. I like slaw, but I like fried rice better. So I decided to eat all the slaw first so I could concentrate on eating the rice. Well, the owner of the restaurant saw me eating the slaw and assumed it was my favorite; she brought be a big bowl of more slaw and set it to the side. It was good, so I ate it, too. But I didn't eat it before eating the rice; I ate them together switching bites from one to the other.

2. I was having trouble finding my hotel yesterday. I saw the BIG hotel I was supposed to go behind to find my small place. But when I got behind it I didn't see any hotels. I stopped in a 7-11 store, and there was a young student who spoke English there. He didn't know where the hotel was, but he took my guidebook into the back and called the number to get directions. When he came back to tell me how to get there, he told me the name has changed and is now called the Hilton. Of course, I was puzzled thinking surely it couldn't be a REAL Hilton. Seeing that I was questioning something, he quickly responded, "Like Paris Hilton--Hilton." Can you believe that that woman is known over here? What has she ever done to become so widely known?

Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2006--Busan

I seem stuck at a set of times that still isn't right. I've been getting very sleepy and going to bed between 8:30 and 9 p.m. Then I have been waking up refreshed at 6 a.m. Somehow, I adjusted to the change of time zones without adjusting my sleep patterns properly.

This morning, I started the day by walking 6 subway stops. On the way was a Hyundai Department Store which was very exclusive looking and elegant. The basement food hall was fascinating. It must have had 30 different kinds of mushrooms. And it had better bread than can be bought in San Antonio. I left and continued on my way just trying to see what was along that route between my hotel and a big center of town where the two subway lines cross. I was tired by the time I got there, though. I tried to find a place to eat in the area and couldn't find anything that I knew I could trust what I would get. I went ahead and caught the subway to Beomoesa Station where I planned to go to a nearby temple. I looked for a place to eat there, too, and didn't find any thing. So I continued to the temple.

It was a nice old temple up in the mountains. The air was fresh, and a stream was flowing down beside it and the walkway to it. There were wonderful old tile rooftops, nice painted wood, wild looking figures (like often decorate Buddhist temples), etc. It is a temple that participates in the Temple Stay program--a program where a traveler can arrange to live and study at the temple for a period of days or weeks. I didn't see anyone who appeared to be there for that program, but I saw the old temple buildings that housed them.

Speaking of not seeing anyone. I had not seen a westerner since leaving the airport Saturday in Inchon until I got here to Busan. There is an American base nearby, and this is a big international port. So I have seen some men and some couples wandering around town here. Some look like they could be military in civilian clothes. But I have yet to see an American military man or woman in uniform in this country either this time or during my visit last year.

I finally found a place to eat after taking the subway back 6 stations to my next destination. Across from the station as I looked in the window, the woman called me inside. She held up a nice piece of cooked pork and indicated she would slice it to put in the soup. So I stopped there. A Korean man had just ordered the same dish, and I sat so I could watch him to know what to eat how, since they serve about 8 side dishes with the soup. I added salt and some red pepper paste to the soup, scouped my rice from the bowl into the soup, and stired. I ate the soup with a spoon. I reached across with my chopsticks and picked up the long green vegetables (what?) that had some kind of red paste on them; they were delicous. I also picked up some kimchee, the pickled cabbage that comes with every meal, and ate it. I used my hand to pick up a green pepper and dip it in another sauce that was served (just as the man had done). It was fine; the pepper was not too hot, and it and the sauce tasted good together. It was a great meal. Of course, I was famished, since it was 2:30 p.m. and I was eating for the first time today. But it was good on its own measure, not just because I was hungry. I was happy the lady had encouraged me to come into her place.

I stopped here on my way to a spa that was recommended by the guidebook. It is supposed to be the largest in Asia. But when I got to the building I didn't want to go into it. It was a huge, modern building attached to a fancy hotel. It just didn't look like anything that would be my style. There is another big (but not as big) spa in a building with a more modest hotel just a block from where I am right now. I think when I leave here, I may take a chance to go there. I've always wanted to try a Korean-style spa. They are similar to what the Japanese have. One must bathe completely either in a shower or at a tap with soap and a bowl to pour the water over the body before entering the sauna or the hot tubs. The tubs are the main thing. One gets into them and just relaxes. I tend to be shy about going into places like this where I don't REALLY know the routine, but I think I should push myself this afternoon to have this experience. I may not have another chance in Korea.

I missed my rinse and blow dry this morning!