The last leg of my Asian Adventure took me to Busan, South Korea.
The second largest city in South Korea, dynamic Busan is a famed resort and recreation area. I was only there for a short time, but I wanted to make the most of it, so I immediately hopped a bus down to the Yeongdo-gu coast.
The paths wending along the coastline reminded me of Cinque Terra...
Though the metal staircases down to the pebbled beaches were a bit more modern in feel...
I explored the lovely beaches...
Then it was up to Taejongdae - where there is a forest reserve and a hike up to an observatory and lighthouse where, on a clear day, you can see Japan. That day was a bit hazy, but the walk was still great. (Though there was also a little tram you could take if you weren't athletically inclined.)
After Taejongdae, I headed past the Gwangan bridge...
To the famous Haeundae Beach...which was actually a bit crowded for my taste. I met a woman from Haeundae at the airport who joked that you couldn't see the beach for all the hats - though I found it was more umbrellas.
I wandered over to Narimaru for another walk along the coast...
Then it was time to wave goodbye to Haeundae and Busan...
And fly off to Tokyo!
I had only one day to explore this city, while on a layover before my flight back to the states continued, so I had to be selective. I chose Shinjuku as my exploratory area of choice. In the morning I explored the gorgeous park there...
... complete with a lovely hot house - though Tokyo was plenty hot all on its own...
Then after a sushi lunch (because you have to have sushi in Tokyo), I made my way up to the Tokyo Government Tower with its free observatory to look out over the city.
It began to thunder and rain while I was up there - a good mile and a half from where I needed to catch my train back to the airport...
But luckily in Japan, you can walk a mile (or three) in the rain without ever getting your feet wet, because there are these warrens of underground tunnels connecting everything.
I even found a restaurant in the underground city to grab some curry and katsu before I had to catch my train.
Japan was fascinating. They have these cool sort of pay-as-you-go-credit-card-swipey-thingeys (that's the technical term) and I'm kind of in love with their vending machines. Largely because of this sign:
...and the fact that they sell sweat. I am still not sure what a Pocari is, but drinking its sweat was an experience I was happy to miss. Though I'm sure it's delicious.
And that's it folks... after that it was off to the airport and back to the States. Thus ends my Asian Adventure. I took a lot of pictures and a lot of memories home with me. Hope you enjoyed seeing them half as much as I enjoyed sharing them.
The second largest city in South Korea, dynamic Busan is a famed resort and recreation area. I was only there for a short time, but I wanted to make the most of it, so I immediately hopped a bus down to the Yeongdo-gu coast.
Though the metal staircases down to the pebbled beaches were a bit more modern in feel...
Then it was up to Taejongdae - where there is a forest reserve and a hike up to an observatory and lighthouse where, on a clear day, you can see Japan. That day was a bit hazy, but the walk was still great. (Though there was also a little tram you could take if you weren't athletically inclined.)
And fly off to Tokyo!
I had only one day to explore this city, while on a layover before my flight back to the states continued, so I had to be selective. I chose Shinjuku as my exploratory area of choice. In the morning I explored the gorgeous park there...
Then after a sushi lunch (because you have to have sushi in Tokyo), I made my way up to the Tokyo Government Tower with its free observatory to look out over the city.
I even found a restaurant in the underground city to grab some curry and katsu before I had to catch my train.
Japan was fascinating. They have these cool sort of pay-as-you-go-credit-card-swipey-thingeys (that's the technical term) and I'm kind of in love with their vending machines. Largely because of this sign:
And that's it folks... after that it was off to the airport and back to the States. Thus ends my Asian Adventure. I took a lot of pictures and a lot of memories home with me. Hope you enjoyed seeing them half as much as I enjoyed sharing them.
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