Busan, South Korea
I boarded the Camellia Line ferry at Fukuoka and waved goodbye to Japan. The IYTC card I picked off more than paid for itself by saving me about $20 off the ticket. During the trip I met a Texan who has been living in Korea for the last three years. He juggled, showed me a few card tricks and gave me some advice about what to expect when I arrived. I also did some exploring of the ship looking for photo ops before passing out in the communal cabin.
see all of my photos from the ferry
I awoke at the perfect time to see the ferry pull into port and stumbled out to the deck to catch my first view of this new country, but a few minutes later it was time to disembark. I ended up in line next to a girl who looked Korean and was surprised when she spoke English to me. Ironically, it turns out we were both raised in Los Angeles, drummers who played the same instrument in school band, and also went to school in New Jersey. This trip has been full of uncanny experiences, but this encounter definitely proved to be the most parallel series of events yet! We parted ways as she left for Seoul and made plans to meet when I arrived up there.
A couple interesting finds on the way were vending machines selling books for two dollars and coffee for thirty cents. It is also worth mentioning that the most expensive subway fare all the way across town was only a little more than a dollar; definitely a welcome change from the mass transportation expense of Japan.
Scott turned out to be a really cool, down-to-earth guy who was able to show me around the city for the night. The following day was South Korean Constitution Day, so we hit a BBQ for dinner and bar-hopped until dawn. The highlight was definitely the Gwanganri beach area where I met his friends. It was a perfect summer night, and we all settled into a bar across the road from a beach overlooking the beautifully illuminated Gwangan Bridge.
The next day consisted of navigating the subway system again and taking a bus north. The bus had enormous, comfortable seats but no bathroom; which I found a bit unusual because there was only one rest stop during the 6 hour trip. Not much happened on the way up, except the driver speed around cliff-side curves like a maniac. He also seemed to be watching TV and changing channels for most of the trip. I can’t really complain since I’m still alive, and the bus pulled into the station an hour early. There, I met up with Melissa and spent the rest of the night catching up on our recent adventures and meeting her friend Amy from Gangneung.
click here to see all of my photos from Busan
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Tags: - Photography, - Transport & Travel, - Transport: Boat, Asia, Busan, Couchsurfing, Ferry, South Korea
Adam Shane
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