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Busan & Gyeongju |
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There's no rest for the wicked as they say. After the long
flight from Abu Dhabi to Seoul (via Doha, Osaka and Incheon), Dusty and I woke
up first thing the next morning to catch the speed train to South Korea's
southeastern port city of Busan, located in the Gyeongsangnam-do province. It
was in fact Busan Aquarium - located in the heart of one of South Koreans
favorite summer spots, Hae-undae Beach, that attracted us to this dynamic city.
The Busan Aquarium, along with Scuba in Korea, allows guests to scuba dive into
their main tank, which happens to be swarming with turtles, groupers and
mainly... sharks!
Giant grey nurse sharks, sand tiger sharks, lemon
sharks, leopard sharks, and white tip reef sharks are all on display and
swimming around aimlessly in the tank looking out, hoping to get a taste of
some of the viewers gawking from the outside. But while it may be true that
some of these intimidating sharks look as if they wouldn't mind devouring a
nice human for lunch, the dives are carefully timed between feeding hours so
divers and sharks are able to share the tank in relative peace. Despite the
obvious harmony and calmness, the audience on the other side of the glass gave
us a rock star-like reception. The Busan Aquarium dive is a must for shark
enthusiasts and so far no accidents have been reported......yet.
Right:
Chewing on pufferfish at Geumsu Bokguk in Hae-undae Beach, Busan |
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Perhaps the most death defying experience concerning
creatures from the aquatic underworld my brother and I encountered that day was
not in the Busan Aquarium shark tank but at a nearby Hae-undae restaurant,
Geumsu Bokguk. The key ingredient in their dishes is bok-uh, or better known as
blowfish - the world's most venomous vertebrate after the golden poison frog.
However, bok-uh, or fugu as it is known in Japan, when cooked right, is
considered a delicacy in this part of the world. Despite the fact that this
dish is known for occasionally taking lives every now and then, Dusty and I
were keen to try.
As it turns out, we left the Geumsu Bokguk literally
unscathed, with the various components of our stomachs intact. The same cannot
be said for the fascinating Jagalchi fish market - one of Busan's best off the
beaten-track attractions. The site of the colorful stalls lined up
side-by-side, sporting the day's fresh catch, are a real eye-turner. The scents
they extract also turn out to be a bit of a stomach-turner as well. The
inevitable sashimi/seafood smorgasbord meal that follows tastes great on the
day, but roars like a hurricane in your belly the next. The Beomeosa temple,
locating in the picturesque mountains on the outskirts of the city is another
one of Busan's main attractions.
After dynamic Busan, Dusty and I made
our way up to tranquil Gyeongju, the former capital of Korea's momentous Shilla
dynasty. Located in the heart of Gyeongsangbuk-do province, Gyeongju is one of
Korea's cultural hearths and the city and its surrounding environ is jam-packed
with historic sites such as temples, monuments, parks and tombs. Our reasonably
priced and extraordinary hotel, Sarangchae, was like a museum in itself with
rooms set in traditional Korean houses surrounding several pristine gardens.
Dusty and I spent the day cycling around the town center and took a day trip to
the magnificent Bulgksa temple and nearby Seokguram Grotto. |
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Spider crabs... they are quite big... |
Above + below: scenes from the colorful, yet
smelly, Jagalchi fish market |
Above: I think these are blowfish in the
middle |
Below: An octopus escaping... |
Below: a trip to Jagalchi fish market inevitably
ends at the dinner table |
Below: out and about at night in Busan |
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