The smell of ocean and pine.

The sound of birds squawking and the crashing of waves.

The slickness of dark, whet rocks amid rhythmic waves.

Clouds of blue and gray hovering over those of white.

Sun hidden amongst ripples of sky.

The beauty in the wild; the wild the beauty.

It brings tears to my eyes.

And a bright smile to my face.

The second leg of my South Korean journey involved three modes of transportation (trains, planes, and automobiles) and was essentially my beach week. I was heading first to Busan for a few days and then flying to Jeju Island for the rest of the week. The train from Seoul to Busan took about five hours, and unlike the movie, Train to Busan, I did not turn into a zombie along the way.

I arrived at Busan station to quite a bit of rain. I had originally planned to take a local bus to my hotel, but unfortunately, the bus didn’t allow large suitcases. I ended up taking an Uber Taxi instead, which was only a little difficult with the language barrier. Two out of the three days I spent in Busan were rainy, but I still enjoyed it.

THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR ME WERE:

Haeundae Beach

My hotel in Busan was less than a quarter of a mile from Haeundae Beach. I walked the beach and the corresponding boardwalk, stopping at Haeundae Market for tteokbokki and a Korean corn dog. I also walked along a wooden walkway that led to a great view of the Gwangan Bridge.

Hiking Trail Parallel to the Blue Line Railway - Moontan Road

The Blue Line Park is a well-known tourist attraction in Busan - a colorful sky capsule that runs along the coast and offers beautiful views of the ocean. I didn’t ride in one of these. Instead, I found a hiking trail above the railway that garnered the same views, if not better for the effort.

Ryan Goes on Holiday

Born from the Kakao Talk app, Ryan and his friends are these adorable animated characters. As I was walking the beach in Busan, I found a pop- up exhibit called “ Ryan Goes on Holiday.” It definitely seemed geared more towards children, but I’m very much a child at heart. I like Ryan because he looks like a bear, but he’s actually a lion without a mane.

Jangsan Mountain / Yangun Waterfall

“I decided to walk to a waterfall I found on the map. First I got a breakfast onigiri, ate it on the beach, then I was off. I walked on sidewalks until I found a path that followed the stream up. This was a very nice walk that led to the base of the mountain. I climbed up, past a Buddhist temple until I found the waterfall. Once there you could hike many different paths, and there were a lot of Koreans here. It felt less touristy that way.” - Journal Entry, 4.1.24

My next destination was Jeju Island, and I was beyond excited. Jeju has been referred to as the Hawaii of Korea. Most of my expectations of the island came from the drama, Our Blues and some YouTube videos. Jeju is not very large, but I still had to decide what area to explore. The airport is on the northern side of the island. I chose to stay in Seogwipo on the southern part, so as to experience the vast feeling of looking into the Pacific and knowing how much is out there. While I can’t see farther than the horizon, I can close my eyes, picture a map, and feel connected over time and space. It’s a marvelous feeling - to be connected to so many other places and people by the oceans that bind us.

I took an Uber from my stay in Busan to the airport and then flew to Jeju Island. The island is small, as I said, but I was still relying on public transit. I rode a bus from the airport to my hotel. While the ride was pleasant, I couldn’t see anything out of the window because the it was already dark. I had to switch hotel rooms because of a defective washing machine in the first, but I got it sorted. This was the only hotel I stayed in with a washing machine, so this was an important amenity for the halfway mark of my trip.

My first day in Jeju was lovely. I walked along the coast enjoying the breathtaking views. The coastline is rocky and green and parts of the walkways are lined with rainbow-colored cement blocks. The island and the people were so welcoming and friendly. Compared to Seoul and even Busan, the quiet softness and natural beauty of the island were a balm to my traveling mind.

THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR ME WERE:

Jeongbang Waterfall and the Seobok Exhibition

I paid a small entry fee to walk to the waterfall, but the museum exhibit was free. According to legend, Seobok was a Chinese envoy who discovered the mountain and waterfall while looking for the elixir of life. The museum was a nice introduction to the area and added a new layer of mythology to my viewing of the waterfall.

Teddy Bear Museum

The Teddy Bear Museum was a unique experience and one of the highlights of my trip to Jeju. I have always loved Teddy bears and collected them as a child. The museum had many sections: a historical timeline of the birth and evolution of the bear, scenes of major global events, and recreations of famous paintings all starring the Teddy Bear.

Check out my Instagram reel here!

Cheonjeyeon Waterfalls
Saeseom Island and Oldogae Rock
World Seashell Museum

This museum sounded too interesting to pass up - a global collection of shells on a small island of South Korea. It wasn’t very large, but the amount of shells was impressive. All were labeled with the type of shell, place of origin, and year it was acquired. The owner also had a gallery of their artwork made from seashells.