We took a bus from Gyeongju to reach to Busan. If you have intentions of visiting both Gyeongju and Busan, I would say plan them back-to-back. These two places are very near to each other and they are two very different cities so you can experience two different cultures in one trip.
The bus ride from Gyeongju to Busan takes only 50 minutes. Most buses will reach at Nopo-dong Bus Terminal (but don't take it that I say all). Busan is the second most populated city beside Seoul (I think) or second biggest economy, and the life here is pretty similar to Seoul. Except that you have beaches in Busan, which you will never get in Seoul. Also, the cherry blossoms here are also the most famous in the whole of Korea I think.
Busan has subway systems too like in Seoul (thankfully). We were glad to be back in city life after 4 days of a rustic lifestyle in Gangneung and Gyeongju (especially Gyeongju). I think both lifestyles have their good points too, but being around Busan is definitely a lot more convenient if you are a foreigner, since you can of course see more English and speak more English and have people who understand more English.
Busan is full of love motels. I'm not sure why. Of course I can find guesthouses too. But most guesthouses are populated in tourist areas, and it is not cheap at all. Like USD80-100 for a room of four with minimal facilities. We hence decided to take a leap of faith and booked two rooms at a love motel in Busan. I stay around Seomyeon, to be exact, I think this hotel is near Beomnaegol subway station, which is one subway stop away. Seomyeon is a shopping area, and also a connecting point for a few subway lines, so we decided to stay here. And of course, reading reviews that this love motel is not so dodgy afterall.
Okay maybe the picture tells otherwise hahah. This is K2 Motel at night. Hmm... hahah but the four of us never felt weird at all staying in this motel. There are tourists staying there too, and even though the corridors are dimly-lit, the rooms are pretty bright.
The reason why we chose to stay in a motel - cheap, big, good and clean. I have the biggest TV I've ever seen in a motel, and we even have computers, not just wifi. We also have a big bathtub and a sofa and a big comfortable bed. I felt so comfortable in my room I didn't want to get out actually.
I still pulled myself out of the room and we headed to eat one of Busan's speciality food - pork broth rice (돼지국밥). Even though it's pork broth rice, it has noodles too. I poured the noodles in and mix in some chilli, because that's what I saw on other websites. That's the "right" way to eat this. Pork broth rice is supposedly able to cure hangovers and headaches, I personally like this quite a lot - it's simple but satisfying.
After lunch, we excitedly headed to Gamcheon Culture Village.
Directions: Take the train to Jalgachi station, leave at exit 1, turn 180 degrees and walk down
straight until you see a GS25. There is a bigger GS25 opposite, but don't bother crossing the road, cause the bus will take a turn and come by anyway. You can take bus 2 or 2-2 and alight
at “감천문화마을” with the crowd. You can also take the bus from Toseong-dong subway station.
I'm sorry I couldn't even snap a picture of the bus because 1) I had to rush for the bus when it arrives 2) The small bus (or mini van) was so shaky I was holding on to dear life. These buses are small buses that only serve a small neighbourhood in the city. It typically only has about 15 seats from what I remember. We also have to give up the seats for the elderly when they board so I'm mostly standing and shaking with the bus. Fortunately the journey is only about 20 minutes long.
At the entrance to Gamcheon Culture Village. You won't be able to see this from the bus stop. You have to walk forward and take a right turn. So it's really good if you bring someone along with understands Korean. 감천문화마을 literally translates into Gamcheon Culture Village. One of the buses say the Gamcheon Primary School though - the primary school is right opposite this place.
This is the view that most people came here for. I was standing at a wrong direction I suppose so the view didn't look as good. ): This place is lovely if not for the big crowd on weekends and holiday period. I went there during my second trip to Korea. It was drizzling and there was literally no one, but so peaceful to stroll there.
This is the cafe that I love in Gamcheon Culture Village. It's a small cafe with only about 10plus seats but it has a very relaxed feel. Sipping a cup of hot chocolate here is so awesome. The boss is also very nice, and he was still very nice when I return a year later. I'm glad it's still there and I hope it stays there forever.
Our next stop was Busan Tower. Some people say that if you've been to Namsan Tower, you won't need to waste time coming here. I beg to differ. Both are special. I love Namsan Tower because everywhere there is so pretty and the night breeze is so cooling. The only thing I hate is that there are way too many people there - tourists and locals alike, and it's hard to find a place to properly sit down and chit chat. But if you are okay with sitting on the ground like I do, that place is still great. Busan Tower, on the other hand, has a lot more locals than tourists. Nevertheless, this place is not as crowded as Namsan tower, and there are more cafes and seats around for you. A pity the view here isn't as mesmerizing as Namsan Tower.
I still managed to get some lovely pictures of the place though.
Dinner was at a random udon shop in Seomyeon. For 4,000won, this is perfect for a cold chilly night. Sometimes, all it takes is some comfort food to make your day. :)
Will blog about the rest of Busan (Gwangalli beach, gwangan bridge, haeundae beach, the famous temple) in another post.
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