FAREWELL SEOUL - TRAIN JOURNEY TO BUSAN
Organising Our Journey on the KTX Fast Train to Busan
Packing - or should I say re-packing - for our train journey from Seoul to Busan was a nightmare. We had to unpack the entire contents of our suitcases to find some suitable clothes for what we anticipated would be a warmer Busan climate, and to our frustration somehow our clothes didn't seem to fit back in our cases like they did before; a situation very familiar to all travellers.... Forcing all our bulky cold weather anoraks, padded trousers, massive snow boots, jumpers etc took a sad toll on our largest duffle bag and to Alan's distress, the bag partially split down one of the seams. We just prayed it would hold together until we got home.
We were spending three days in Busan before returning to Seoul to catch our flight back to Sydney. Initially, we thought of travelling back by bus for a change of scenery but when our hotel Concierge informed that the bus was "non-stop", that is it did not have toilet or refreshment stops unless requested, we decided the train was the better option. We were also concerned about possible traffic delays especially as our departure flight was leaving the same evening. At least we reasoned, travel by rail should be more reliable.
We cannot speak too highly of our young Concierge who went to no end of trouble to assist us with booking our train tickets. He recommended that we take the KTX* from nearby Gwanmeyong Railway Station, booked our taxi and waited with us until we departed. Like all the staff at our hotel, he was extremely helpful, friendly and courteous - and spoke excellent English. It had been a very pleasant stay at the Novotel Ambassador Doksan.
* The KTX or Korea Train Express is South Korea's high-speed rail system, operated by the national rail authority Korail.
The Train Journey
Thanks to our Seoul walking tour guide Marina, we successfully navigated the impressive Gwanmeyong Railway Station and found our correct platform for our KTX train departure. It was just a bit confusing that we had to go through Passage 2 to get to Platform 4.... A Korean woman who was visiting Seoul for a wedding from her home in the US, approached us to make sure we were on the right platform.
There was no doubt about the Korean people we met on our travels, they were friendly, helpful and thankfully for us, many spoke excellent English.
Our train trip was very pleasant, comfortable and relaxed. The trip took us just two and a half hours to cover a distance of some 400 kilometers. The KTX apparently reaches speeds of around 350 kilometers per hour and it is a great choice considering it takes some four hours to drive. It didn't worry us but it should be noted that even in First Class, the train does not provide lunch - just snack foods and packets of biscuits.
Although the train service was very efficient, the scenery was not particularly interesting and not helped by the thick ever present smog. Outside Seoul, the rail journey passed through light industrial then semi rural areas interspersed with large towns and extensive high rise apartments. In the more rural areas, the landscape was dominated by endless rows of greenhouses and small agricultural plots. There certainly was not a lot of free space and it was not difficult to acknowledge we were travelling through one of the most densely populated countries in the world.
We were looking forward to returning to Busan for some time to chill out and rest. We had been "stranded" at Busan airport the year before when our China Eastern Airlines flight from Shanghai had been delayed resulting in us missing our connecting Aeroflot flight to Vladivostok, Russia (refer blog "Beyond Siberia: Russia's Eastern Eagle" entry at http://v2.travelark.org/travel-blog-entry/crowdywendy/8/1496992194). It had been an awful situation.
Despite our immediate notification to Aeroflot, we were designated as "no show passengers" and were forced to reschedule all of our coming flights with the airline; a stressful and expensive process that cost us in excess of AUD 2,500. Late in the day at Busan Airport, we found we were totally alone trying to organise overnight accommodation, currency and rescheduling of our flights. We were not sure even if we required a visa for our stay. And, for some reason our phone refused to work...
Thankfully the China Eastern Airlines airport manager was still at the airport and was very helpful in allowing us to use his office and phone. And fortunately he was able to assist us with transport and accommodation for the evening but it took over four hours to reschedule our flights and we finally left for our hotel just as the airport closed for the night at 10:00 pm.
However, as in many instances of "horrible travel happenings" there was a silver lining and we ended up enjoying our short stay in Busan. Staff at our hotel were extremely sympathetic, friendly and helpful, upgrading us to one of their premier suites and generously giving us a bottle of their house wine. The next morning staff organised a brief visit of the city outskirts which we enjoyed very much. Their kindness and hospitality certainly left us with a fond impression of the city.
BUSAN CITY
Arriving in Busan
We arrived in Busan around 3:00 pm. On a balmy warm afternoon, Busan was looking magnificent with an almost tropical feel. An impressive port city, Busan houses a plethora of splendid modern high rise buildings and many beautiful suspension bridges. As we sped along the modern expressways, we caught glimpses of the attractive port and gorgeous azure coastline. Busan was undoubtedly a very lovely city.
Similarly, we were delighted with our Novotel Amabassador Hotel. Situated right on the pretty Haeundae Beach, the hotel which is just 15 kilometers from Busan Railway Station, sports magnificent views and is very centrally located. Our Club Floor room was beautifully appointed, spacious and very comfortable. It was a pity that it didn't have ocean views but as the Club Lounge, with its fantastic ocean and beach views, was available all day for breakfast, coffee and drinks, we (Alan) decided we were more than happy. But I must admit, I would have much preferred having beach views....
After a quiet afternoon, we enjoyed the Happy Hour evening drinks in the Club Lounge. It was pleasant but despite the fabulous views, the room at night lacked atmosphere and the food was quite ordinary.
In saying that however, we acknowledge that over the years we have been totally spoilt by the Sofitel Hyland Hotel in Shanghai which has infinitely better Club Floor facilities than any other hotel in which we have stayed.
Meeting Phoebe - Our Guide For Our Half Day Walking Tour of Busan
As for Seoul, we had contracted Lokafy's "Get Your Guide" program for a half day walking tour of Busan city. Phoebe was to be our guide and like Marina in Seoul, she had been very reliable and friendly with her communication. "Phoebe does not sound like a Korean name" I thought. But then again, many Asian people adopt English names. After all, Marina was a Russian name.
Phoebe met us at our hotel foyer. She certainly was not Korean but a fresh faced, classic young Englishwoman! Phoebe, the daughter of an adventurous academic family and herself a seasoned world traveller, was now living in Busan with her Korean partner. Despite being a relative newcomer to the city, Phoebe was passionate and very well informed about Busan. "I just love this city! There is so much to do and see. And it's so easy to get around." she beamed.
Her enthusiasm was infectious and like Marina, we liked young Phoebe the minute we met her. Once again we were treated to a very enjoyable and relaxed walking tour.
A Snap Shot of Busan
Busan (formerly known as Pusan and now officially as Busan Metropolitan City) is South Korea's second largest city and the 6th largest port in the world. Today, it houses a population of more than 3.5 million - or 4.6 million including the metropolitan surrounds of Gimhae and Yangsan.
Busan city is located in the Yeongnam Region on the south-eastern side of the Korean peninsular, spanning an area of some 800 square kilometers. It is South Korea's nearest city to Japan, the distance to the Nagasaki Prefecture being only 50 kilometers.
During the Korean War, Busan (along with nearby Daegu) was one of only two cities in South Korea not captured by the North Korean Army. And as such, it served for some time as a temporary capital of the Republic of Korea. It also became a key refugee site for fleeing civilians. In 1950, UN troops established a defensive perimeter around the city known as the Pusan Perimeter and since then, the city has been a self-governing metropolis.
Today, this modern, progessive city is a well regarded centre for arts, sciences and convention facilties. It houses the Korean Maritime Institute, the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology and Korea National Maritime Museum. Global conventions have included the hosting of APEC in 2005. Busan has also been host to international sports tournaments such as the 2002 Asian Games and the FIFA World Cup.
Busan today is well known as a very popular tourist destination. Interestingly, Busan was voted the Lonely Planet Guide's "Best Place to Visit in Asia for 2018" where it states: "A stunning confluence of scenery, culture and cuisine Busan packs an eclectic offering of activities to suit all travellers: hike hills to Buddhist temples, settle into sizzling hot springs and feast on seafood at the country’s largest fish market...."
Our Walking Tour - First Stop Gwangalli Beach
Like our Seoul tour, our transport for the day was by the very efficient and user friendly metro rail network running through Busan city.
During our tour, Phoebe kept us entertained with her discussions about living as a young working person in modern Busan, and indeed all over the world. She also discussed the lives and status of Korean women today, a topic we were most interested in after our visits in the 1980’s and where we worked with several Korean women.
Phoebe also introduced us the rows of street food vendors which lined the Gwangalli beach. The food looked delicious.
Our first stop was at Gwangalli Beach, a very lovely 1.4 kilometer crescent shaped sandy beach adorned with tikki umbrellas, flanked by attractive modern high rise and facing the full span of the beautiful Gwangan Bridge. There was no doubt as to why Gwangalli is so popular. Lined by numerous cafes, restaurants, night clubs and top end designer shops, it is one of the most sought after tourist destinations in Busan.
Our wanders around Gwangalli took us up to the residential side of the beach area. To our delight the streets were simply alive with fully flowering, heavily scented cherry blossom. We really were very lucky and we could hardly believe our good fortune. Shamefully, we had no idea that we were to arrive just at the peak flowering time.
Jagalchi Fish Markets
From Gwangalli Beach we caught a train to Seomyeon Station where we changed trains for a twenty minute trip to Jagalchi Rail Station.
Once again, Phoebe's lessons in using the railways was to prove extremely valuable for our following train journey.
From Jagalchi Station, it was just a five minute walk to the impressive Jagalchi Fish Markets. Located on the shore side road of the Jung-gu area, Jagalchi was first established in 1953, just after the Korean War. Today it is Korea's largest seafood market.
Interestingly, most of the fish vendors are women, who are called Jagalchi Ajumma; "Ajumma" meaning middle-aged or married woman in Korean. Phoebe affirmed that Korean woman these days are a force to be reckoned with, especially the middle aged ones! Unlike the time of our visits some 25 years before when women were very much subservient to men and held a lowly place within the household, today women exert a prominent and very powerful role in society "You don't mess around with Korean women!" said Phoebe. And certainly the Ajumma, although friendly and helpful were very business like; in fact quite formidable....
The main indoor fish market was not yet open but there were plenty of interesting outside stalls to visit - and yes they were nearly all operated by Ajumma. It is always great fun wandering through Asian fish markets and once again, we thoroughly enjoyed the sights and smells - and also some of the very curious sea creatures offered for sale.
Yongdusan Park and The Bell Pavillion
From the fish markets we walked up the long and steep road then escalators to Yongdusan, a lovely elevated park and also a great viewing spot for the Jung-Gu area. The area is very attractive and upmarket, with narrow paved streets lined with designer stores and pretty cottage-like gift stores. Jung-Gu is also home to the famous Korean Lotte Department Store. I was particularly intrigued by a quaint cottage shop that looked for all intents and purposes just like a tiny pink doll's house. Phoebe informed that these Etude stores were very popular in Korea, selling a range of beauty care and cosmetics. I must confess I had not heard of them before but I could well see why they are so popular; this shop was quite enchanting...
Attractive Yongdusan Park covers an area of some 69,000 square meters and houses a large variety of tree species. The name "Yongdu" means "dragon's head' and "san" means "mountain; a reference to the shape of the park which is thought to resemble a dragon's head.
Within the park surrounds was the Bell Pavillion; a particularly beautiful shrine like building housing an enormous inner bell. The park is also home to the famous 130 meter Yondusan Tower which provides a popular lookout venue for Busan city.
Phoebe loved Yongdusan which she told us becomes a popular summer venue for Saturday afternoon festivals and traditional arts performances. It certainly was a very lovely park and a great place to view Busan city.
By then it was early afternoon and well past our tour finishing time. Phoebe like Marina, had provided us with an interesting and informative morning, and similarly had been very generous with her time. We would certainly recommend these walking tours. And there was no doubt about Busan. From our very short tour, it was a very attractive and very pleasant city to visit. But did it have soul? Sadly, we were not in Busan long enough to really explore the city and reach any conclusion.... It was indeed stunningly beautiful and yes, it was very pleasant and easy to navigate. But it did leave us with a slight inner feeling that it was all a bit superficial.
Our Last Day in Busan
We woke to a bitterly cold, rainy and windy Busan day. The buffet breakfast at the hotel's Terrace Restaurant was excellent, offering a wonderful variety of Korean and Western foods. And given the awful looking weather, we spent some time slowly enjoying our meal and coffee before venturing outside.
With full intentions of taking a long walk of Haeundae beach surrounds, we only lasted twenty minutes or so before we decided it was just too unpleasant. In fact, it was horrible and absolutely freezing.
Later in the day I ventured out again to obtain what I hoped were some good photos from the beach but it was still blowing a gale and showering. The couple of photos I did obtain were between heavy downpours and very ordinary.
And so, a quiet day was much enjoyed. It was the end of a very long and tiring trip and an afternoon of writing up my blog and reading was very pleasant.
That evening we wandered down to the Terrace Restaurant where we thought we would be able to enjoy a buffet meal. To our disappointment, it was closed and the only hotel food outlet open was the very upmarket Seascapes Restaurant.
An American family just behind us were also annoyed and disappointed. We chatted together for some time before deciding we would opt for Seascapes. Our family friends of three adults (mother and two grandparents) and two children told us they would look for some fast food outside the hotel. We couldn't blame them. Seascapes was extremely expensive.
Our meal left a poor impression upon us. The service was woeful and the food was almost inedible. It was disappointing to witness such a lovely hotel push its patrons into such an expensive venue, totally unsuitable for families (or us for that matter - it certainly was not what we wanted) and then having such terrible service and food. Sadly, we would have to say this occasion really left a bad impression on us, and the American family.
We ran into our American friends just as we were to take the elevator back to our room. They had found a fast food outlet but not surprisingly, it was not their taste although the kids looked happy enough. The grandmother of the children was very friendly and keen to talk with us.Where were we from? What were we doing in Korea? and "Oh, my lord - have you really spent most of your time in Arctic Russia? Say, what the hell were you doing over there?" she asked.
As our conversation progressed, she revealed that her son and daughter-in-law were living in Seoul as part of the US military forces. As it happened the son was "in charge of security for all US operations in South Korea". OMG! This guy had a really senior and important role in the US government!! And to our amazement, when Alan quipped that he felt sorry for all Americans under President Trump's leadership, the woman lapsed into a tirade of fury about the Trump regime. At the same time, her husband politely bade us good night and he and the family slipped quietly away....
OUR TRAIN TRIP BACK TO SEOUL
We were apprehensive about our KTX train trip back to Seoul. We had to change trains at Central Seoul Railway Station and then catch the Express Airport Train. Would Marina's and Phoebe's intensive railway training hold up?
We were fortunate in that the Express Airport Train - once we caught it - would take us directly to Terminal 2 where we would later catch our flight back to Sydney. Anyone who knows Incheon Airport can well appreciate the magnitude of the airport area and just how daunting it can be finding the right terminal. At one stage on our travels, it had taken us 45 minutes to travel by airport bus from one terminal to another....
Our train trip was again comfortable and thankfully uneventful. Even our duffle bag was withstanding the strain of its huge load of snow boots etc.
We sighed with relief when we arrived at Seoul Railway Station with plenty of time to spare as finding the place to purchase our airport tickets was not all that straightforward. There was plenty of signage both in Korean and English, perhaps too much which made it all the more daunting. The Information Desk however was very accommodating and once we realised that we had to catch an elevator down to another level to buy the tickets which was also where we would catch our train, everything was fine.
Alan purchased our tickets, we caught our train and were there at Terminal 2 with plenty of time. Plenty of time that is, to check in our rather sad luggage and find the Korean Airlines Business Lounge to celebrate the success of our adventures with just a few gins and tonic!
As we sat relaxed over our drinks, we reflected on our long yet fascinating journey. Had we really reached Pevek, Russia's most northern settlement by the perilous ice road? Had Alan really rolled his snow mobile and broken several ribs? Was I really in trouble with the Russian Border Police for inadvertently taking photographs of them? Well, yes....
The questions kept coming and for months later, we were still asking them - and still incredulous. One thing we agreed upon - it had been one of the most exciting, exhilarating and interesting trips which we have ever undertaken.
Which is really saying something....
2025-02-06