Had a reasonable sleep last night and actually felt a little better this morning. Still gunky, still stuff, but less.
If I was back in Sydney I’d spend the day resting in bed. But that isn’t an option. So it’s off to the beach.
Last time we were in Busan, we wanted to ride the Sky Capsules near Haeundae Beach, but they were already booked out. Unfortunately their website isn’t accepting foreign credit cards so I couldn’t reserve in advance. So nothing to do but arrive early and hope for some luck.
Google Maps directs us to Jeonpo Station instead of Seomyeon. Many stores are still closed, but we stop and order banana milk for lunch from one tiny shop. Then we ride the metro to Jangsan.
It’s a bit of a walk to Mipo from there. We stop at Paris Baguette for brunch, a good decision. They have some nice salad rolls and wraps that feel a bit healthier than last night’s dinner.
It’s not as hot today and there is a stiff breeze blowing, so it makes for a more pleasant walking experience.
The Haeundae Blue Line was once part of the main Korail network, but was eventually bypassed. The single track winds its way along the coastline and fortunately it was decided to repurpose it as a tourist railway.
Three battery powered two car trains run back and forth between Mipo and Songjeong. There is also an elevated “Sky Capsule” service between Mipo and Cheongsapo where four person cabins run on a monorail track above the railway.
Using the ticket machine, we succeeded in reserving a capsule and now had about an hour and a half before its departure. Finding the Gelatteok shop still closed, B insisted on having some grilled seafood at a restaurant overlooking Mipo Port. The restaurant insisted we order a meal for all three of us.
In the end it was worth it, with grilled Spanish Mackerel served with wasabi and soy and another fish grilled in bean paste. Being Korea, there were many side dishes and rice. Thankfully none of them were silkworms, as per our last visit.
Now we had no time for ice cream and had to hurry back to the station.
The Sky Capsules are the cutest little things. Seating a maximum of four, they have small corner windows that can be opened to allow in the wonderful sea breeze. Their maximum speed is about 4 km/h, so we had a leisurely ride to Cheongsapo station, admiring the ocean, the forest and stunning views back to Haeundae and central Busan.
Cheongsapo has twin lighthouses, one red, one white, marking the entrance to its little protected harbour. We alight from the sky capsule, which is then mechanically rotated for the return run, and make our way out of the station. A lot of tourists stop in the middle of the road crossing, which apparently looks like a view from the Japanese anime Slam Dunk, especially when the Beach Train runs across the level crossing.
Following the entire route is a boardwalk. We continue along it, past traditional roofed houses where the surface has been coated blue and past pretty tea houses and coffee shops, to the next train stop, Daritdol Skywalk. This is a loop over the ocean with glass segments where you can look below at the waves crashing into the pylons and the rocks. The wind is fierce, but I don’t find it at all scary.
B and Alex want to ride the Busan Luge. We debate how to get there, eventually walk back to Cheongsapo and catch a taxi. The elderly driver uses the international standard one-handed taxi driver technique to steer, occasionally wandering into other lanes. We reach the luge, the fare 9,000 won.
The other two really enjoy their three luge rides, saying it was way better than Sentosa Island’s one. I relax in the wind under the shelter at the seating area on top of the food outlets. Even fall asleep briefly.
The castle at the Lotte World theme park is visible behind the luge. It looks like a bad version of Disneyland and we have no real desire to visit it.
Rather than a taxi, we ride the 100 bus back to Songjeong. There we catch the Beach Train back to Mipo. It is a beautiful time of day, a golden glow across the ocean and the skyline. We admire it out of the panoramic windows. So much better than our night ride in the dark last visit.
Our arrival at Mipo corresponds to Gelatteok’s break time, so we have to wait another half an hour for them to reopen, so we can try their ice creams wrapped in rice cakes (mochi ice cream). We buy the minimum of four and eat them out the front of the store. The flavours aren’t very traditional for ice cream. Choc mint almond sounds normal, as does roasted pistachio, but olive pepper vanilla is interesting and favourite cookies tastes of peanuts and cookie dough.
We take a walk along Haeundae beach, which is closing for the day, the swimmers asked to get out of the water. It’s a beautiful time for a stroll. Then we turn into Haeundae’s main street. A right turn brings us to the traditional market with tourist oriented stalls sell a variety of foods and a variety of seafoods.
Hagfish, those jawless primite eel-like creatures are disgusting enough on their own, especially with their habits of generating enormous quantities of mucus (also me right now with my cold). But then we see shopkeepers skinning them alive, their naked bodies writhing away on the chopping boards.
B orders a grilled octopus and a fishcake skewer, which Alex decides he likes too. She would order more, but we are almost out of cash. I’ve tried one ATM, but it didn’t like my card. I go to a bank opposite, same thing.
An amusement parlour has another foreign ATM that reveals the reason. Apparently they don’t like my magnetic stripe. B’s card does work and we are saved!
As we walk along broad Gunan-ro, B sees a pork soup restaurant, declaring it is the traditional dish of Busan. It’s dinner time, so we go up and order two bowls of pork, one of pork and tripe (for B). No sundae. Important to note, sundae is not ice cream in Korea, it’s pigs blood sausage and I don’t like it at all.
Honestly, the pork soup is pretty boring, despite the flavourings. That’s okay, at least it is edible.
The subway returns us to Seomyeon from Haeundae. Most of the shops, including the Lotte department store, are closing at 8 pm and we feel we need to head back too.
But not before B and Alex stop for another skewered fish cakes or two from outside Seomyeon Markets and further items are procured from convenience stores.
I’d like to say I got to rest and have an early night after that, but no, there’s washing to be done. Fortunately there’s a laundromat close by, but it still takes over an hour.
I’m definitely getting better and my back has been okay today. Still feel like a hagfish though.
More train riding tomorrow, but this one is on a high speed version!