Economy-Sized Shampoo, Korean Bath Houses…and other such luxuries.

A few days ago, my friend Rachael and I boarded a red-eye flight heading north, excited for vacay and some time outside of the country. Four hours and some great sleep later, we arrived bright-eyed in Busan (sometimes spelled Pusan), South Korea. Rach’s brother picked us up at the airport, and within three hours, we were indulging in some delicious always dreamed-about sandwiches and laying on one of the fine Korean beaches. What a great welcome to a new country! So the last few days have included some time on the beach, climbing a mountain, eating some delicious food, hanging out with the many English teachers here, checking out Buddhist temples, exploring the Korean bath houses, and wandering the fish market. I will spare you the play-by-play by just highlighting some of my favorite parts.

We decided to climb a mountain overlooking the city on the second day we were here. Since nightlife took the energy out of us the night before, we got a late start and headed up the mountain around noon. The ascent was a demanding two-hour hike, and Rach and I got to enjoy the view and cool breeze (yes, cool breeze!) from the top. The highlight of the whole hike is perhaps the battle wounds I accumulated. Since we were heading on vacation and I was unaware that South Korea has many outdoor activities, I had failed to pack tennis shoes or anything that closely resembles them (plus since I’m a PCV who lives in a city, I stopped wearing my Chaco’s long ago….). One of Nate’s friends kindly let me borrow her shoes, which were about a size too small for my feet. With the combination of socks that might or might not have been too short (also borrowed), I developed six (SIX!) blisters, complete with blood-stained socks upon return to the apartment. After our trip to the beach the next day, the sand that has retained itself within may or may not lead to gangrene within the next week. Fortunately, bathing in the public bath houses on our last day might have helped to clean them out (seriously…but yuck).

Public transportation in Korea has also been a great source of enjoyment and relaxation, as opposed to public transpo in the Philippines (see previous posting about Jeepneys). The subway system in Busan is simple, efficient, and clean (not even sewer-type odors floating from below the platforms!), and it is easy to get from one side of the city to the other for about a dollar. It was all very, very quick…until the subway drivers went on strike. But this was okay as well, since we knew about it in advanced, thanks to our late-night eating spree at the street stands, where we were informed by two of the drivers themselves. By “our” late-night eating spree at street stands, I actually mean that Rach and Nate ate at the stands, and I enjoyed a wonderful McFlurry (I may love traveling, but I’m still a picky eater….sorry, world, I fail). But all in all, the subways and buses are big, clean, comfortable, predictable, efficient, etc.

Speaking of being a picky eater, one of the best parts of the trip was going down to the fish market, which is one of the largest fish markets in all of Asia. The experience was so different than markets in the Philippines for a few reasons, but mostly because it is much cleaner, the fish are still alive, and you can actually sit down and enjoy some really fresh fish. While there, we sat down to a delicious meal of sashimi and live octopus (again, I am using the term “we” loosely here, since I filled more of the photographer role). The market experience was awesome, but it was constantly difficult trying to mentally adjust to Korean prices (most things were much more expensive than the Philippines).

The shopping experience was also a bit of a culture shock (a very, very welcomed culture shock). I really wasn’t sure what to do in the stores, since no salespeople were following me around putting items in front of my eyes, just in case I have the inkling to purchase them. There were large, clean stores without millions of people surrounding me all at once – culture shock. It was also great to see economy sized bottles of shampoos and foods—many things in the Philippines are sold in individual packets.

On our last day in Korea, we headed to one of the largest bath houses in all of Asia (according to Lonely Planet…). We were able to enjoy sitting and relaxing in hot tubs, salt baths, champagne baths, saunas, herbal baths, etc. We of course committed a few cultural faux pas while there, as the Korean bath house is not really like a typical spa anywhere else (no clothes, no shoes, no towels allowed in…). It’s an experience that is pretty easy to adjust to though, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for the Korean cultural experience!

All in all, we have had a fantastic trip, and of course I am sad to go, but I am also very excited to return to the Philippines and (hopefully soon) a new job! Once I return home, I will be attending a 2-day camp with the youth at my new worksite and my new counterpart, and hopefully paperwork will be moving along so I can officially start! I have been itching to be doing something work-wise for quite a while now!