Day at Taejongdae

This picture took us about 10 tries until we finally got one with no people behind us.

We spent our last day in Busan at Taejongdae Park. It was a bit out of place and took over an hour to get to by subway and bus, but the sea views, rocky cliffs, and lush forests were a welcomed respite from the busy streets.

The street on the way into the park.

About the Park-

Taejongdae was named after King Taejong of the Silla Kingdom, who enjoyed shooting arrows off the cliffs. According to myth, gods and goddesses used to come to Taejongdae to relax, and it is also a famous spot for its rain rituals.

The popular and easiest way to explore the park was to take a little shuttle called the Danubi Train, which stopped at the main destinations around the 2-mile loop. However, we decided to hike it ourselves, which in our opinion, was actually the better option. 

It was a bit overcast, but still 80 degree weather.

The statue of Mother and Children helps remind those who are about to jump from Taejongdae's cliffs, of their mother's
unconditional love for them, and will hopefully encourage them not to give up on life. 😦

On a clear day you can see (from left to right): Gadeokdo Island; Geojedo Island; Dadaepo Beach;
Songdo Amnam Park; Namhang Bridge; Cheonmasan Mountain.

Yeongdo Lighthouse built in 1906.

Time to head up to the lighthouse...

Looking up...

Descending the lighthouse...

The trail to the cliff was closed off for some reason, but usually people are allowed to walk out and stand on the top platform.

The park and hike was great end to our time spent in Busan. We stopped for a late lunch/early dinner on our way home and I finally tried Mos Burger , a burger restaurant that originated in Japan, with locations all over Asia. I thought it was going to be like the In-N-Out of the east, but unfortunately it was one of the most disgusting things I've ever eaten. 

A few more takeaways from (Busan) S. Korea:

Soju is really cheap here! No wonder we see 4-5 empty bottles on everyone's tables.

There's a lot of traffic/cars on the road.

Unlike in Japan, Koreans drive on the same side of the road as the US.

Unlike Japan, people here will push you out of their way. Watch out for the Korean Han! 😭  (I recently learned what Han meant, and now it makes sense why I feel a certain way sometimes. haha)

Also unlike Japan, credit cards are more widely accepted here. 

There are more "bums" here than in Japan and by more, we mean like 5.

The (millennial) girls all wear brightly colored lipstick and aren't afraid to touch-up their makeup in the middle of a cafe.

All the boys sport bowl hair cuts. 

Yesterday an Asian family got off of the elevator and the little girl pointed, laughed and said something towards Kiel; her mother had to slap her arm and shush her away. We're still getting looks wherever we go, and a few times I've had people (mostly old men) randomly come up and start speaking to me/asking me questions in Korean. It's just interesting because we didn't get any of that in Japan.

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Tomorrow we take a (3.5 hour) Korail ride up to Seoul. Seoul's population is nearly three times that of Busan's, and we are really looking forward to exploring and learning more about Korea.