More Pusan

If you're starting here, you won't understand. Please scroll down to "The Trip Begins" and work your way up.




After leaving the ten million fish behind, I walked toward the nearby YongDooSan Park, a couple of statues and grassy patches surrounding a 100 meter tall observatory. I was able to get a fantastic view of the second largest city in Korea, and afterwards had to wonder just how massive Seoul is. Pusan is sprawling in every direction as far as the eye can see, from the fringes of the sea all the way into the mountains. Speaking of, in the picture labeled "remeber this photo" I noticed a tall monument like structure that hadn't been recommended to me. Therefore, using my Korean language prowess and a whole bunch of nerves, I asked the name of the structure and how to get all the way over there and back. Then I found the appropriate bus stop in the appropriate direction (don't laugh, no sense of direction + attempting to get on an unknown bus unassisted = major danger) and road off into the mountains of Pusan.



The distant monument was indeed the MinJu Park, or Democracy Park. THere on top of the hill was a nine pillared...thing. I guess it was meant to resemble a tent or something else of a protective nature, because it was poised above a stone tomb housing who knows how many soldiers who died for Korea fighting for independance and democracy. A multi-division statue was placed in front of the door to the tomb, and below the whole scene was a series of photographs from early this century depicting battle scenes against the North Koreans and Chinese. It was yet another chance for me to look out once again in awe at the vast city below me.

After my bus jouorney back to the downtown area, I boarded the bullet train once again and returned to Seoul to spend the official ChuSeok day with my host family. I left behind a terrible accent, the salty smell of the ocean, and tons of yet unexplored culture and history, but at least I took with me a writhing belly full of tentacles. Now my next culinary obstacle is most assuredly dog. As with any story of mine, this one is riddled with mini-stories that I'd be happy to share when you catch me on MSN messenger, AIM messenger, email, google talk, or Skype.