We arrived in kuala Lumpur yesterday after spending four nights in busan, the second largest city in Korea. For one thing, the weather was much better in the south of the country. We really enjoyed busan, maybe even more than Seoul, mostly because of the people and great experiences we had there. On the first day, after hiking to a temple and a fortress, we decided to go to a traditional Korean bathhouse known as a jimjibang. At first its a bit daunting, hundreds of completely naked men walking around wearing nothing but a hand towel slung over their shoulder, but the facilities were amazing. They had about 8 different types of pools at varying temperatures and for different purposes. Rob and I actually both ended up striking up conversations with 2 Korean men enjoying a typical spa day. I met this professor at the university of Cambridge, he showed me the various pools and we chatted for about two hours about all sorts of things, all while being completely nude. Under any other circumstances it would have been weird.
The last day in busan was just one of those days that makes traveling worth while. We began the day by walking to Igida park, a coastal park with a great view of the skyline, when we were approached by an elderly man named Ahn who just wanted to practice some English. After waking a few blocks together, Ahn asked if he could tag along with us and practice his English, he was actually on his way to English class but thought we could be better teachers for the day. He called up his friend Li, who was a fifty year old woman also in his class, to pick us up and drive us to the park. We spent the entire afternoon together, waking along the coast and exploring the park. Ahn had a great sense of humor and was in incredible shape for a man just shy of 70. He also tried to set me up with Li multiple times even though she had kids my age. He even took us out to lunch at a really nice restaurant that served this native seafood dish aruukjim, we ate so much it hurt.
After parting ways with Ahn and Li, we met up with a group of Korean college kids that were more our age. We met them at the hostel as they had to find and meet foreigners for their English class. It was a great time, they took us to the student area where we got this boiled chicken dish in soy sauce and chili. We honestly felt like celebrities with these kids, they were so generous, welcoming, and just intrigued about our lives. We went and had some makele and honey, as Koreans always find a way to drink. It was nice to get to see how typical Koreans our age lived and spend their lives. It's incredible how hard they work and how they still continue these ageless traditions, such as the oldest man always serving the alcohol or placing your hand over your chest when accepting something. Busan was great and we hope to circle back if we can.
