Fille De Liberte - Travelogue: June 2012

Gwangali Beach:

Since Busan is situated at the Southestern tip of the Korean Peninsula, it is near to the coastal area. Hence, as a person who loves swimming and going to the beach, I had been looking forward to venture to the seaside and perhaps do some swimming and tanning. First few days after we reached Busan, we decided to go to Gwangali Beach when the rain finally stopped and the typhoon was over. It is the nearest beach to our uni compared to others. So, we decided to start with it first. Since it is near, we decided to walk instead of talking the public transportation. The distance was tolerable but it could be exhausting at one point. The scenery was beautiful especially with the sunset. But, I have to let go of my initial thought of swimming at the beach as the sea water was freezing cold.

Scenery along the walk to Gwangali Beach.

Striking mural which caught my attention.

Locals exercising.

Reaching Gwangali.

Great time spent with the peeps.

Sunset.

Stillness in the midst of movement.

Night life.

Spotted a huge white limo.

Igidae Park:

When I was typing this and editing all the photos, I just realized that it seems like we were very fond of walking to our destinations and throughout our adventure while we were at Busan. We were fortunate that Pukyong National University is located strategically in which it allows us with the most convenience route to our destination either by feet or public transportations. So, for Igidae Park, all of us decided to walk there as another Korean friend Hyeon informed us that it is “walkable” and he will be our tour guide on that day. I remember the weather was fine that day but we still put on sun glasses and cap as the sun was gradually emerged as the day passed. I highly recommended future tourist to put on a comfortable pair of shoes when you go there as there is a lil’ climbing to be done, there’s slope and the walk could be quite rugged. The journey was a bit challenging for me but when I reached, no regret, because the scenery was rewarding.

Igidae.

From here, one can see Haeundae Beach and Gwangali Bridge.

Jagged rocks.

Local enjoying fishing.

Peeps.

Stopped by at Baskin Robbins for an ice cream treat on the way back. I had Banana Monster.

Haeundae Beach:

After we went to Gwangali Beach, we still haven’t get enough of the Korean seaside so we decided to go to Haeundae Beach as it was still summer and I was really aching for some fun water activities. Haeundae Beach is a stunning beach but it was too overcrowded when we went there. Hence, again, we gave up the idea of swimming as the crowd made us realized that it will be very inconvenience for us to change and swim. Apart from that, we planned to explore the area as well so we put the thought of swimming on hold.

Stunning beach and look at the crowd!

Happy me!

Of flip flop and summer dress.

Stairway to heaven.

Friendly Korean uncle with guitar.

Apec House

Songjeong Beach:

Third time is the charm! Finally we managed to truly enjoy fun water activities at Songjeong Beach. Due to the fact that this beach was less crowded than Haeundae Beach, we enjoyed swimming there better. The sand is fine but plenty seaweed can be found floating in the sea. Despite the fact that we went there on a gorgeous sunny day, the sea water was still at a low temperature. Generally, it is an ideal beach for those who are looking for less crowded beach but still wanting the fun element.

Feels like a kid again.

Woohoo!

Made new friends at the beach.

Game.

Gyeoungju:

Apart from embarking on our own adventure, the uni was also kind and thoughtful enough to set up a few trips for us. One of the trips was the one to Gyeoungju. Gyeoungju is a coastal city in another province. If my memory served me right, the bus ride took around 1 hour and we passed by the highways. Gyeoungju is a very striking city. The combination of the greenery vista and the quaint historical buildings created a striking picture. I remember being in awe with such panorama.