Eat, Pray and Shopping in Busan, Korea

19th January 2013 ~ 21st January 2013

※ A happy girls' trip!

First Day

One of my colleagues, Miyoshi san is a frequent traveller to Korea. She has been there for more than 20 times using her current passport. She said for her old passport, she had more immigration stamps. Her love for Korean things prompted her to learn Korean too. When I heard that she is going to Busan, I told her that I wanted to join and not long after that, two more people were interested too. So, at the end, four of us in this trip. We went to the local JTB office to book for the 'free and easy 3 days trip in Busan'. We wanted to secure for the earliest flight to Busan and the night flight back to Kitakyushu, so we paid more (around 3000 yen). Then, I added another 3000 yen for travel insurance. I believe that being prepared is always better than ill prepared.

On 19th January, Goto san fetched all of us and we went to Kitakyushu Airport 北九州空港. It is a very small airport and the main airline operating from there is Starflyer. They just started the Busan ⇔ Kitakyushu route on 2012. The JTB staff already waited for us in the airport and briefed us about the trip. Then, did all the necessary procedures and wait for the flight.

From Kitakyushu to Busan, the flight is less than an hour. It is nearer to go to Busan than to Tokyo. Hahahah.

Starflyer: serve drinks and chocolate before the flight

After we reach Busan Gimhae International Airport, we changed the Japanese Yen to Korean Won. OMG, the Yen has been dropping, just a year ago, 100 yen was like 1300 won, but now, 100 yen can be changed to 1100 won only. After that, we went to the SK Telecom counter to rent a LTE router for the Wi-Fi, have to stay connected even in Korea, hahaha! However, one have to use credit card to pay for that. Then, we met the Busan JTB's representative, she arranged for the transport to our hotel, Busan Tourist Hotel. However, since we could only check in after 1 pm. We went to the Lotte Hotel first. It is a luxurious hotel cum shopping mall cum duty-free shop. Miyoshi san told me that normally she would stay in Busan Tourist Hotel because it is near her usual shopping places. However, if there are any discounts for Lotte Hotel, she would stay there.

beautiful ceiling in Lotte Hotel

Since we were kinda hungry, we went to the food court to get our lunch. I chose Bibimbap. Not bad, but not as delicious as I thought. Plus, the soup tastes weird, and the another bowl of soup with green vegetables inside is cold. Miyoshi san said that it is a kind of kimchi too. 

Bibimbap

After lunch, we went shopping! Since we were foreigners, we could get a discount coupon of 10000 won after showing our passports at the customer service counter. In the duty-free store, we all went crazy with the eel skin products. So, four of us bought purses, key pouch, name card, etc. Then, we met with the JTB staff and went to Busan Tourist Hotel.

*Miyoshi san told us that most of the hotels in Busan do not provide toiletries, so we had to bring our own. Too bad, normally the skin care shops will give away many samples (toner, moisturizers, mask, etc), but not simple shampoos!

Eel skin purse

After check in, we went out for more shopping. The hotel is near Gukje Market, a place with assortment of items, something like Petaling Street. There are street foods, accessories, knock off products, clothes, shoes, bags and socks! My colleagues will go to this one stall that sells socks and bought 16 pairs of socks for 1000 yen every time she go to Busan. If one want to pay with Korean Won, 12 pairs for 10000 won. I shared with another colleague and bought 6 pairs! (Oops, even if I don't wash my socks for a month and change everyday, I still won't run out of socks!). Miyoshi san told me that the socks will be given out as souvenirs to friends and family members, so 16 pairs of socks are not really a lot!

socks! (center one is  chanel knockoff, when I first saw this, I was like "chanel produces socks too?!", the 6 o'clock socks are the cartoonified PSY)

Then, we walked around the area buying stuffs. We passed an area where there are a lot of Korean style furniture, kitchen appliances and home accessories shops. Miyoshi san said that before this, when she took ferry to come to Busan, she bought curtains to bring back to Japan （*^_^*）. I was so surprised. She thinks that the curtains in Busan are more beautiful and cute! She were very interested to the Korean style cabinet too, however, since we took flight and the maximum weight is 20 kg, she had to give up. She said that she will buy that the next time she took ferry to Busan. Hahaha!

Buying the chopsticks from the market (above is the stainless steel type and the below is  a tool to aid children to learn how to use chopsticks)

Then, eating time. We went to a famous stall for Hotteok, a mini pancake filled with peanuts and etc. The queue was so long. The stall have even a staff to control the crowd! Well, it tastes nice with the fragrance of peanuts. I miss Ban Jian Kuih so much, this Hotteok reminds me of that.

Hotteok stall

Hotteok

Then, we went to the Lotte Shopping complex. There is a photo studio that offers photo taking session with Korean traditional wear. It costs 30000 won per person. One will get to wear the traditional wear and a photographer will take the photos. Then, one can choose a photo, then the shop will "photoshop" it and after that, one can get a printed photo (the photoshop version, of course!) and with additional charges, get a CD for all the photos. It was fun.

photo session going on

a cosmetic surgery clinic in Lotte Shopping Complex

Dinner time, we decided to go for Korean Barbecue or aka Bulgogi BBQ. One word for it, delicious. Since vegetables will be used to wrap the meat with kimchi, we are actually eating more fiber, good for digestion! I forgot the price, but it is definitely cheaper than eating yakiniku 焼肉 in Japan.

Bulgogi BBQ

Since we made a list of what to eat and we had only three days. We decided to go to a Korean franchise fried chicken shop for take away. We were too full to eat right away after the BBQ. The fried chicken is kind of special because there are mochi inside that. 

Korean Fried chicken (we had this in hotel, the strawberry was bought from supermarket though)

after the BBQ, we walked around the market, so surprised when saw this Bee Cheng Hiang shop

Lotte Mall near the Busan Tourist Hotel at night (view from my hotel's room)

something like soya bean drinks, nice!

Second day

Woke up early to have breakfast. We had abalone porridge. The abalone is not the dried abalone that Chinese love so much! It is cooked with fresh abalone. Nice! It have been quite some time since I last eat porridge. The only thing that closely resembles porridge in Japan is お茶漬け (liquid poured into the rice) only.

abalone porridge

Then, we took subway to Haeundae subway station. From there, we took a taxi to Yonggungsa Temple. Although Miyoshi san have been to Busan for so many times, this was the first time she was there. Normally, her time in Busan is spent shopping. Actually, there is a bus to the temple, however, for convenience wise, we took taxi. Compared to Japan, the fare in Korea is much lower.

For the subway, we bought one day pass for 4000 won. It is quite cheap. However, the troublesome aspect is the ticket vending machine, it only accepts 1000 won bill! Since we bought for 4 persons, we had to insert 16 pieces of 1000 won bill into the vending machine one by one. They have a bill changing machine though. One can change 10000 won bill to ten 1000 won bills.

1 day pass of Busan Subway

Had coffee and Manjoo in the Haeundae subway station

the temple is full of visitors

The Yonggungsa Temple is located next to the sea. So, the view is quite nice and refreshing. However, since this is winter time, the weather is very cold!

going towards the temple

like any other temples in east Asia, there are many stalls selling various items outside the temple

Inside the Yonggungsa Temple 

the statues

a lot of people queuing up to enter the temple

The main building of Yonggungsa Temple

We prayed in the temple. The way of praying is the same with the Buddhist in Malaysia too. After that, we walked around the area. We could see female divers (海女) diving for abalones. I felt cold for them!

around the temple main building; there are female divers (海女) harvesting abalones 

street food we had in Yonggungsa Temple (something like fish cake and  something made from flour)

After praying, we took taxi to a Ginseng Chicken Soup shop. It was recommended by the tour guide that fetched us the day before. The shop decorates the surrounding with jars of herbs. Quite good looking. For the first bite, it tastes good and the smell of ginseng is not so strong. However, since the portion is too big, I had to try very hard to finish it! My friend said that it was due to I had too much Kimchi side dish!

Ginseng Chicken Soup

After that, shopping time! We took taxi from that restaurant to Paradise Duty Free shop. Here, we bought a lot of cosmetic products. I bought Korean ginseng slice too (the most expensive thing that I bought in this trip).  However, the selection of eel skin purse is not as varied as the Lotte Duty Free. 

stuffs bought from the duty free shop

After the Paradise Duty free shop, we again took taxi to another shopping mall, Shinsegae Centum City. We had afternoon tea here. However, the cake is so so only, not so tasty. Then, we went to the counter to get free gift (a non-woven bag). Foreigners can get a free gift after spending a minimum amount. Miyoshi san is an expert here, she knew all sorts of shopping malls and duty free shops in Busan. 

coffee and cake in Shinsegae Centum City (got a free non-woven bag)

Since we couldn't get enough of the Eel skin purse, we took subway to go to Lotte Duty Free Shop to buy more eel skin purse. (^・^)

Then, dinner time! We went back to our hotel to put our stuffs first and ventured out to eat seafood steamboat. After finishing the seafood, the staff will cook fried rice using the remaining sauce. The fried rice tastes really good!

seafood steamboat

Then, with a full stomach, we walked slowly to Busan Tower to see the Busan's night view. Well, it is not as spectacular as the Hakodate night view, just ok. 

Busan Tower

Then, except for me, the rest went to a korean Jjimjilbang for foreigners (mainly for Japanese though, the staffs there could speak basic Japanese). For this, the staff will help to remove the dirt from the body with scrubber when having the steamed bath. The idea of onsen is still acceptable for me, but having someone (stranger, but same sex) bathe for me, mmmm, I cannot accept this. Well, according to my friends, the staffs are not naked and their uniforms are sexy lingerie! If I remembered correctly what my friends told me, the procedures include scrubbing the whole body, steam and massage (the final activity needs to add more 3000 yen though). If one can accept this, it will be a good experience. Some told me that this is another form of mandi lulur.

Well, then, we called it a night!

Third Day

We woke up late and decided to have brunch in Jagalchi Market. It is a fish market and almost like the Okinawa makishi market.

Busan Jagalchi Market

all kinds of fish and shells

a fishmonger clearing the eel skin

We had sashimi course on the 1st floor of the market. They only provide the pictures of the food and not the price. First, when we enquired the price, the owner quote us 60000 won. Then, we said too expensive, then haggled, then we settled for 40000 won, plus free rice! Actually 40000 won is overpriced, but Miyoshi san said this is due to they catered for tourist only! The locals won't go there to eat.

the restaurant above the fish market

Apart from the sashimi, we got many side dishes (kimchi, salted crab, omelette, steamed sweet potatoes, etc) and a pot of fish soup. They claimed that it is サービス (free in Japanese), which in fact it is included in the price already. Anyway, it is very nice and delicious!

Special mention here, the Korean have their sashimi wrapped with leaves and kimchi, unlike Japanese style.

Korean style sashimi

Then, continued to shop! We went to a supermarket to buy food stuffs. I bought seaweed, instant noodle, Korean spice, Korean tea, ginseng tea packs and two wooden comb made with peach wood. Others brought a lot too! Crazy women! I was so glad that the hotel was very near, so we left our purchases in the hotel before ventured out again.

stuffs I bought from the supermarket

2 kinds of instant noodle from Korea

Then, we walked around the subway shopping street because it was raining that day. There are a lot of shops too, especially accessories shop. Shopping time again! We bought earnings, pendants, key chains, etc. Then, Miyoshi san brought us to a shoes shop. She would buy a few pairs of shoes from that shop everytime she went to Busan. At the end, I bought a pair too! The shoes I bought was around 20000 won and made in Korea! Amongst all of us, we bought a total of 10 pairs of shoes from that shop!

Then, tea time! The tea house we initially wanted to go was closed for that day, so we went to another tea house. It was a good find, the atmosphere was nice. Apart from the tea, we had desserts. However, I am surprised to see that dessert, it looks and tastes like the Hokkien traditional dessert. Since we finished everything, the owner gave us tea flavoured eggs and another pot of Pu er tea free of charge. Miyoshi san said that for Korean, it is not considered rude to leave unfinished food on the table. If one finishes everything on the plate, it shows that the owner did not provide enough food and it is a kind of embarrassment for the owner. Miyoshi san said that actually for our previous meal too, the owner kept asking whether we had enough or not because we finished everything on the plate! So, for that pot of Pu er, we did not finish everything and left some! (~_~)

serene tea house

Korean style tea time

Then, we went for a early dinner. We had tofu soup in a very sad looking shop, but the tofu soup is very nice! My colleagues would come to this restaurant everytime they travelled to Busan. It costs 4000 won per person. Miyoshi san said that earlier, the price was only 3000 won, but since the Japanese yen appreciated a lot last year, the restaurant increased the price, but the act did not affect the business at all!

Delicious tofu soup

Then, we wanted to make full use of this trip. we went to the market to have some street food. We had something like mochi with red sauce and fish cake roll. Very delicious too! But since we had tofu soup earlier, we were not able to finish the soup! We asked for a table, but there are a lot of people just stand there and eat.

street food in Busan

Finally, satisfied and with a full stomach, we went back to the hotel and waited for the JTB staff to send us to airport. At the airport, Miyoshi san returned the LTE router and we had coffee in Starbucks before check in. Well, the duty free shop in Busan Airport is nothing to shout about, not cheap and the variety not much.

Anyway, the end of our trip! I really enjoyed this girls' trip.