Chuseok in Busan

Chuseok is the Korean Thanksgiving festival. This year it occurred not too long after I had arrived in Korea, in September. I actually had no idea about it until a couple weeks beforehand when a new Aussie friend of mine said to me ‘you realise we have like 3 days off coming up?’

Chuseok is traditionally celebrated by visiting family and giving gift sets of Spam. No, really. Although I did not partake in either of these traditions, I did take the opportunity to visit Busan, Korea’s ‘second city.’

Busan is down on the south coast of Korea, and it has a great reputation as being a lively city, full of good food and entertainment, but a bit more relaxed than Seoul. Now, I LOVE Seoul, but I still find it mind boggling. And at this point, I’d only been in Korea a few weeks, and in Seoul a few times, so I was looking forward to exploring another Korean city that was perhaps a bit more chilled out than Seoul.

I had a disgustingly early train trip on the Thursday morning, but Chuseok had begun on Wednesday so I’d had at least one day of chilling out and doing nothing at home. I was off to Busan until Sunday night, when I would come back to Suwon station by around 1 A.M. Thank god I don’t start work early…

I was up and at ’em, made it to Suwon station and was ready for the train with ages to spare. The trip to Busan was similarly uneventful, a little lengthy perhaps because I was too cheap to spend on the KTX (Korean version of the bullet train) but hey, it took me back to those glorious days of chuffing through the rolling green of the Balkan countryside.

I really love trains.

My hostel in Busan was a little empty of good company for my taste, but it was a really nice place. I had deliberately not chosen to stay in Haeundae (beach/backpacker/party area) because although I was keen to go over to the beach – the weather was still REALLY nice- it’s not my scene. And I was staying, my boss assured me, in the middle of a lot of great things anyway. Apple Guesthouse was clean and had helpful staff, although some could not speak English THAT well. As I said, unfortunately for me it was full of other Koreans/Asians traveling together, so I kind of missed that atmosphere of European hostels where there are lots of solo travelers looking to make new friends. But nonetheless I had few complaints.

Haeundae made me homesick!

And indeed I was. I was near the famed Fish Market, and in the middle of an area where street vendors filled up the streets at night time; I subsequently spent hours almost every night just wandering the alleys, eating fried chicken and mandu and hotteok for the first time. I was in heaven.

You can tell I was near the Fish Market

Korean Street Food

Sit down dining… in the street

So much pajeon!

Nighttime is when it all happens

My beloved hotteok

One of the best things I did was visit Taejongdae Park, which my hostel highly recommended. I had to take a bus for about half an hour, but when I arrived, despite the searing heat, I was able to walk the full circuit around, and enjoy the aptly named ‘Pebble Beach’, as well as some nice sea views.

Pebble Beach

Something something historical significance…

I also visited Haedong Yonggusa Temple, which remains the only Korean temple I have seen, thus far. I’m not hugely knowledgeable about this aspect of Asian culture, as my interest lies more in Middle Eastern and European history and religion. So, I’m not going out of my way to visit every single temple in Korea. But I was very happy I visited this one. It’s historically significant, having been one of the earliest temples, and is built on the coast, so is incredibly beautiful.

Once again, I was surrounded mainly by Koreans also visiting the temple, which is one of the nicest things about going to ‘tourist’ destinations in Korea – you’re actually always surrounded by locals. Koreans have a strong sense of pride in their country and the many wonderful things there are to see and do here. They are always out and about on weekends, making the most of their nations natural attractions, or the never ending array cultural attractions offered in the big cities.

There is SO much to do in Busan, and although I did a few more things not mentioned here, I know I barely scratched the surface. In any case, these were the highlights of my little jaunt there, and I hope it gives you an idea of the city.

Sorry for the photo overload, but I loved Busan. I’ll be back!

Until we meet again

Has anyone been to Busan? Or has tips for the next time I visit? As always, like, comment and share!

xx

Guest Post: The Best Way to Travel as a College Student

Hi guys! This is a pretty exciting day as I am featuring the first ever guest post on wanderlove! I was approached by the lovely KC with an idea for an article so here it is, hopefully you find it helpful. Cheers x

The Best Way to Travel as a College Student

When you’ve just finished up with finals, you and every other college student in the world wants a break to relax and unwind. The truth of the matter is, a college student’s life can be very tiring and very stressful. Because of that, it’s time for you to consider skipping town. While you shouldn’t actually run away and join the circus, you will find that it can be a wonderful time for you to see the world. If you want to make sure that you can see the world before you’ve got a tough job or a family, consider some essential facts that might help you on your journey.

 

Paying the Bill

First, remember that while traveling the world is expensive, it is not necessarily impossible. If you are willing to restrain your shopping urge, you will be able to find that the worst things you have to worry about are transportation and places to stay. This is something that can make a huge difference to your schedule, so consider where you are going to get the cash. For most students, it will simply take too long to save up the cash, and this is where borrowing on a credit card designed for students will help. If you can find the right credit card, you will find that your travels are going to go much more smoothly. In many cases, you can simply use the card rather than changing your currency every time you stop in a new country; if you are traveling in Europe, this can happen a lot! Consider what the right credit card can do for you before you travel.

 

Packing Your Life Away

First, you are going to need a lot fewer things than you think you will. For example, instead of packing a lot of clothes, choose a few different kinds that you can layer. This is something that can make a huge difference in the weight that you carry. As an extra tip, roll or your items instead of folding them, as this saves space.

Also, always buy power converters from your home country. Most countries charge a great deal for converters that convert to their local voltage, and you will find that this will get very pricey, very quickly. Remember that you should also bring along any chargers that you need for each of your electronic items. Whether you are bringing along a phone, a tablet or a digital camera, you will discover that you do not want it to run out of juice!

 

Hauling Your Luggage

When you have figured out what you need to bring, you will also find that it is time for you to consider how you will carry it from place to place. Most people, especially students who are looking at getting by with as little money spent as possible, tend to want to stuff everything in a single bag. There is nothing wrong with this as long as you know which bag to pick. A backpack that is made out of very sturdy material can help you out in this case. Make sure that it is made of something tough enough to withstand pickpockets, and also make sure that there are locks on it. If you are planning to stay in hostels where you might not know everyone, you will discover that it can give you a great deal of peace of mind to keep everything locked with a key that you keep on your person.

There are many ways that you can make traveling around the world a little easier, so take some time to consider where you want to go and what you want to do.

Above all, don’t forget to have a good time!

About the author: KC Owens is a college student who loves traveling, college life, fitness and a good survival kit. He enjoys studying different cultures, meeting new people and leaving his footprint somewhere most people only read about.

Three Months

Three months can seem like an eternity, or it can seem like no time at all.

Three months is roughly the amount of time I spent just in Eastern Europe last year. It’s one month longer than the two months I spent with my friend Georgia in Asia to begin my big adventure last April.

And it’s the exact amount of time I’ve been back in Australia, as of today. We’re still a week away from the day I returned to Adelaide and my “real life”, but nonetheless, today feels auspicious.

A lot has happened in the last three months, although in many ways, it seems as though nothing has happened. In any given three months out of last year, I traveled to countless ancient sites, learned phrases in any number of different languages, met a thousand people, some of whom I would Facebook friend, and worried constantly about missing my next bus/plane/train/taxi, and getting robbed or losing my passport/wallet/camera/laptop.

In many ways the last three months have been incredibly relaxing compared to life on the road. I know by the end of the ten months, it was wearing on me. I wasn’t feeling healthy, I was a little stressed, and I started to forget, lose, or misplace things. I needed a break.

Yet the coming home was incredibly stressful too, in its own way. I didn’t particularly want to come home; as much as I love Australia, my heart just isn’t here right now. I want to travel, meet people, eat exotic food, and learn other languages. I’m not sure if that will ever go away, and it’s certainly not gone anywhere at the moment.

Then there was the stress of figuring out where I fitted into life back here. Not knowing if I will be going away again in the foreseeable future meant that I needed to make an honest go of living my life here again, for the time being.

But it was hard.

I knew it would be, which was partly why I dreaded the homecoming. My “reverse entry culture shock” as it’s sometimes referred to, after my first overseas trip to Africa in 2009, was one of the worst periods of depression I’ve ever experienced.

It was a period where no one could help me because I couldn’t help myself. I was in a place I’d always liked living in, but my world had been turned upside down. I missed my new friends, my old friends didn’t understand me, and I felt helpless to deal with all the feelings I was having. I eventually got over that period, and have tried to incorporate the positive lessons I learned from my Kenyan experience in life ever since.

I’m not sure if I’ve always succeeded, but remembering those few months made me so aware of how things could turn out when I came home this time.

It has been tough, but I think I’m through the worst of it. I’ve got a job, I’m basically eating my parents out of house and home (and loving eating my way through Adelaide), and I’ve got some good things happening in regards to writing. I have spent loads of time with people who a year ago, I would never have predicted I would, and I have spent almost no time with the people I would have sworn I’d be inseparable from. I’ve felt loved, missed, hurt, neglected, misunderstood, and appreciated. Sometimes all at once!

To everyone who’s made the effort, you can’t ever know how much it means to me. I know I make the choice to leave and I don’t  expect life to simply stand still. But I’m so appreciative of those who understand why I need to do the things and go to the places that I do, and welcome me home with open arms.

To everyone who has continued or started to read here even though I am no longer traveling, it really means a lot that people are enjoying hearing what I have to say.

I hope to continue bringing stories of exciting and exotic food, places and people from all over the world for a long time.

Has anyone else experienced a tough time when coming home from overseas? Or found it easier than they expected?

As always, like, comment and share x