A Trip to the Countryside

It's been awhile since my last post, and I didn't mean to leave things hanging with the somewhat depressing typhoon business. This last month I was working a lot, and didn't have time to do much of anything, or to blog about it.

That month has passed, and life is looking up again. The weather has been sunny and hot, which I don't mind if I can enjoy it, but which can be gross when you're just trying to go about a normal day.

This weekend I was able to really get out and enjoy the weather on a lovely trip to the countryside. I met some friends in Jinha, a beach town about 2 hours up the east coast from Busan. It took longer to get there with all of the bus transfers, but it was well worth the travel time. I was able to take some pictures of the beautiful landscape on the bus to the beach and appreciate sights I don't get to see in Busan. Women and men tending to their gardens and farms, streams and ponds nestled at the foot of lush green mountains, and charming villages sprawling the hills. It was breathtakingly beautiful at times.

I arrived at the beach too late in the afternoon to legally swim - they make everyone get out of the water at 6pm and put up signs that say "no swimming." It makes me crazy, since the sun doesn't go down until after 7pm, and the sun is still warm enough to make swimming appealing in the evening. I've heard it's because swimming lessons are rarer here than in the US, so more people who use the beaches are unable to actually swim, but I've gotten no real confirmation on this, only speculation from Koreans and foreigners alike.

The girls I was meeting and I were set to stay in a minbak - basically an empty, unfurnished apartment that you can rent for the night (or longer, I imagine). Bed sheets and some pillows are provided, as well as dishes in the kitchen and soap in the kitchen and bathroom. Air con and fans are also present, and there was a washing machine that we didn't use. We had two rooms to sprawl out in for sleeping as well. The place was much nicer than my own apartment!

We had a great night, just hanging out and chatting, with a few memorable moments. Notably, we decided to head to the TINY amusement park set up near the beach, which had 3 rides and bumper cars. A group of us decided to brave "The Trampoline" - a circular ride where people sit around the inner edge of the circle and hold on tightly to the metal bars behind you and have no seatbelt or other saftey measures to keep you in your seat. Three people fell off into the center and the sadistic man who was in control of the machine had a grand time making them work to get back to the sides. I was wearing a dress over my swimsuit, which he exploited by making sure each time I got up to the top he made the machine bounce high enough for everyone below to see up my dress. Same thing happened to another girl we came with. We know this because he said, in Korean, "You don't understand what I'm saying so..." and would proceed to explain his intentions. Lovely man, really. Of course, with a group of 10 women, we had a few who did understand his Korean, quite well, and were able to relay his messages back to those of us who understood less. Anyway, it was quite an experience. I got a good arm workout from trying desperately to cling to the bars behind me so I wouldn't fall into the middle, or, worse, fly over the side and die. A friend was holding on so tightly that she ended up with serious bruising on her arm where it kept hitting the metal she was grasping. In other words, it was the safest and most fun amusement park ride I've ever been on, and I'm sure it would meet with US regulation standards...NOT. Still, it was an experience I'll remember!

After the scary ride, we headed for Norebang and sang our hearts out before taking a late night stroll on the beach. In the morning we returned and had a lovely afternoon at the beach. I got a little sunburned on my shoulders but it's already disappearing a day later. The water was cool and refreshing, and the sun was hot. Perfect beach day.

I was planning to take the bus home, but one of the girls had mentioned that she had room on the back of her motorbike, and that she'd be taking the country roads along the coast to get back to Busan. I was a little bit afraid, actually, of being on a motorbike in Korea, where the driving has always been something I wince at, but the idea of seeing more of the countryside up close was too irresistible. I'm glad I took the chance, because we had a great trip back, getting a bit lost in tiny towns and neighborhoods and seeing stunning views of the ocean and coastal towns. I have to say it was one of the most beautiful road trips I've ever taken, and being on the back of a bike was exhilarating. Feeling the sea breeze wash over you as you zoom over mountains and alongside fishing wharves - it was unforgettable. I'm so grateful to have had the chance to see the seaside that way. We stopped for a bite to eat when we got back into town, with a view of the almost-full moon rising over the beach.

If I'd forgotten at any time this summer why I'd decided to stay here longer, this weekend reminded me and made me absolutely sure that choosing to spend another six months here was the right choice. : )