Travel | Haeundae, Sun & Fun! October Throwback - Part 2

Hello October! Haha! I should have done this post earlier ;p I've been busy preparing for my Japan trip this December. This month, I would like to do some throwback blog posts. For the first post, I will continue my adventure in Busan last year. Yeah, it's been months since my last post about my adventure in South Korea, and now I have to continue what I have started. 

Day-2 in Busan

We woke up a little bit late, and found this two packed rice, noodles and bananas for breakfast in the kitchen. Yeah, Gary already go to work that morning. So, after a little stretching, we are getting ready to explore Busan. So, after having Ramyun for breakfast, we walk along the Haeundae beach heading to... Busan Aquarium!! Yay!! 

If you walk along the beach, you will find this gate and small park before the main enterance to the aquarium.I'm pretty sure this gate says something about the aquarium ;p 

Important - If you show your KR-Pass and Passport to the ticket officer, you will get a discount. And we are really smart! Left our KR-Pass and pasport at apartment -_-! So, I have to run back to apartment, tired -_-!

If you already visit Siam Aquiarium, this Aquarium is pretty small (only three floors). One I notice, since this both aquarium under the same company, they both have a underwater musical show with different story of course (even I don't understand the story hehe). At the end of the tour, you will meet this great hammerhead shark. I thought we got lost because it's pretty short tour, and we going back to 2nd floor with the help of the officer. Haha! Sorry oppa ;p

From Busan aquarium, we decide to go to that island back there. After checking the map, we decide just to walk along the beach. I thought it's close, but the fact, it's pretty far (for my sister), hehe ;p

I saw thia Sun & Fun under the trees and some other places. Gary said in the summer the will spray water throught this thing. Sounds fun!

Finally! We readch Dong-baek Park. We walk around a wooden boardwalk, and there are some observation deck along this walk. The view from this place is so beautiful. The first thing you will find is a statue of a mermaid. This mermaid is relayed the legend of Princess Heo Hwang-ok (허황옥), the first queen of the Geumgwan Gaya. I didn't take picture because we thought we will walk back and see it again. In fact, we keep walking straight forward -_-! Haha!

 

After long walk on the wooden boardwalk, we finally see the Nurimaru APEC House. This house open daily (except first Monday every month) and free of charge. You can see the conference hall and some displays about Korean Traditions, like the food. 

You can also see the Gwangan bridge from this place too ^^. There a traiditional building around this APEC house, but we don't go there becuase my sister already getting crazy because we walk too much, haha! So we trying to find way home (because we thought we lost again!) and find the second cherry blossom there, hehe! I was trying to take nice picture, but that oppa came up fast T_T

Still thought that we are lost, we keep walking and cross the street. We also try to ask where the closest subway to some old people (how silly we are) haha! They just give no sign everytime we try to ask in english. We also try to ask younger people, but still got no answer. So we decide just walk (with my sister complaining) and finally find SUBWAY enterance!!! Yay!! We are safe!!

So, what we do after we finnd the subway?? Hehehe.. I will continue in the next post. 

Speak soon,

Ninu 

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Travel | Haeundae, Sun & Fun! - Part 1

It's already a year now since my first time visit South Korea, and I miss that place. So, this time I will continue about my journey in Busan. I'm so lucky! Yes! I got a chance to visit Busan, and the best thing is I got a host in Haeundae beach! Yes, I got super nice host, and he live next to Haeundae beach.

Arriving in Busan around 6 pm, I still can't believe that I already in South Korea, hehe. I read some articles about Busan before I go there, and it says that the Busan station is nice. Yes! It's a nice place with unique building. So, we went out from the building, trying to look for the subway. It's a little bit crowded outside, because there is something like demonstration or just people gathering for something, not sure.

So we walk, and pass the circle thing in front of the building to go to subway and guess what, we find our first cherry blossom!!! ^^ It was so beautiful and pink. We took some pictures, the local also take picture of the cherry blossom. I guess this is the first day cherry blossom in Busan. After taking some pictures, we take subway to Haeundae, we have to change train once if I'm not mistaken. Next, we have to walk about 20 minutes until we reach Haeundae beach. My sister was complaining, because it's cold (even it's spring already, still cold for us, tropical girls ;p) and it's getting dark.

After a long walk, we finally see the beach! It means, we are closer to Gary's place. He told me once we found the beach, just walk along the beach trying to find two glassy building. It's the cleanest beach I ever see in my life! But no coconut tree at all, so don't feel like real beach ;p

Finally we find Gary's place, but we have to wait at lobby until Gary home. We wait like 30 minutes, and finally meet him. He was really nice and have nice place. He give us a nice bedroom. After put our stuff, we talk a little, and take rest. At night, he take us for dinner and he asking what we want to eat and he suggest to eat bulgogi. He took us to fancy restaurant! ^^ I can't believe that, our first Bulgogi at fancy restaurant ^^. Gary told us, we lucky to travel to South Korea at this time, cherry blossom. And he said it's just a day or two that cherry blossom start blooming. After dinner, we back to his apartment, and he was so excited to show us around. He even show us indoor pool, just incase we want to swim in hot water, haha! We didn't even think about it. That's for one day. It was a great experience, and I will tell you what we doing on the next day on the next post!

Oh, for this late anniversary post, I will post some videos about our journey ;) It's just some photos from the adventures that I can't put all in this post. Here is the part one! Enjoy!

Love, Ninu

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Travel : First Korean Meal in Seoul

On March 2013, I got a chance to have holiday in South Korea. It is one of my biggest dream in my life, visiting the Ginseng country. The adventure start when I got a return promo flight one year before (2012). Everyone think I'm crazy, because you don't know what will happen next year. So yes! I was gambling to pursue my dream. And the day is coming, March 28th 2013, flight from Balikpapan to Kuala Lumpur at 5 pm and in 9 hours we will be in South Korea! Yay! I make my own connection flight, since there's no connecting flight from Balikpapan to Seoul. The flight to Incheon depart at 1 am, so my sister and I just go around the KLCC. I was glad that our flight from Balikpapan rescheduled, so we only wait like 5 hours in the airport (first plan supposed to be 10 hours ;p).

My hearts beat so fast on that night, still cant believe my self, I will spend two weeks in South Korea. This is first time I fly so far with a big plane. So, 6 hours in plane, I just trying to sleep. We finally arrive at 8 am. Incheon, one of the greatest airport in world, and i have been there! Hehe, super big, super clean, good directions, nice officer, everything just so perfect! 

I was still amazed with the airport and we almost lost, Haha! So we just follow the people from the immigration check, to the airport train. Ow, we meet Indonesian girl, she was standing in the wrong line on the immigration check (for Korean ;p) because one of the officer tell the people to move to other counter so they don't make long line. She was with her friends, and they join a trip from travel agent. She was amazed that we (me and my sister) go alone, backpacking, with no tour guide. Haha! This is not our first time ;p

One hour later, we arrive in Seoul station. The plan was, look for food, then go around to myeong-dong (if I'm not mistaken, i forgot). We got a little trouble, because we can't find free wifi in Seoul Station and my phone about to die. I was trying to contact all my Korean friends, but too bad they not in Seoul. It was freezing, and we both hungry, most of restaurant was full, as we walk around the station, we find lottermart, and finally find warm place to eat. So, this is my first meal in Korea, Seafood Friedrice (Haha! Soo Indonesian). And my sister got a big bucket of seafood noodles.

First meal in Korea!

As you can see, they serve big meal, yeah Korean have big meal. We can't eat all, from this we learn, just order one Korean meal for two of us ;p. After filling our tummy, we go back walking around Seoul station, looking for place to charge our phones. And the only place I see, is lotteria, they have some place to charge the phone, but that place soo crowded. It was around lunch time. We I saw the place is unoccupied, we walk inside to secure the place ;p Haha! And i order food, I guess the waiter will kick us out if we don't order anything. Done charging, we decide to exchange out KR-Pass and get KTX to Busan. We take the 4 pm schedule. And we decided to put our backpack in lockers and walk somewhere. It was only like 1 hour, because we have no where to go to, and decide to change the train schedule to 3pm. And it was like 15minutes before departure, and we almost lost to find the right train. Running with heavy backpack, Haha! But we finally didn't miss the train, and can sit down, relax in warm place, and have wifi all the way to Busan! Awesome!

That was our first meal in Korea, what about yours? I will continue our next trip to Busan soon!

Love, Ninu

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