Hello, this is Homo Efficients.
After wrapping up our summer vacation in Hongcheon and Yeongwol, we headed to Busan for an impromptu second round of summer vacation while also taking care of some real estate matters. :)
Since I was traveling with my elementary school-aged child, the content here might be helpful for those planning a family trip.
**Day 1**
In the afternoon, after signing the sale contract, I took one last look at the house that was in my name, albeit only for two months, and then checked into the hotel with my daughter. Since it was a weekday, my wife was scheduled to finish work and take the KTX to Busan Station in the evening. Until she arrived, I had some one-on-one time with my daughter. There was one place in Busan that my daughter absolutely wanted to visit, so we decided to go there before dinner. We headed to Daebyeon Harbor in Gijang, and the reason was that my daughter wanted to see Daebyeon Elementary School in person.
Daebyeon Elementary School is a school where the students themselves led the initiative to change the school's name from "Daebyeon Elementary School" to "Yongam Elementary School." (Because Daebyeon is a homonym with poo)
For those raising children, you'll understand how much kids enjoy silly things like poop and farts. After reading a book about this at a bookstore, my daughter learned that it was based on a true story and really wanted to visit. The story is about a boy named Seungjae, who becomes the student council president and doesn't like being teased because of the school's name, so he rallies his friends, the principal, and alumni to change the school's name.
We visited the beautiful Yongam Elementary School, which has a lovely beach nearby. :)
We had dinner near Busan National University (Pusan National University). I attended high school nearby, so this area holds a lot of childhood memories for me. I've heard that the business district near the university has been declining, and even though it was a Friday, there weren't many people around. It was a bit sad and stirred up complex emotions to see how things have changed over the years.
I was craving gukbap (soup with rice) and deopbap (rice bowl), but when you're with your kids, parents don't have much say in the menu, right? :) My daughter insisted on having malatang (a spicy Sichuan hot pot) after coming all this way...
It's a taste you can find anywhere in the country, so we had a somewhat familiar, yet still tasty, malatang. While walking around afterward, we came across a flashy claw machine shop with a decor we hadn't seen in Seoul. If my wife were with us, she would have definitely said no, but since it was just the two of us, I decided to score some points with my daughter by spending a hefty 6,000 won on claw machines. (The result: no winnings...)
We also bought a tanghulu (candied fruit), which I usually don't get for her because I'm worried about cavities. :) (I'm really glad my wife doesn't read my blog.)
At 10 p.m., I picked up my wife from Busan Station, and that was the end of the day. It was a day focused more on the property sale than on sightseeing. :)
**Day 2**
This day was dedicated to a full day of sightseeing in Busan. The weather was hot, and we had a lot of places to visit, so having a car was incredibly helpful.
**Gukje Market and Bupyeong Market**
We started the morning in the Nampo-dong and Bupyeong-dong areas at Gukje Market. It's a massive market, famous for being featured in the movie of the same name, and it's connected to the equally large Bupyeong Market. The reason we visited was to try "Igane Tteokbokki," which was crowned the best tteokbokki on *Baek Jong-won's Top 3 Chefs.*
They make the tteokbokki with only radish juice that comes out during the cooking process, without using any water, and true to the Gyeongsang-do style, they use large garaetteok (cylinder-shaped rice cakes). One serving costs 5,000 won, and it's served in a single-use container, which is hygienic. The taste? It lived up to the hype and was undeniably the best. Who said Gyeongsang-do food isn't great? If you look closely, you'll find that there's plenty that deserves to be recognized as the best in the country. (Personally, after trying Naeho Naengmyeon, I've stopped going to Eulmildae Naengmyeon, hahaha.)
**Songdo Marine Cable Car**
Although I spent 10 years living in Busan and most of my teenage years there, I didn't know that Seo-gu (Seo District) existed in Busan. There aren't any famous neighborhoods, and I never visited the area while living there. However, recently, Seo-gu has been gaining popularity as a tourist destination, thanks to the installation of the Songdo Marine Cable Car at Songdo Beach, the first beach in Korea.
We took the cable car, which has a transparent floor, over the sea to Amnam Park. The cable car station is just a 10-minute drive from Gukje Market, so we decided to visit both on the same day. Despite the scorching weather, visibility was great, and we were able to enjoy the summer vacation weather. When I think of the sea in Busan, I've never really thought of it as particularly clean, but the view of the sea from the Songdo Cable Car was clear and refreshing. :) Even though it seemed crowded, the waiting time was relatively short, so I highly recommend it.
**Gwangalli Mad Dogs**
We had reserved a yacht ride departing from Suyeong Bay Yachting Center in the evening, so for lunch, we decided to eat at Gwangalli, located on the way from Nam-gu/Seo-gu to Haeundae. We went to Mad Dogs, a Chicago pizza place that also appeared on *Baek Jong-won's Top 3 Chefs,* and the food was so delicious that all three of us overate.
I missed out on the appetizer since I was parking the car, but my wife and daughter finished the salad we ordered with no leftovers. It must have been really good if they finished it before I even got there, haha. The pizza and pasta that came afterward were also incredibly tasty, but I'm not great at describing flavors... To put it simply, it's a taste you can't find in Seoul. :)
When I was younger, people used to avoid Gwangalli Beach because it was considered dirty, but that's all in the past now. It's become a hip beach with Gwangandaegyo Bridge as its backdrop.
**Yacht Experience**
The yacht experience was a 30-40 minute course that started from Suyeong Bay, passing by Marine City, Gwangandaegyo Bridge, and Nurimaru APEC House. Just hearing the course description, you can imagine that every photo taken was Instagram-worthy. All the yacht photos you see online are real, haha. (However... since it was summer vacation season, there were quite a few people on board, so it felt more like a cruise than a yacht experience, haha.)
When booking online, you'll find many different companies offering yacht tours. I recommend booking with a company that operates newer yachts. I was lucky enough to book with one that did, and when you're out at sea, you'll see that there are over 50 yachts from different companies, and honestly, some of the older ones look a bit shabby, haha.
**In Conclusion**
This trip to Busan made me really appreciate having a car. We managed to visit Nampo-dong, Gwangalli, and Haeundae all in one day. If we had relied on the subway, the distances and weather would have made it much more exhausting, but with the car, we were able to get around without getting too tired.
Even though I grew up in Busan, visiting with my family made me see the city more as a tourist destination than just my hometown. It was such a charming trip that I think we'll be visiting Busan again soon, despite the short itinerary.
I'll be back with another post soon.
Thank you.
