Since it is a three day or almost a week holiday here in Korea, I went to Busan to "kill" and endure my time there with Laila. :) No, we did not celebrate Chuseok with Koreans but we had our grandest time discovering Busan from Gwang-Ali to Heondae Beach. Nothing really special in their beaches compared to ours in the Philippines :) We also went to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple which by the way we got lost because of those foreigners in the bus. There's a lot of travellers there during holidays and traffic is awful, like we were on the road for around 2 hours when you can get there for only 30 minutes, they say.
Moving on, we were supposed to buy those red
velvet cupcakes in Gwang-Ali but when we went there, they're close already and
we were starving already looking for some seafood resto nearby. And I was
amazed that seafood restos there are expensive that I thought. Anyway, we ended
up eating Dongge jigue...
It was a nice experience exploring Busan. We went to see the largest Shinsegae Mall, they say it's the largest in the world. They have a very unique art designs in their Lotte Department Store too.
We actually booked a hostel near Heondae beach because we wanted to experience running first thing in the morning, but as usual, we got up late so, useless. The small hostel that we rented for the night is "not so nice", maybe because it was holiday and there were a lot of guests and they're too busy to attend to our needs. But that should not an excuse, regardless of how many people you are attending too, you should give your best service. We waited for around 2 hours before we finally checked in. The door lock is broke and sometimes not working, we can't open it easily. They say they have breakfast but apparently, none. They said check out time is 12nn but they wanted us out by 11. This time I complained, and they complied because we're foreigners. By the way, It's Mr. Egg House. (Now you know if you want to go there)...
About Haedong Yonggungsa
Haedong Yonggungsa Temple is situated on the coast of the north-eastern portion of Busan. This superb find of a tourist spot and temple offers visitors the rare find of a temple along the shore line. Most temples in Korea are located in the mountains. Haedong Yonggungsa Temple was first built in 1376 by the great Buddhist teacher known as Naong during the Goryeo Dynasty. Haesu Gwaneum Daebul (Seawater Great Goddess Buddha), Daeungjeon Main Sanctuary, Yongwangdang Shrine, Gulbeop Buddhist Sanctum (enclosed in a cave), and a three-story pagoda with four lions can all be seen looking out over the ocean.
The main sanctuary of the temple was reconstructed in 1970 with careful attention paid to the colors that were traditionally used in such structures. On the right-hand side, inside the a cave, is a uniquely designed Buddhist sanctum, while situated just in front of the main sanctuary is a three-story pagoda with four lions. The four lions are symbolizing joy, anger, sadness, and happiness. Other special sites at the temple are the 108 stairs and stone lanterns lining the rocky landscape. After going down the 108 steps, one will be delighted with the beauty of the temple. Midway down the 108 steps one can stop and enjoy the calming sounds of the waves, and view the majestic sunrise.
Many people often come to this spot on New Year's Day to make a wish for the new year as they watch the sun come up. April is an especially beautiful time of year with cherry blossoms in full bloom. The birth of Buddha is also celebrated in April (following the lunar calendar) and offers a spectacular night view as the temple area is aglow with electrically lit lanterns.
Shinsegae in Busan- The Largest Department Store in the World...
