Greetings from Haeundae Beach in Busan! I trust your past week exceeded your expectations with numerous blessings being infused in your life!
Warm weather and record rainfall in parts of South Korea over the past week caused flooding and the loss of at least 18 lives. Here's a MSN news article for more details about the floods. Most of the flooding and loss of lives was on the western side of the country whereas I am currently traveling on the eastern side where there was considerably less devastating flooding. I was incredibly blessed to dodge the rain and visit the destinations I had planned to visit. However, I did drop the one day excursion to Pohang and I continue to look to attend a professional baseball game. BTW - a heatwave is now being forecast for the days ahead.
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| Korean Culture head on |
I'm so grateful to the people who work in the tourist information centres I've visited in my travels. Every location has shared amazing resources to simplify my tourist endeavours. Most staff have had a good command of English which compensates for my ignorance of the Korean language. Google Translate continues to be a trusty friend when the need arises.
I've been blessed to be the beneficiary of so many acts of kindness in spite of my slow embrace of South Korea. What a special gift! Note to self: Carpe diem!
A personal accomplishment to highlight from the week. I now have my Pleasure Craft Operator Card. I completed an online course and passed the Transport Canada exam. I am now licensed to operate a pleasure craft in Canada and, apparently, the USA. I'm getting prepared for the gift of time at my good friend Dave's cottage in September.
May the universe bring endless blessings and moments of magic 🦄 to you and your loved ones in the week ahead. 🙏
Travel Administration
So, when is a TV remote control more than just a TV remote control? When you're traveling in South Korea. More details below.
Travel Maps
I've reached Busan, my furthest southern destination on South Korea's eastern coast. I meandered my way inland to Andong and Gyeongju, two cities full of history, before returning to Busan on the lower eastern coast.
South Korea: July 4 to August 5. 2025
Gangneung to Andong - On the Rail Again
Goodbye Gangmun Beach
I thought I'd supplement your perspective of Gangmun Beach with a couple extra photos from Sunday afternoon. The cool temperature (relative) and overcast skies dampened beach life. Rain was on its way later in the evening.
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| Late Sunday afternoon at the beach |
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| Late Sunday afternoon at the beach |
Train Ride to Andong
Taking the train to Andong was the most comfortable and convenient option for the day's travel - about three hours with a brief train connection in Seowonju. The Andong train station and intercity bus station were in the same location, about a 25 minute bus ride to my downtown hotel.
Pardon me for omitting photos from the inside of Gangneung Station. An impressive building that was rebuilt in 2017 in preparation for the 2018 Olympics. I had included a few photos of the art installations outside of Gangneung Station in last week's blog. 😁
I was one of three people in the Seowonju Station plus the two train station staff managing the four platforms. Another impressive building. Might as well add Andong Station to the list of impressive train stations.
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| Gangneung Station exterior (borrowed photo) |
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| Seowonju Station |
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| Seowonju Station |
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| Seowonju train platform |
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| Korea Rail Business Class |
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| Andong Train Station |
Andong
Tourist Information
First stop after arriving in Andong was the local tourist information centre. I was provided with all the information I needed for the destinations I wanted to visit along with the different buses I should take, where the downtown bus stops were located. All this information was handily summarized on three different pages plus an excellent local tourist map. I was on my way within minutes. I'm learning that the South Korea Tourist Info centres are a key starting point where I've traveled. South Korea takes tourism very seriously!
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| Inside Tourist Info Centre |
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Woman on right is my travel angel. I stopped by
on my way to Gyeongju to thank her. |
Around Andong
This city's claim to fame was having Queen Elizabeth visit the nearby Hahoe Folk Village to experience the 'real' Korea. The city itself was had a laidback vibe with far fewer ultra new buildings. My hotel was adjacent to an extended lane focused on providing tourists with great food and souvenirs. The city was fairly quiet during my two night stay.
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| Street entrance |
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| Decorated street |
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| Some sort of interesting art/memorial installation |
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| Up close |
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| Tourist lane |
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| Tourist lane |
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| Tourist lane at night |
Well, if the Hahoe Folk Village is good enough for Queen Elizabeth, it has to be good enough for me. 🤣. Many thanks to the public bus driver for helping me get off at the right stop and pointing out where I can catch the return bus. BTW - it's a 50 minute ride from downtown Andong. All rides are 1,500 KRW (about $1.50 CDN) irrespective of the distance traveled.
Village Background info
'Hahoe is the village where the members of Ryu family which originated from Hahoe Village have lived together for 600 years. It is a representative village for one family where tile-roofed houses and thatched roofed ones have been quite well conserved for a long time.
The village is especially well known as the birth place of Ryu Unryong and Ryu Seongryong. They were brothers: the one was a great Confucian scholar of the Joseon Dynasty: the other was Prime Minister during the period of the Japanese Invasion(from1592 to 1598) called Imjinwaeran.'
My thanks to the woman in the Hahoe Folk Village tourist information centre for explaining exactly what to see at the village and where to find the key spots. All her directions were neatly recorded on a village map I could follow. She also added it was a 'working village' with private residences that I should avoid trespassing. I had just bought my ticket without any idea what to do. She also let me know about the hour long Mask Dance scheduled for 2 pm. 200 person limit so be early.
Curiosity drew me to stop in at this museum. I also remember my superstar tourist info person suggesting the museum should be my first stop before taking the 1 km shuttle bus ride to the village. I'm glad I complied with my curiosity. Masks are works of art as I hope the photos below demonstrate. Yes, I did get a little carried away with the number of photos. Everything I saw caught my attention.
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| Museum entrance |
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| Mask distribution |
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| Composite of world masks |
Hahoe Village
Welcome to 600+ years of history in a living museum. Enjoy the walkabout!
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| Our starting point |
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| More details at our starting point |
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| Tour guide providing context in Korean |
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| Interesting artifacts |
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| Every place needs cuties like this |
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| Buyongdae Cliffs |
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| Highlighting thatched roofs |
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| Buyongdae Cliffs |
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| Buyongdae Cliffs |
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| Chunghyodan Old House |
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| Chunghyodan old house |
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| Chunghyodand old house |
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| Hwagyeongdang House Entrance |
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| Hwagyeongdae House courtyard |
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| Yeomhaengdang |
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| Shimshindang sacred tree |
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| Protecting sacred tree |
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| Pathway to sacred tree |
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| Private residence |
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| More thatched roofs |
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| Sample entrance way |
Hahoe Mask Dance Drama
I attended what had to be the oddest dance drama in my life. I think Koreans have their own sense of humour requiring much more context than I had. The hour long drama had a series of vignettes including a butcher cutting the balls off of a bull to sell for male virility, a monk witnessing a woman peeing in the woods who proceeded to smell the urine soaked soil and wanting to discard his vows to have a carnal encounter with the woman and a satirical interaction with Korean nobles to cast shade on the nobility. Yes, it was a jam packed hour of entertainment! I've included two video clips to capture the action and the music that accompanied segments of the drama.
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| Mask Dance stage backdrop |
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| More characters |
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| Butcher and bull |
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| Translation to follow storyline |
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| Triumphant butcher |
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| More victory dancing |
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| Our maiden out for a stroll |
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| Approaching where our maiden had her pee |
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Examining urine soaked soil; our monk also simulated
picking the soil in his hands. Yee ha! |
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| More nobility drama |
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| Nobility in action |
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| Explanation about nobility dance drama |
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Goodbye from character
on utility box |
I was on a mission for my last night in Andong. I wanted to see and walk on the the Wolyeonggyo Bridge, which is the longest wooden pedestrian only bridge (387 m/1270 ft) in Korea. If I got my timing right, I would also see an illuminated bridge as well. Timing was wrong. The link I've provided does have the bridge with lights on.
My original idea was to walk to the bridge and, perhaps, catch a bus for the return trip. I missed the last bus so I chose to walk back to my hotel. Good exercise (about 8 km/5 mi), except for the rain that started to fall about 3/4 of the way back.
The Journey
I had a delightful surprise to discover that over 50% of my walk was along the riverside on a wooden walkway, with lighting at night, through a very scenic area. The walkway passed by a small dam and under a massive concrete bridge spanning the river. I always say a short prayer whenever I walk under these manmade marvels. I pray the engineers have done a great job, the contractor building the bridge avoided any shortcuts that would compromise the bridge's structural integrity and the bridge can withstand any earthquake that may happen as I'm walking near the bridge.
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| City/river view from bridge |
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| City/river view from bridge |
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| Bridge art installation |
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| Gotta know where you are at all times |
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| Gotta love those stairs |
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| More stairs |
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| Wooden walkway |
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| Bridge from a long ways away |
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| More info |
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| More cute stuff |
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| Highway bridge looking towards Andong |
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| Me and my need to capture reflections |
The Destination
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| Bridge entrance - right bank |
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| Looking to left bank |
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| Pavilion at midway point |
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| Pavilion - opposite side |
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| Looking towards right bank |
Andong Intercity Bus Station Creativity
Welcome to the 'museum without walls' and the former capital of the ancient Silla Kingdom.
I had the most delightful conversation with the Tourist Information Centre person as I was making my way to the bus stop after arriving in Geyongju. She brought out an area map and proceeded to circle the key destinations I should consider, identify the bus routes I needed to take and then sent me on my way. Once again, South Korean tourist information setting the foundation for a great tourist experience!
I was off to explore this open air museum after I checked in. Several destinations were within ten minutes walking distance from my hotel. The big plus was the rain had now stopped for the balance of the afternoon. Truly blessed.
On my way
I noticed a few things as I made my way to my first destination, the Cheonmachong Ancient Tomb. There are about 150 mounds, burial tombs, about the city. I had my first encounter with a burial tomb as I walked towards the Ancient Tomb on my itinerary. Please resist the temptation to climb the mound! I also noted the two insights attached to a wall that I thought were worth remembering.
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| Burial tomb |
Cheonmachong Ancient Tomb
I had a vague idea of where I was going with an open mind to what might might be interesting to look at.
In the Park
The signboard I came across was helpful to add perspective to the map I had. The park entrance had a beautiful pond with more burial tombs in the background. Lovely photo opportunities. I noticed a ticket booth nearby so I was off to investigate.
In brief, Cheonmachong, also known as the Sky Horse Tomb, dates back to the Silla Kingdom era. The tomb, was constructed in the 5th century CE. It is the only tomb open to the public. My lucky day to be inquisitive about that ticket office. Added bonuses were the free admission because I'm a senior citizen and the free souvenir postcard I received upon entering the tomb.
Learning how the tomb was constructed was a fascinating discovery. More about that later in this blog post. There is an entire storyline about the role of the Japanese mucking about the tombs during what the Koreans refer to as the colonial period.
For some unknown reason, I decided to stop by the tourist info kiosk located near the tomb entrance after visiting the tomb. I had the extraordinary gift of meeting Manor, a woman bursting with information to share. Through her, I acquired my second tourist map with her explicit instructions on what I should visit and when I should visit. For example, she insisted that I take the bus to visit the National Museum after our conversation was concluded. She then mentioned she provided a guided tour related to the tomb I just visited which she just knew I wanted to participate in. With that confidence, she exited the kiosk to spend time with me to provide context for the tomb I just visited. I'm glad she insisted and that I stuck around to learn more. We parted company after about 30 minutes with me headed to the nearest bus stop to visit the museum, as instructed, prior to its 6 pm closing.
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| Tomb entrance |
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| Coffin and treasures buried with deceases (on right) |
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| Artifact |
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| Silla were into gold |
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| Horse related ornaments |
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Gold crown, belt &
shoes |
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| Broad reach of Silla dynasty |
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Cross section view of tomb
construction |
Here's a museum that I think anyone visiting Geyeongju should take time to visit. An amazing collection of historical artifacts and information about the Silla people. Quite a statement from the guy who likes to circumvent museums as much as possible. I'm grateful for Manor's insistence to visit (and my compliance). I was left wondering why our Canadian school system focuses on Egyptian history instead of a broader focus on Southeast Asia. Another item to add to my growing list of mysteries that will remain unresolved.
Exterior
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| Museum entrance |
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| Stone Pagoda |
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| Divine Bell of King Seongdeok |
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| Divine Bell of King Seongdeok |
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| Divine Bell of King Seongdeok |
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| Divine Bell of King Seongdeok |
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| Silla History Exhibition Hall |
This visit was an eyeopener to Korean history and the historically significant role the country had in Southeast Asia. So many different artifacts to take photos of.
I guess I was in the photo taking mood during this museum visit. I had wandered into this separate building to investigate. I like what I found so took all these photos!
Sculpted Celadon of the Goryeo Dynasty
But wait, there's more! The Silla Art Exhibition Hall showcases the splendid history, culture, and art of the Silla.
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| Maitreya Triad |
This wooden bridge holds immense historical significance, having been originally constructed during the 19th year of King Gyeongdeok’s reign in AD 760. Meticulously rebuilt in April 2018 and is the largest wooden bridge in all of Korea. I now have walked on the longest wooden pedestrian only bridge and the largest wooden bridge in South Korea. Tada!
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| Profile |
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| South entrance |
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| Looking south |
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| North entrance |
'Located on a hill, the palace-fortress was the heart of political power for over 900 years, witnessing the rise and fall of Silla’s kings.'
The fortress is slowly being excavated and restored. More tombs found in this area as well.
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| Always good to check out where I am |
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| Approaching fortress |
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| Looking north from fortress hillside |
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| Looking north from fortress hillside |
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Ice storage explained. I know
I get the concept well. |
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Ice storage - yikes. Who wants to think about
being that cold! |
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| Excavation work underway |
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| English text up close |
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| Moat |
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| Moat details |
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| Moat |
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| Moat again |
'This stone structure is presumed to have been built during the reign of Queen Seondeok (r. 632-647), the 27th ruler of the Silla kingdom (57 BCE-935 CE). Its name Cheomseongdae means "Platform of Gazing at the Stars,” and it is widely acknowledged to be the oldest surviving astronomical observatory in Asia. In ancient societies, tracking the movement of celestial bodies was of great political importance because astronomical observations served as a guideline for farming as well as a means to foresee the country's fortune.'
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| Area to west of observatory |
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| Tombs to the west |
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| Same tombs - different photo angle |
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| Same tombs - different photo angle |
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| Observatory |
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| Observatory - up close |
'The Bulguksa Temple is built upon Toham-san Mountain. Work on the temple started in 751 AD and was completed in just 23 years, in 774 AD. The smaller buildings in the compound were built earlier in the 6th century.
Bulguksa Temple is the main temple of Jogye Order of Buddhism in Korea. It houses seven ‘national treasures’ which include two stone Buddha statues.
Sadly, many of the original wooden buildings were destroyed in wars over the years, and there have been several restoration and rebuilding projects in the decades.'
I had received specific instructions from Manor to visit the Seokguram Grotto first before visiting the temple. The rationale was based on the bus trip required to go the more than 2 km distance to the grotto. I messed up on my arrival time at the Temple where you catch the bus to the grotto meaning I lost some efficiency in my two visits. The good news for me was that the rain that had been threatening all morning arrived just as I was boarding the return bus from the grotto. I successfully avoided being drenched in the nick of time. Most grateful to the universe's benevolence.
Be advised, Buddha at this location dislikes having his photo taken. Please check the link I've provided if you want to see the Buddha statutes at this temple.
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| Pathway to temple from parking lot |
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| Temple complex |
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| Just the facts, ma'am |
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| Beautiful mini waterfall |
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| Gorgeous tree |
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| Gate to temple |
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| Guardians inside gate |
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| Guardians inside gate |
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| Temple entrance |
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| Dabotap pagoda |
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| Seokgatap pagoda |
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| Temple |
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| Temple entrance - guy on phone just won't move |
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| Looking down temple entrance staircase |
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| Invoking Buddha's blessings |
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| Invoking Buddha's blessings |
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| Beautiful in its anonymity |
The 2 km+ bus ride was entirely uphill with low level clouds shrouding the grotto area. Thank goodness the rain has held off until now. The grotto was an additional 700 m walk (~ .5 mi) from the bus stop. Buddha also declined to be photographed at this location.
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| Approaching walkway to grotto |
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| Bell for mercy |
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| Ring bell for mercy - 1,000 KRW/ring |
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| Be careful walking about! |
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| More facts |
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| Entrance to grotto walkway |
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| More grotto facts |
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| Grotto construction details |
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| Walkway entrance - just another 600 m |
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| Always good to have a map around, right?! |
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| More geographical info |
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| Grotto is viewed from inside this building |
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| Pathway leading up to grotto |
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| Grotto in the background |
Ancient Tombs In Noseo-ri/Nodong-ri
As promise earlier, I'm sharing more detail, by way of photos, what was involved in building a tomb. In brief, the ground was leveled, a series of wooden pillars were secured to hold a massive amount of riverbed rocks required to fill the wooden framework. A space was created in the middle where the coffin would be lowered. An additional space was created to add the deceased's goods for their journey in the afterworld. Dirt was then piled on the rocks. The deceased was lowered from the top into their last resting spot, the space was covered with wood, then rocks were added followed by soil. The mound was covered in a viscous soil mixture as a final sealant. Bob's your uncle, Sally is your aunt - you have a completed tomb!
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| Overall tomb structure |
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| Info panel in foreground describing steps |
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| Wooden framework with rocks |
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| Cross section showing soil backed onto rocks |
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| Cross section view |
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| Composite view of tomb structure |
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David being cute with magnetic letters -
see lower left for distinctive Canadiana |
My last tourist destination was here. Somewhat underwhelming given the high marks from the tourist information centre person. The pond was definitively in need of attention as attested to by the two small boats of men using rakes/grappling rakes to extract the overgrown weeds. I did have an interesting conversation with a couple young tourists from New York and California. What spurred the conversation was my comment to them about how much effort they were investing to stage their photos.
'The architectural remains of Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, which consists of intricately decorated pagodas overlooking a serene artificial pond. The site is almost 1500 years old. The pond and the pavilions were once part of a palace complex in the capital of the kingdom of Silla that ruled the south-east Korean Peninsula for almost a millennium (57 BC-935 AD).'
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| Pond up close |
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| Walkway between pavilions |
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| Pond with loads of weeds growing wild |
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Model of grounds/pavilions - sorry about the
reflection obscuring the view |
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| Oh look, there's reflections on the water |
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| A field of beautiful flowers |
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| Artsy type view |
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| A second flower with the same need |
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| A flower begging for attention |
Bakery Heaven in Geyeongju
In my ongoing efforts to find a new suitcase and pricing out a new Samsung phone, I discovered an 'authentic' Korean bakery. The young woman working the storefront explained that her parents owned the bakery and she was a 'volunteer' employee. Love her sense of humour. With her help, I selected a couple items that she assured me was only found in South Korea. The delicious bread is made with chestnuts and the second choice was my salesperson's favorite breakfast bread.
Busan
Non-stop rain started about 3:30 pm on Friday afternoon, continuing on Saturday until about 3 pm. I had to dodge the raindrops to take the short bus ride to the Intercity Bus Station to catch my yet to be booked bus ride to Busan. The bus driver was super kind in stopping the bus near the bus station so the alighting riders had a shorter distance to walk in the rain.
A local Korean man approached me in the bus terminal to inquire where I was from and, with his limited English and my non-existent Korean, had a stilted conversation including the amount of rainfall in Gwangju over the past few days. What an unexpected gift of conversation irrespective of how challenging it was for both of us.
I met a former Canadian and his Korean partner while waiting for the bus, same bus they were taking. He had been in Korea for over twenty years, having lived in Brockville, Ontario prior to moving to Korea. He kindly checked with me when we got off the bus (in the pouring rain) to ensure I was good with getting to my hotel. Fortunately I was good as the hotel was ten minutes walk from the bus terminal. I'm so grateful for his act of caring. Amazing world we live in.
I'm sharing a few preliminary photos from my walking about after the hotel check-in. My hotel is about a ten minute walk from Haeundae Beach - a busy beach in Busan.
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| Haeundae Beach skyline |
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| Haeundae Beach skyline |
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| Promenade to main metro station |
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| Promenade to beach |
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| View from metro station entrance |
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| Always room for a lighthouse |
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| Looking towards Haeundae Beach |
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| Looking towards Ididae |
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| Looking towards Ididae |
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| Dongbaekseom Island |
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| Dongbaekseom Island |
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| Haeundae Beach |
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| Haeundae Beach |
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Administration
A little background info on me to set the context for this TV remote traveling tip. I stopped watching TV about two years ago so picking up a remote control in a hotel room is the last thing on my mind. Bad idea in South Korea. In my most recent hotel stay, the reception team shared a single page job aid to explain that the TV, A/C & room lighting are all controlled through the remote control. Good to know! I had found it odd that my hotel rooms in Sokcho and Andong were missing light switches near the bed. I thought it was a room design issue. Nope, it was Dave Vincent problem.
Next Week
I'll be heading west, by bus, to Yeosu for a couple nights in the week ahead. I take the high speed ferry from Wando to Jeju Island for the next four nights. Jeju Island is the vacation hot spot for Koreans. FYI - the busiest domestic route in the world for 2024 was Jeju International Airport – Seoul Gimpo with 14.2 million seats sold. Look forward to catching up with you from Jeju Island.
I'd be delighted and honoured to 'see you' next week! Stay happy and healthy!
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