Friday, 8 March 2019
Still Enroute to Naha

A lovely day with calm seas as we continue southward toward Okinawa.  I spend the day resting, blogging, attending lectures on the next five ports we will visit (without a sea day between any of them), and eating.  I join the line for high tea at 3pm in the Dining Room, but traditionalist as I am, I am disappointed that we no longer have a choice of teas to brew to our own specific tastes at the table, but must simply accept each un-named stream as it is poured into the cup.  The finger sandwiches and pastries already at the table are tasty (especially one that looks like a pink and brown chessboard with pink icing), but the one scone at the table is a letdown. Oh well, times do change, unfortunately.

Tonight is the second Gala Night in the main Dining Room, and the duck breast I enjoy as main course is quite succulent.  But the dining highlight is the coconut-lemon souffle with lemon sauce for dessert.

Thursday, 7 March 2019
Busan, So Korea

The travel gods are kind today:  the sun is shining as we dock alongside the port in Busan, So Korea's second largest city.  Busan is a modern metropolis, still home to many American military operations.  Like most cities in this part of Asia, commerce rules over everything.  There are some reminders of Busan's long history, but one must dig deeply to find them.

Because Busan has excellent local transportation I plan to wander today on my own.  But two charming and lively sisters from Bakersfield, CA--Carol and Peg--invite me to share the day with them.  I sat next to Carol on the long plane ride from LAX to Shanghai, so we are already intimate friends.  Although the port is not far from the city center, we opt for the free shuttle bus to take us to the main Metro station.  We purchase low-cost all-day Metro tickets from another friendly machine, and start our touring by riding out of the city to the next-to-last Metro stop to visit the Beomeosa Temple, generally regarded as the most important tourist site in the city.

Waiting on Metro Station Platform; Pink Signs Indicate These Doors
Are for Women Only (During Rush Hours)

 

Riding the Busan Metro with Peg (far left) and Carol (far right)

View from Elevated Section of Metro (note the blue sky)

From the Metro Station we share a short taxi ride to the Temple, with its many steps still to climb.  The steps are worth climbing because the temple precincts are built along the ledges of the mountains that surround the city on the north and west sides.  Flowering trees and shrubs are just starting to bloom and the hints of color brighten up the rather austere colors of the buildings, matching the marvelous greens in the wooden decorations (photos below).  The temple was founded in 678 AD, although the wooden buildings have been restored several times, due to fires and typhoons.

Beomeosa Temple:  First Entry Gate

Up More Stairs to the Second Entry Gate with its Gorgeous Green Decorations

Temple Roof Lines with Mountainside in Background (not yet in bloom)

The Main Worship Hall with Seats Outside for Overflow Worshippers

Approaching the Main Hall from Steps at the Rear 

Entrance to Monks' Domestic Quarters; Ritual Wash Basin in Foreground

Beautiful Painted Wooden Decorative Features of

Beomeosa Temple

Private Worship

We retrace our steps down to the taxi stand and down to the Metro to return to the city center, at which point Peg and Carol head off for serious shopping.  I decide to walk to the city's largest market, Gukje, to explore the more commercial side of the city.  The walk seems short enough on the map, but I make it only to the next Metro station where I decide to ride underground for the rest of the journey.  On the way, I pass a major street with American flavors, and another major street that marks the entrance to Chinatown.

The streets surrounding the covered market are full of large and small shops selling everything one could imagine.  The line of shop signs, even without the bright lights of night time, are an impressive sight.

Inside the large covered market is an endless display of domestic and household goods, along with clothing and food.  The large fish market is across the street, so the aromas here are quite pleasant, with lots of incense in the air.

I stop at a fancy dry-goods store to purchase a souvenir notebook, and a battery-operated tooth brush (very cheap).  Although I brought my electric toothbrush with me, I forgot to bring its charger.  It is really hard to go back to manual brushing once you have gotten used to power.

Another Metro ride takes me back to Busan Station, where the shuttle to the cruiseport awaits.  Although I have an all-day ticket for the Metro, the entry machine decides it doesn't like me and eats the ticket without letting me in the gate.  Fortunately, a little elderly woman points me toward a gate for the handicapped that I can open myself to enter the system.  Of course,  I will need the ticket to exit the system as well, but I find another elderly person (this time a man), who notices the cane I am carrying and points me toward an easy, ticketless exit.

So back to the ship after a pleasant day in South Korea, another country I can add to my list of places visited.  Tomorrow is a sea day as we head to Okinawa.  I will put the blog to rest for now and resume again when I can.

View from the Cruisport