So I have already blogged about all of my mixed up feelings about visiting the place I was born (before being adopted and becoming the superstar that I am today 😛 ), but now I will show you what it is like from more of a tourism point of view.
Honestly, I loved where we were staying – right on the beach. It’s a really popular destination within Korea (and even for people from the US and other parts of the world). We were there right before the peak summer season and it seemed like the perfect time. When I’d heard that Busan was known for its beach, seafood and shopping, I was stoked. I felt really excited because I got a kick out of the fact that I was born in a place that has all the stuff I love. I really wanted to enjoy the place I was born. I may have had a whole lot of crazy emotions kicking about inside my head, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying so much about it.
On the top right is the Sea Cloud Hotel where we stayed. We were somehow upgraded to a suite and it was reeeeeally nice! It looked out onto the beach and had big windows that made us feel so alive after staying in a few little shoeboxes! One highlight was visiting the Busan Aquarium (the Little Mister LOVED IT). It wasn’t much different from all the aquariums at home, but it was a great experience and to see the Little Mister running from display to display with such joy was worth it. On the bottom right is the Little Mister doing his favourite activity – smashing Mr Unprepared’s sandcastles. It was great. You could buy a little beach bucket and spades etc really cheap at a convenience store under the hotel and we had a beautiful, relaxed day playing on the beach (that was the day I was a leeeetle hungover so it worked out well).
Why was I hungover? Um…so one night, my parents generously offered to look after the Little Mister so that we could head out and see what the night life of Busan had to offer. My brother, Mr Unprepared and I were so ready to let off a little steam.
In my defence, I did not plan on getting so tipsy that night. But a few factors didn’t help.
1. Street drinking is legal. Like, you can walk down the street sipping a beer and no-one will arrest you or make you pour it out. Yet, we only ever saw one person on the streets who was really drunk in a sad way. We knew street drinking was legal because we totes did our research. Aren’t we good? If we hadn’t known this, we might not have enjoyed cocktails that were made at a street stall and poured into convenient plastic bags with straws in them (bottom right).
2. Alcohol was CHEAP AS. On the bottom right you can see my Busan BFF making those cocktails in plastic bags. He’d shake up a good quality cocktail and it only cost about $3.50 Australian!!! Of course, this made it easier to indulge in cocktails throughout the night. I may have overindulged as a result. I do not generally condone binge drinking and it’s certainly not something to brag about, but as a lover of cocktails it really was so easy to *ahem* sample all that was on offer. Although I do regret trying this thing called ‘Hooch’ (bottom left). It was made somewhere in the Netherlands and tasted like weird orange lolly water and I had no idea what liquor was even in it, but it was gross and it was cheap and it was something we found in the convenience store and bought for the name alone.
We stopped off at the Fuzzy Navel, a small bar where the cocktails were great and there was a DJ upstairs who played awesome remixes of American R&B songs. I think we were having the most fun of anyone there, because we were a bit early (us parents had to make sure we started early in order to finish early – glam life). We then headed to Thursday Party (it was a Friday night but that wasn’t stopping us) – a chain bar that had an American influence. It was playing all our favourite songs from around the time I was 18 and partying (so please don’t do the maths) and it had a fun atmosphere. That’s probably where the most damage was done, as my brother and *darling* husband decided it would be fun to keep buying me random things off the cocktail menu every time I looked away. Then I decided I’d like to drink them. I couldn’t resist being a bit greedy because at home I’d buy two good cocktails and be broke for the rest of the evening. In Busan, I felt like I was living the high life.
We watched some girls play a beer pong game and tried miserably to be my brother’s wingpeople, but they liked us better than him at first because he was a stickler for the rules. Great fun. Sadly, our carriage was going to turn into a pumpkin soon (and we didn’t want to get too nuts on account of the whole ‘being parents’ thing) and we reluctantly left my brother to head off to a nearby university precinct for more shenanigans with our new friends.
The next day I felt a feeling I hadn’t felt since BC (Before Child). That really really seedy feeling. Not sick, just bleeeergh. Thankfully we had planned ahead on having a quiet and relaxed day. I had a great pedicure by a slightly adorably awkward guy from the hotel across the road and we sat on the beach, even enjoying fish and chips (not something you find easily there) for lunch. It felt like we were at home, which is not the point of travelling, I know, but it was nice when we didn’t have the energy to expend on anything crazy and new. It was comforting! I also remembered why I hardly ever drink more than a couple of cocktails at a time…
It was a fantastic way to end our experience in Korea (apart from an overnight hotel stay near the airport) and we were growing more and more excited to see Japan. I was so glad that by the time we left, I had made peace with the place that I had been born.
