Busan, Korea - Day 6

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

This morning we woke up early and walked to the buffet together with Dylan and Desmond for breakfast.  (Mom and Dad have a shore excursion today, so they weren’t with us, but we saw them eating and wished them a great day.) I was thrilled to learn that there are vegan pastries available now. Woo!  Vegan of course also means dairy free, so I got to have a danish before leaving the ship! Also, the chef offered to make me fresh eggs since the scrambled eggs have milk in them. All in all, breakfast in the buffet was much better than expected.

We were all happy to get off the ship and explore somewhere new. None of us have ever been to Korea. We went to the Grand Plaza to wait to debark. While we waited Bryan and I got a hot chocolate. It was quite yummy. 

We were among the first people off the ship and through customs. The woman helping us at the tourist information desk said of the forested area we wanted to go to“No, it’s too far to walk.”  So we walked. 😂 3.8 miles 

As we walked we enjoyed a park with pedestrian bridges and a walk along the water. Next as we continued into the city we saw aquariums of live seafood (crabs, eels, and fish) in front of restaurants. Then we passed through the fish market. There were bags of dried fish right next to bags of nuts and bags of candy. We went by barrels of water with mussels, clams, and octopus. Some workers were sitting on the ground or low stools preparing the items for sale (removing the meat from the shells, taking the garlic cloves out from the paper outside portion).

We saw the most giant cinnamon sticks we have ever seen, and I couldn’t help but think of the hobbits saying “It comes in pints?” as I saw Bryan looking at them with appreciation. However there are a great many products we would not be able to bring back to the ship, so the amazingly large sticks of cinnamon had to be left behind. 

When we got to the cable cars it was just after they were supposed to start (at 9AM). But there was a staff member explaining to everyone that they wouldn’t be running until 11 AM today.  

While sitting down to eat a snack and come up with Plan B, we saw tour groups come in for the cable cars. 

We decided to take a taxi instead.  It took a moment to explain to him that we wanted to go to the top of the cable car, since in the app it appeared to the driver that we were already at the cable car where we wanted to go. But with much pointing and nodding he figured out where we intended to go, and took us there. 

We went out on what they called a “suspension bridge” with a see-through grate that we could look at the waves and rocks below. Then we began to hike into the forest in search of wooden bridges among the trees. We were hoping for something that would remind us of the Ewok village. But, alas, we couldn’t find it. And with so many paths on the map, it is hard to know whether there was something there that matched that description or not.  We did see a dinosaur, so that’s something, I guess.  At the very least, it was nice to be away from the crowds and in among the trees. Desmond tried all the various exercise equipment along the way.

Eventually we gave up on looking for swinging bridges in the trees, and made our way to the cable cars that were now running. We bought tickets and boarded the cable car for a scenic ride down the hill and across the water.  It was a very unique view, and fun to see all the areas that we walked (and some we didn’t) from that vantage point.

Next on the list was lunch. It was nearing noon and we were all ready for some Korean BBQ.  So we took a few moments to search up our options. I selected a restaurant with good Yelp reviews which said it didn’t look like anything on the outside but that the food was good.  We had had an experience last summer where we pulled into a restaurant (based on Yelp reviews) that didn’t look like a place we’d want to eat, and the food and service turned out to be very good, so I was hopeful.  We were not disappointed.

The staff was kind, and spoke to us in simple English giving us recommendations, and a few hints on how to prepare the meal.  It was the style where they bring a metal skillet full of hot coals over and stick it in the hole in the table, then put a grill over it so that you can cook your own meat.  The meat was delicious, the sides were flavorful, and the whole experience was just so much fun!  The name of the restaurant is O ban hang, and if you ever happen to be stopping in Busan, we would recommend it.

After that we took another taxi to a shopping center to try and find a souvenir for Dylan. The mall ended up carrying more high end items, lots of clothes, and no souvenirs. The boys split an Evee Krispy Kreme donut, but otherwise we didn’t find anything we needed. So we caught a final taxi back to the cruise terminal. 

Now, all day Desmond has been using a Korean phrase to ask the cab drivers if they speak English. Their responses were all a variation on “no.”  One said it in English, and then sort of chuckled.  One did not respond at all, except to look up suddenly at Desmond. Another said “no” in English and followed it up with a sentence in Korean. This final taxi driver told us “no” in Korean and in English.  But he seemed amused that Desmond had asked, and gave him a button that says “Busan” on it.  I was proud of Desmond for being brave enough to ask.

At the cruise terminal were a few stands with souvineers and Dylan was able to find something to remind him of his time in Busan, so that was perfect.

To celebrate all our walking and exploring today (we clocked in at a little over 7.5 miles of walking even after taking four taxi rides) we decided to go get some fancy desserts on the ship.  They make a fancy milkshake that is over-the-top with dessert inside, and whip cream, sprinkles, etc. similar to those The Yard sells at home.  That was fun.  And while they don’t have lactose-free options for the fancy desserts (yet) they did have vegan ice cream with chocolate sauce - so I did get dessert as well. 

 

We rested a bit and then it was time for dinner in the dining room, where we swapped stories with Mom and Dad about our day ashore.  Tomorrow we have a shore excursion together all six of us as we return to Japan.