Busan

Busan is Korea’s second largest city and located on the southeastern tip of the country. Cortney, Stephanie and I made the trip down on the KTX train. This is Korea’s high speed rail system where the trains travel at speeds of 300 kilometers per hour (or about 190 miles per hour). The train is super efficient and very prompt. We left exactly on time and arrived 2 and a half hours later, just as they stated.

What 300 km/ hr on the KTX looks like. http://youtu.be/dxjOIKi0598

When we arrived at Busan station we took the local subway right to Haeundae Beach where we found a love motel across the street from the beach. We walked into a couple before stumbling upon the Wow Motel. Love motels always pleasantly surprise me in Korea. For 100,000 won we were able to get the VIP suite in the Wow motel where we got one king size and one double bed, 2 computers, a jacuzzi shower and even a wrap around balcony! 

We woke up in the morning, got breakfast and headed down to the beach. We were able to check out the Sand Castle Festival that was happening this weekend where elaborate works of art were set up along the beach. There were also various activities and booths set up along the beach and also an amateur sand castle making area where anyone could enter to make their own sand castle.

We then had dinner at a Mexican restaurant before checking out the local night life.

View from the balcony of the Wow Motel.

Traditional Korean Wedding

I attended my first traditional Korean wedding here in Korea. Two of my friends, Matt and Jiyeon got married at a wedding hall in Seoul. The wedding is different than that of western weddings. The bride and groom are carried out by men. The groom is on a chair and the bride is in a decorated box.

The location of the wedding.

Coming in on the chair and in the box.

The families together. The bride and groom in tradition wedding hanboks.

They eat traditional rice cakes and drink saki. 

The box that the bride is carried out in.

A little after wedding party fun.