The train from Seoul to Busan was 50,000 KRW and lasted about two and a half hours. The train was nice enough; there were seats for everyone. But these seats didn't recline, so I spent the whole trip groggy from the night before, but unable to actually get to sleep. You could say it was a nightmarish experience.
Arriving in Busan, I was struck by how spread out everything is. Compared to Seoul, with a population around 11 million people, Busan is small, with 3 million or so residents. It's right on the beach and dominated by the massive port, which is the fifth largest in the world. After watching the second season of The Wire, which is all about the port-worker community, I was very excited to see one in real life, especially one that was so important to creating modern-day Korea.
There are zillions of hotels and guesthouses here, and I had little trouble finding one after the owner of the one I planned on staying at didn't answer his phone. I'm at a place with the enigmatic name Popcorn Hostel, which has a microwave and no popcorn. They sell beer though, so I'm not complaining. It's 19,000 KRW a night and they lend you your very own tiny Korean bath towel. The vibe here isn't very sociable, but I'm on my computer, writing this, so I'm hardly one to talk. It's on the 11th floor of a building two blocks from the beauteous Haeundae beach, which I will visit tomorrow before catching a ferry to Japan. I wish I could spend more time here, but I already spent 90,000 won on a ticket. If I could get a refund...
There's so much to see in Busan! There's a gigantic fish market that puts the one in Seoul to shame. There are sea creatures swimming in tanks in front of restaurants that I've never seen before, even after spending a Korea in Korea. There's also an old temple nearby that's been carved out of a mountain face. I might just try to stay another night.
Additionally, there's a casino, which I am going to visit now.
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