Thursday, July 4th, 2013

Today was the day that Kelly was really looking forward to... a ride on the KTX!

Pic taken by Limmy as we waited for our KTX!

This is one adventure that he had indicated that he would enjoy doing and Limmy and Mr. Park indicated that they would enjoy going on the KTX as well.  So we were heading for Busan for the day!
For information of the high speed train check out this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korea_Train_Express

We arose at 5:45 AM (the earliest morning for us yet during our Korean adventure) and we were ready to head out the door for a 6:45 AM pick up by Mr. Park.  It had rained throughout the night and we had some rain to greet us this am so we took umbrellas along just in case.

We headed to the station at Gwangmyoeng where we were able to park and get into the station in time to hit the restrooms and find the track on which our train would arrive. The total trip would be about 2 and 1/2 hours and we would reach speeds up to and including 300 km per hour.

This link will also provide you with more information. You also can see the route the KTX takes to Busan.
http://www.lifeinkorea.com/information/Trans/ktx.cfm

We were thankful that Limmy would be with us to be our translator as well as having her and her dad with us to share stories and enjoy the day together!  We also shared family stories as we traveled.

The train station was  huge, modern, clean, and very beautiful.

 Gwangmyoeng train station

Jeong Mi had secured our tickets (both ways) using the internet and  was able to get us two seats facing each other with table/trays between us. 

Here are some pics that we took including entering the train station, waiting for our KTX, and  traveling along.  We hope you enjoy the pictures.

 Jeong Mi's Dad and Kelly

Jeong Mi's sister,  Limmy and Edie

268 K/Hr. (The fastest that we saw was 302 K/Hr (about 188 MPH))

We were able to easily find our seat.s The overhead compartment made it easy for Kelly to store his backpack for the trip. We purchased some drinks from the coffee/snack cart that they pushed up and down the aisle throughout the trip. No free drinks with the price of a KTX ticket. But we so enjoyed the uninterrupted time to visit with Limmy and Jeong Mi's dad and Limmy. We learned alot about their family history and the train ride was smooth and fast. We were able to hit the 300 km/hr many times throughout the trip.

We arrived on schedule in Busan after a number of short stops along the way. For information on Busan, check out this link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busan

We located a tourist information booth and after consulting with the travel "expert"  using the Busan map, we decided on four sites that we would enjoy seeing. We decided to travel by taxis between all the sites, and we also decided to travel to  the farthest away site first and work our way back. Limmy explained what we were doing to her dad while Kelly looked on.


Busan was rainy and hazy when we arrived and were leaving the train station. We decided to return to the station to have an early lunch because we did not know when we would be able to find a place while we were out and about.

Dunkin' Donuts in the Busan train station

After eating we went back outside and hailed a taxi and headed to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple  (sometimes called the Seaside Temple.  Busan is a bustling city seaport and we took some pics of the area as we worked our way to the temple.

Turn here for the temple.

All day long, the weather cooperated and even though we had rain while driving, it stopped when we got to the temple, and we were able to travel on foot to the temple and to explore the surrounding area without needing an umbrella.

The Haedong Yonggungsa Temple:
"Haedong Yonggungsa Temple is located in the north-east of Busan. The Buddhist temple was built beside the shore which is quite unique because most temples are built in the mountains. The temple has a long history which dates back to the Goryeo Dynasty in 1376. Haedong Yonggungsa Temple was destroyed during the Japanese Occupation of Korea. The temple was reconstructed in 1970 and the utmost care was taken using the original colors and designs. The temple is located on rocks that are facing the ocean. Scattered around the temple you will see many different statues, sculptures and a stone pagoda. There are also four statues of lions which represent joy, anger, sadness and happiness.

Many people visit Haedong Yonggungsa Temple on New Year’s Day to pray for their families' well being and to get a glimpse of the first sunrise of the year. In March / April many events are held for Buddha’s Birthday and the temple is covered with lanterns." http://www.exploringkorea.com/haedong-yonggungsa-temple/

We are also attaching this link for this reporter's blog. She has some wonderful pictures of everything that we saw on our way to, at the temple, and returning to the taxi stand.  We hope you take some time and check out her blog on the temple!

http://thechroniclesofmariane.blogspot.kr/2013/01/the-temple-by-ocean-haedong-yonggungsa.html

We enjoyed our time here and we will post our pics now for you to view. Enjoy!

Beon dae gi for sale (silkworm larva)

Chik (Pressed to make juice to be drunk for good health)

Jeong Mi and Limmy's dad filmed the day as well!

Now it was time to hail a taxi and head to our next destination:
Nurimaru APEC House! Here is a short you tube video that I found that can give you an idea of it's beauty and surrounding area.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyDTCCRY168

Here is a wonderful link for information on the Nurimaru APEC house and information on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the 2005 APEC conference that was held in this building. It is now used for other leaders' conferences and  for receptions.
http://www.busan.go.kr/open_content/APEC_2005/eng_nurimaru/6260000-arc-2.0-001.jsp?type=1

Here are our pictures taken during our visit.

Can you find George W. Bush?

It was time to hail another taxi and head to the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea.
Some pics of the scenery along the way are now posted for your viewing.

Mobile Hotel / Bar Ad

A very somber and beautiful area where the "holy ground is dedicated to the peace and freedom of the world." On January 18, 1951, a United Nations Command cemetery was created for fallen UN Troops in the Korean War.

"We engrave your names in our hearts with love
We inscribe your names in our land with appreciation"

Here is the official link on the UN Memorial Cemetary in Korea. Worth a read.
http://www.unmck.or.kr/eng_index.php

There are a total of 2,300 troops interred at UNMCK. Sixteen countries provided military support during the Korean War. Five Countries provided medical support. A short 15 documentary that we saw indicated that 3 wives are interred with their spouses in the cemetary.

Our pictures:

We left the UN Cemetery and traveled to the fish market.

Another UN memorial (on the way to the fish market)

Pig Tails

Then it was one more taxi back to the station. A long day; but we had time for a beverage before boarding the 7:00 PM KTX headed toward Incheon.

Then after we finally found the car (we went to the wrong side of the station at first!!), we drove through a rainy, rainy, night to LB!!!! Limmy called in our food order to Jeong Mi and three of us  had the LB (big burger) and one has the grilled cheese sandwich. We were in time to catch some of the Thursday evening Trivia Night and visit some more with the family.

A full but good day!!