Busan, flying First Class to Korea's Miami

I was about to embark on my next trip, away from Jeju heading to Busan, the second largest city in Korea. Some of you film enthusiasts might know the Busan Film Festival which is one of the most important festivals in Asia and comparable to the Sundance Film Festival. I really wanted to leave the hostel I was staying at, though not necessarily the beauty and calmness of Jeju. Oh well, I had to leave eventually and I booked a new flight. Since flying is the easiest and comparatively cheapest option, it was not hard to find a flight... or so I thought. When I arrived at the airport and looked at my ticket, I got thunderstruck.. mentally. My ticket was not issued from Jeju to Busan but the other way around from Busan to Jeju. How could I have done such a horribly easy and stupid mistake! I was furious... stomping my feet on the floor and moaning angrily until the small Korean child next to me started crying. I was so angry at myself that I wanted to punch my past me in the face very badly. Well, what is the best thing to do? Queuing up in front of the Air Busan Ticket office at Jeju Airport and hoping the re-booking will not empty my cash account. Of course the day was completely booked out. Well, I was just about to call my hostel again and ask for another night when the miracle happened. I got issued a stand-by ticket, meaning that if a person does not show up for his or her booking, I can jump in so to speak and take the free seat. I got myself some coffee and prepared for a day at the airport but, unbelievably, I got a new fare within 30 minutes. It all happened really fast. I got called to the ticket office, they entered my passport details then I ran to the baggage drop-off where they still accepted my luggage (all in 5 minutes). Then I had 7 Minutes until the gate would close and I still had the security and customs check ahead. Wuuuu, I pushed and elbowed my way through the long queue followed by a lot of 'excuse me's, 'I am so sorry's and 'bjaneyo's (Korean = I am sorry). I jumped down the stairs, sprinting to gate number 7 while Koreans where pointing their finger at the tall German giant who was running as her live depends on it. I must have looked ridiculous with my long black bag, hair flowing in all direction, breathing heavily and coffee spilled on my shirt. Miraculously I made it to the airplane only to discover, I will fly in First Class. Jackpot! When I was brought warm nuts and orange juice I also realized, that I did not had to pay any cancellation or re-booking fee at all. They did not even mention it in the ticket office. This made my day and I arrived in Busan already at 12 a.m. after which I headed to the WOW Guesthouse in Haeundae. This Hostel was just PERFECT! It was recommended by Cristian and Seong-Hwan which I met in Jeju. And it was without question one of the best hostels I have ever stayed in. The owner payed my dinner the first night and we also had some drinks on the second. He is a really cool guy who travels a lot and has a lot of stories to tell. If you ever happen to be in Busan, make sure that you stay at this place!



Haeundae Beach in Busan



Eating Sanakji at the Jagalchi Fish Market!

When in Busan, the Jagalchi and its surrounding markets should not be missed. For me I really like the shopping and strawling through the hidden alleys. Anyway in the new market hall, it is actually possible to buy fresh fish and get it readily sliced into perfect sashimi piece to be eaten on the spot. In Korean Cuisine this is better known as hoe. Hoe refers to eating different types of raw fish like sashimi. One particular from of hoe is sanakji. The moving octopus. Since its suction cups are still active even after being cut freshly, the pieces still move around like little worms. It can also happen that a suction cups sucks itself on your tongue or inner mouth. Wooh! I was kissing a dead octopus, see for yourself:  

In the end I relaxed a lot in Busan, ate awesome seafood, did some shopping and visited a nice jimjilbang  spa (Korean Sauna). Since I had already done most of the touristy things while I was here last summer, I got to spend quality time with goo new friends without stress, stroll on markets and beaches as well as updating my blog and YouTube while doing my laundry. A bit boring for you maybe but REALLY nice for me :).

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CHEERS!