Tripping With Toby: Busan

October 25, 2019-Busan

After a week, Jinny decided that she would clue us in about seatbelt laws. Evidently, they’re required. We put them on for her to check then most removed them. Rebellion!

I actually understood a story she was telling. She and her husband have a graduated marriage. I googled it, and marriage graduation is a status of a couple who have lived together as man and wife for decades but have nothing in common anymore. Children are raised and they are looking for “more.” They agree to live separately and seek the fulfillment they never could have when they had more responsibilities.

It was the first time many of us toured an auto factory, and our visit to the Hyundai plant in Ulsan was greatly anticipated. On tours of candy factories or distilleries we’ve been given samples. I was assured that on this tour we would not. Hyundai has factories throughout the world, and at this plant alone, they employ 35,000 workers. They have their own half mile long port with room for three cargo ships that hold 7,000, cars each. We watched as some of the 500 drivers sped up the loading ramps to park the cars 4 inches apart.

Learning is interesting, but sometimes we learn upsetting information. There were no women on the factory floor. I asked and was told it is a more suitable job for men. They prefer women to work in the offices. I asked if there were women at the executive level. There are none. I don’t see a Hyundai in our future. Fortunately, our guide there spoke clearly. I hate to make fun of Jinny, but a professional guide should be understandable even with an accent.

And now it was time for fun. We went to a rice wine brewery and saw that Korean rice wine is nothing like sake. We were each given a tray with the ingredients and shown how to mix the partially cooked rice stirring it by hand. We added yeast and water and mixed well. After fermentation, the wine is clear but has a milky sediment. When served, the bottle is first shaken to mix the sediment. The cap has to be released slowly and in stages so the carbonation can escape. Yes, it’s fizzy. It is mild and has a lovely citrusy taste. Unfortunately, it must be refrigerated, so I don’t know if we can bring any home. David is bringing the instructions home for Daniel to make it himself.

Lunch was bi bim bop. It’s rice in a bowl with meat. Vegetables are added and mixed with kimchi or spices. I prefer when it’s served in a hot pot with an egg on top, but this filled the bill. We’re pros at finding spoons, chop sticks, and napkins in a drawer under the table so lose no time chowing down.

Our destination was the seaside city of Busan. Our hotel, the Haeundae Grand Hotel, is across from the beach. As an illustration of how Jinny doesn’t really answer our questions, someone asked about a statue in the water across from the hotel. Her answer was a soliloquy about what I thought was Amelia Island. We later found out that it was Camellia Island when we took a walk there. We circled the island/park climbing many steps along the boardwalk and ended up on the beach. Unable to resist, three of us waded into the East Sea (Sea of Japan to some) and acted like fools as the water rushed in with the tide. The beach is clean and the sand is soft, but there was the issue of how to clean our feet. Ingenious as they are, Koreans don’t have water spigots for foot washing. They have high powered air hoses. It’s amazing! You end up with the sand blown away and your feet dried at the same time. By the way, the statue is of a man with a spyglass and is a submerged lighthouse.

The same group of adventurous souls who took a dip in the sea met for dinner. We strolled to a populous area hoping to find something other than Asian food. I would have compromised with pizza topped with bulgogi. We tried a place that had American food, but they only had one chef tonight and it would be a 40- minute wait. We thanked them for their honesty and ventured along. I saw a sign with pictures of Indian food and Namaste beckoned. We ate to our heart’s content and are quite proud we didn’t succumb to MacDonald’s.

Tomorrow we’ll visit the UN cemetery among other sites. It will be a full day with dinner included. Don’t worry if I don’t write. I may be too tired.

Toby