A weekend to remember . . .

Day 4

Again we got a decently early start on this our last day, we stashed our bags in lockers at the third place we were told had them and were off once again, walking in the sweltering heat hoping we we’d be capable of arriving at our destination. At least this day there was a slight breeze every now and then. After walking for quite awhile, waiting at a bus stop hoping to find a bus to our destination we decided to walk on and at long last glimpsed a foreigner in the distance! It was possible he may be
Russian (there’s a number of them around, mostly in Busan and many don’t speak English) but – what’s this – oh! I hear it, American – he’s American. Definitely speaks English! :D So we ask this kind sir, ‘can you tell us how to get to Songeong Beach?’ He smiles, in his mid-thirties he looks extremely pleased to have two lovely young ladies like ourselves coming up to him and giving him the opportunity to be a knight in shining armour. (Though I doubt we could have looked that lovely at that moment.) He begins to ask us about where we’re staying, are we teaching in the complex he’s just come out of? We press again with the beach question. He apologizes – no, he cannot tell us how to get to Songeong – to Gamglii or Haeundae beach, yes. But not Songeong. It’s about 3 km away and we can not walk there. We’d were going in the right direction but we’d walk about another kilometer than get to vehicles only tunnel.

‘What?!’ We say internally exchanging a glance. ‘Well then how do we get there?’ “A bus sir?” (okay, we didn’t actually call him sir.) No, he didn’t know the right bus. ‘Have we walked aimlessly in the heat for an hour again?’ I wonder and I imagine Leona is thinking similar thoughts. He probably sees our dire looks – ‘You could take a taxi. I’ve never done it but Haeundae’s farther away and that’s only about $1900 Won’ (about $2Cdn.). A taxi?? A taxi!! Brilliant! We thank the kind man and he’s on his way. We laugh slightly. Neither of us had even thought of a taxi – me probably because I’m cheap, used to them being extremely expensive and used to either having a car or good transportation system at my disposal. Leona because there aren’t really taxis where she comes from. So we flag one down and can see the beach in a matter of minutes. Sweet!

I didn’t take my bathing suit this day because I knew I’d have to catch the train back later and thought it would be difficult to either be wet or carry wet things with me (I was already carting around half of my belongings in a stuffed plastic grocery bag). But oh, the beach was beautiful. Quite a bit less crowded but we didn’t even get to the sand. We walked around a wharf towards the rocks. I sat and read (wishing I could go in the water as I watched Koreans jumping off the small cliffs, but enjoying my time immensely nonetheless) as Leona climbed the rocks, stood with the wind blowing her and even took a fully clothed dip in the cool water. Then my turn came – I climbed up one of the larger rock gatherings, sat with the wind so strong I was nervous to stand (seeing as I had no identification, no medical insurance, and very little money) and thought and breathed, and sung praises. It was good.

I had to leave a few hours earlier than Leona as I had work the next day so I got tourist information to write the bus route back to our Lockers for me in Korea, said my goodbyes to Leona and headed back. Unfortunately my bus driver forgot where he was supposed to stop for me. Passing a landmark I recognized I pushed the buzzer for a stop but it was too late. We drove on for another 3-4 minutes. Finally when it stopped I stood up and asked “Yogeeyo?” (Here) to see him raise his hands in frustration at himself and point back. So I got off, and oh yes, yet again – walked, and walked, through winding streets that the heat rose off of. This time alone. I stopped a number of times for directions to ‘E-Mart’ and waited not so patiently to elaborate descriptions and directions in Korean with various and confusing hand motions. I would follow the first direction they gave than inevitably come to a turn or fork in the road. However, after about 3 or 4 times of asking for help and 25-30 minutes of walking I found my way. And 5 hours later I was back safe in sound in Daegu. Most certainly a weekend to remember.