The 10 Hour Bus Trip!

We had quite the adventure this weekend. On Friday Earney, Gwen and I went into Daegu to find an English bookstore and for Gwen and I to look for a silver jeweler.


We did find the English bookstore but it was closed so we went on a hunt for the silver jeweler. It was actually right around the corner from the bookstore! We both got necklaces made with our names written in Korean. We haven't seen them yet...we had to order them and we are going to go pick them up in a week. Next we went back to the bookstore but it was still closed so we decided to find 5 Floor Bar again and go visit James Bond. We found it alright and we were relaxing on the 5th floor terrace when it started raining. So we moved downstairs to where he had a table outside on a patio with an awning over it. Then a torrential downpour started and so we had to move inside! We sat around and talked with James Bond for a while teaching him things like "what's up?" and "hook-up" and he told us he wants a foreign girlfriend and that we all look like a family. So apparently Gwen and Earney are my "parents". When we were getting ready to leave James asked us if we had brought umbrellas and we said no so he went and got two umbrellas out from this closet and said here you go! You don't have to bring them back (Which we probably will anyway...my umbrella count is up to 3 already!)  and it was hardly raining anymore. Such a sweet guy.

5 Floor outdoor patio

From 5 Floor rooftop terrace

Why yes, I do have my own high end handbag store in Daegu

"itarian"

Men's and women's matching underwear sets are very popular. Earney wants this butterfly pair!

On Saturday the social committee had planned a social outing to Goeje-do which is an island south of Busan. They told us that it was going to be a 2 hour bus ride each way and we would go to a pebble beach once we got there. We paid 20,000 won for the transportation and lunch fee and we were ready to go! So we all get on the bus and Saewon told us we were going to get to the island at about 11:30 or 11:45 and we start driving. We stopped at a rest stop on the way and about an hour later we stopped to get gas. That was our first indication that something wasn't quite right. After the two hour mark, it was clear that we were not anywhere near the island and this wasn't going to be a two hour bus ride. A lot of people started to get really grumpy and there was almost a mutiny! But those of us who were sitting in the back of the bus made a huge joke about it and luckily, we survived. Once we got there Saewon told us our menu options were seafood, seafood, and seafood. Then there was another mutiny. We had driven past a chicken restaurant on the way in and so half of the people left and went to go buy chicken at the other restaurant, but they were upset because they had to pay for their food. Those of us who stayed got our food paid for. And there were not only seafood options. But I got a seafood stew and it was delicious! There was a full shrimp, mussel, clams and tofu in my stew. Tofu is gross.

nummies from my seafood stew

After lunch we went out to the beach. A lot of people were also upset about the beach because it wasn't really a pebble beach...it was more like a rock beach. It was actually pretty hard to get into the water because the rocks were slippery and not very stable. Some people actually didn't get into the water because of the rocks. But once you got in the water, it felt fabulous!! The water was the perfect temperature after riding in a bus and with the super high heat and humidity. I spent almost the entire time we were at the beach in the water. Some people spent the time walking around but I found no need to even get out of the water. Then we had to pack up and get back on the bus for our "2 hour" bus ride home which ended up being more like 4 or 5 again.  On the way home it wasn't as bad because we were expecting a really long ride...I was just really tired so that wasn't so nice. 

Through the bus window!

On Sunday Earney and I decided to take another trip into Daegu and visit the Samun Market. Of course, I forgot to bring my SD card so I couldn't take any pictures but it was very interesting. It is half inside and half outside and there are stalls as far as you can see. Unlike the Dongdaemun Market, there really is anything and everything at this market. You can find anything that the Koreans might eat; including live eels, dried beetles, seaweed for days and lots and lots of dead fish. I found exactly what I was looking for but we left after a short while because it got cumbersome carrying around a huge jewelry box all morning. Then we went to a jim-jo-bong which I still love just as much as I did last time. It was so relaxing that I fell asleep on the shuttle bus home!