Busan, ROK

The ship parked in a fairly new harbor built on fill. Massive new skyscrapers were being constructed bayside and we wondered who would fill them. Maybe vacation condos for Chinese. ROK motto: We are so not Japanese and not Chinese, Nunh uh! Second ROK motto: We’ve got the catchiest dance beats! Even when we’re destroying wooden planks in Tae Kwon Do!

Busan, population 3.3 Million, served as the headquarters of the UN forces during the Korean War, 1950-1953. Thanks to this war, Japan developed an export-based economy, saving itself from economic depression and the lure of communism. In the last 50 years, the Republic of Korea, population nearly 52 Million, has industrialized its economy. Almost all cars on the busy highways are Kia and Hyundai.   Here one drives on the right, showing US influence. We saw a couple of churches, a rare sight in Japan. But this “traffic safety pagoda” is more unusual.

We were driven an hour north of Busan to “the most beautiful temple in Korea,” Haedong Younggungsa. Dating from the 1730’s, it was built into the cliffs, giving it exceptional views. 

The visitors’ wishes were written on colorful leaves and paper lanterns. Being under the rainbow of wishes felt pleasantly festive, like being on a parade float.

These charming childlike boddhisattvas comfort parents with a sick or dead child. 

The supplicants make a game of tossing their coins into the stone monks’ baskets. 

JG especially enjoyed the suspension bridges, tunnels, and modern elevated highways en route. Some cars had little foam pieces stuck on their doors as ding prevention.

During the drive, JG conversed with our taxi driver through Google Translate. I was amused that JG’s Korean avatar had a deep bass voice, while our driver replied in American English in a woman’s voice. JG wanted to say his daughter bought a Kia. The taxi driver wanted JG to know that 1% of the world’s richest people live in Busan. He also wanted to show us cherry blossoms, but we passed on this opportunity.