Happy Chuseok

Happy Chuseok, everyone! 메리 추석 여리분! 저는 내일 부천에서 부산까지 갈 거예요... ^^ Tomorrow I am leaving Bucheon to go to Busan... :) This will be my first trip there, and I'm so excited!

I would like to write a blog post about my adventures, but for the sake of not making the post terribly long (and satiating my current desire to write), I am going to write about the pre-trip everythings right now :)

I can't take much credit for the planning, though. My friend that I am travelling with handled it all. I'm so lucky! And inherently lazy. So I'm really lucky...

(Transportation)
But! Down to business. We are leaving from Sopoong Bus Terminal (소풍터미널) tomorrow at 5:50 pm. It's fortunate that we have a big terminal so close, because the only other terminal I am currently aware of is in Gangnam, which is to the northeast of Bucheon (ohhhh, backtracking). We just need to go down for what everyone is saying will be around 8-9 hours. It's great living so near to Seoul, but because everyone else thinks that too, it means that everyone else will also be travelling south to visit their families this weekend.

No, it isn't always that long of a trip. The traffic lengthens the bus ride, but there is also an express train, the KTX, that can get you from Seoul to Busan in three or four hours. Why didn't we choose that? It sells out pretty quickly around Chuseok, it seems. The bus is quite a bit cheaper, though. Each way costs less than 30,000 won ($28.00, maybe?). I believe the KTX runs about 60,000 won each way...

Yeah, buses! Another awesome thing about Sopoong is that it is attached to a huge shopping center, theater, and grocery store, not to mention the coffee shops running along the outside of the building. Delightful <3. So I'm probably going to swing into Kim's Club (food) to get things for the road. No coffee. No tea. No soda. Only one bathroom break. And I ALWAYS have to pee as soon as we start driving. Like clockwork, baby.

(Accommodation)
But once we get there we have a really cool hostel to stay at. And I mean, like, phenomenal. At least that's what I've heard :). It's called Zen Backpackers and is located in Seomyeon (서면), Busan. All of the reviews are more than positive, loving both the hostel and its owner. He offers tarot card reading, hand acupuncture, and a super groovy living space. If you want to check out the website for this hostel, please click here. It costs either 30,000 won or 22,000 won per night depending on the type of room you choose. There is complementary breakfast, a kitchen area with a microwave, stove, oven, rice cooker, and dishwasher, along with a good-sized plasma TV with a selection of movies to watch. He also offers acoustic guitar lessons and a few other things. I'll let you read them on the site if you're interested.

He has such a good reputation, though, because he gets involved with those who stay in his hostel. If he is free, I've heard that he'll go around and show you (or just tell you) all of the places you need to see. And the location of this hostel is another perk. It's a ten minute walk away from the subway, and right by a great neighborhood to go out in (day and night)!

(Activities)
So what are we going to do once we get there? ...I don't know, actually. Hahaha, there is so much to do! And so much to see! But this is a vacation, so I'd rather have a few things in mind and then just see what we feel like doing at the time. Reelaaaaax a bit. There are some helpful websites to look at if you ever want to go yourself.

Here are links:
Top10 and Then Some
Oh, the Places to Go
BestBest

I liked picking through those links, and I hope they will prove useful and interesting for others, as well. Ha, for the link names I just pictured my parents trying to remember which link went to which site and having to say my link titles over and over. "No, click 'BestBest'!" Haha. I am a wonderful daughter.

A wonderful daughter who is about to go on a wonderful trip.
Take care and have a great Chuseok! Or just a good weekend for those of you who aren't Korean or in Korea, and won't be practicing Korean Thanksgiving.

:)