Heading to Busy Busan

The second time’s a charm…the Time Hotel in Yangsan was our first Love Hotel experience in S Korea about a week ago and we liked it very much. Their rooms are sparkling clean, furnished with all we need and more, quiet and comfortable. The women who run it are lovely and the fixings for breakfast are available at the entrance all the time…boiled eggs, bread and jam, coffee. Somehow we have through luck and some research done well in our choice of hotels. Just with a glance at the exterior of some of the other hotels and their location, we know that we are wise to return to what works.

As before, we were warmly greeted when we arrived, as were our trikes with a special space for parking them.

We like the feeling here in Yangsan…it feels relaxed and very friendly. This dad and his child passed us more than once…it was a bit of a game. Each time they passed us, he and the little girl would giggle and wave as if for the first time. delightful.

Yangsan is a small city that we like…it is of course bordered by the Nakdong River. There are extensive parks for recreation and camping, lots of bike shops and a plethora of places to eat a short walking distance from our hotel. We were looking for some items at a Daiso store and a family with a very young daughter approached us and asked where we were from and if we would talk to his daughter. As he said, I try to get her to talk with foreigners…it is good learning for her. This little girl was a good sport and had the confidence to interact with us.

A view of some of the park land of Yangsan. It is well used by locals of all ages for walking, playing ground ball, using the exercise equipment etc.

This plant growing alongside the route has been with us throughout our time in South Korea.

For people like Barry and I who are not very confident around snakes (that is understating it…it’s more of a phobia), we are getting our share of snake sightings. This fellow was enjoying the sun in the park.

The snake doesn’t seem to like us either as it slithered way to shelter.

Along the trail, wind and solar energy are used.

A beautiful image and a memorable part of riding here in the fall.

Density housing is how much of the population live here. Perhaps that is why we see so much of the population outdoors, enjoying the open spaces, getting exercise and enjoying the day.

We are getting closer to Busan and the trails are active and the parks are busy with soccer and baseball games, picnics and people out for a walk, enjoying the day. As always, bathrooms are located conveniently along the route and always spotless, thanks to workers like this.

And off she goes to the next toilet. Cleaners ride bikes too.

Exercise equipment is set up along the trail at regular intervals. They are well used by people of all ages.

The route seemed to be taking us out of our way. But the route planners know what they are doing. We had to ride a distance to where there is a safe crosswalk and then turn back to where we started, and we are now in place to carry on into the city.

This was lovely..an inlet where fishers keep their boats. We watched a woman cleaning her catch.

Fishing is integral to the life and work of Koreans.

After this we will turn right and ride about 10 km through Busan to our hotel. We may hit a bit of rush hour, so “fasten your seatbelts”.

A mural of the beloved sport baseball with the iconic Busan tower in the background.

It’s a nice day for a ride with your dog onboard. This is a very familiar sight in S Korea. Small dogs like this are very popular.

Lovely fresh fruit. We have been loving the mandarins while in Korea.

This cyclist was so excited to see us. We ran into him twice. He was so impressed with what we have been doing…touring Japan and Korea and he proceeded to tell everyone on the street what we have been doing. He was also shocked that Barry could ride in shorts…this fellow was covered head to toe as were most people we encountered. This concern he also shared with everyone. Barry tried to explain…we are from Canada and we are used to cold weather.

Fresh fish is always available when in Korea.

Got tired of the slow progress and the stop and start riding we were doing due to the crowds of people. We took detours on quieter roads parallel to the main road. So much better and interesting.

We had a good, but cold and very busy ride through the heart of Busan. We were doing well until I crossed a huge intersection on a green light. Halfway across, the light turned red and cars came straight at me. It was terrifying. I road with one arm up trying to get them to stop while people at the corner were watching in horror with their mouths open. I rode as hard as I could, grateful to have made it in one piece. Barry was unable to see what happened, which is probably a good thing.

We are back at home base, the lovely Commodore Hotel. We will stay here for a few days and then take the overnight ferry to Fukuoka Japan. It is hard to believe that we have only been here a few weeks. We have seen and experienced so much that it feels like longer…but in a good way.

Today's ride: 42 km (26 miles)
Total: 903 km (561 miles)

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Karen PoretGrateful you have lost your glasses and not your life, Mary Ellen! That must have been a most mortifying and frightening experience ! Perhaps your glasses will show up when you least expect it.. Your journals are a delight to read. Many thanks!
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