Sunday, July 28, 2013

A Glimpse of Busan on A Tour Bus (Part 2)

A glimpse of something means to capture or take a peak at once but I realized I cannot just write about Busan City Tour in one post. So I made a Part 2 for Taejongdae Loop Tour while Part 1 is for Haeundae Loop Tour.

I described my first tour bus experience through the Haeundae Loop Tour as having seen Busan's side where the sophisticated corporate scent and emerald seascape of the beautiful beaches met in the other half of the largest port in South Korea.  Taejongdae is different

It is discovering the outskirts of Busan, the loop that go around the southermost of the city - a glimpse of the normal weekday of the locals, listening to how the oldies talk and I somehow acknowledged the difference in their accent from the Seoulites, more fantastic ocean views, and seeing the reasons why this is called the largest port in South Korea.

After a quick nap and somehow regained a doze of energy, I walked back to the departure point of the City Tour Bus to catch the 4PM tour.  This time I decided just to remain onboard the bus and contented looking at the sights from the window.  I didn't want to keep on looking at my watch for the 30-minute interval.  Furthermore, I read that the tourist spots require more walking time and I might not able to complete the whole loop tour. 


So for this post, I am posting more pictures as I completed the 1 hour and 40 minutes loop tour just inside the bus and without getting off.

First stop is the Passenger Ferry Terminal. Busan is the entry and exit point not only within the boundaries of South Korea like Jeju Island but also to the other parts of the world like Japan.


Second stop is National Maritime Museum of Korea (International Cruise Terminal).  This is the most distinct structure in the form of a ship.  Busan offers international cruises and that makes the place romantic as well.
the only national maritime museum in Korea with open-air performance hall
Third stop was the highlight of the tour - Taejongdae.  I was itching to get off the bus because of the audio visuals played on the tv monitor in front of me.  This is famous for its observatory and lighthouse overlooking the sea even as far as Japan's Tsushima island.



Next stop is the 75 Square.  I would have loved to get off again when I saw the audio visuals where there's a trail going down the sea.  It would really fun to take that trail and enjoy the view of the sea.  And this is one of the many reasons why I would like to go back to Busan again.


Next stop is the Songdo Beach where people flocked for the late afternoon walk.  It was more crowded than Haeundae Beach.


We then crossed over Namhang Bridge and reached BIFF Square and Jagalchi Market.  These are both famous for the international film festival and the fish market where you can eat what you ordered to be served.  It was not enough for me to just see it from afar so I decided to see the BIFF Square on my own the next day.  I spared the Jagalchi Market though as it was hard for me to eat alone in the fish market.

Going around Busan via Taejongdae Tour is like watching a 30-minute-travel documentary where you can only see a bit and pieces of the place.  Being a certified DIY traveler, I am looking forward to explore Busan more but at my own pace where I can really know the place - its culture, its history and what experience and memories it can offer.  The next day, for just half the day, I explored Busan via Busan Subway.  It was more fulfilling!

Here are some of the pictures that I took from the tour bus.









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