Yesterday I peeked from my balcony just in time to see the southernmost tip of Korea, as we sailed into the Busan harbour in the mist and predawn light. (See Photo 1.) And there was the city of Busan nestled among the surrounding hills, from which it gets its name. They are considered to resemble a dragon, which is very much part of Asian culture.
This is the largest harbour in Korea, a very busy port that caters for tankers, container ships, cruise ships and ocean liners all in the one complex. Indeed, our ship was berthed between two container ships, with giant cranes offloading their cargo.
As is always the case, the advantage of going on a shore excursion organised by a ship is that you learn so much about the local culture and see places you may never have the chance to see if you go off on your own. This far outweighs the disadvantages - the expense, the times you would have liked to spend longer in a place of particular interest, and the occasional fellow passenger who thoughtlessly holds everyone up or coughs over everyone.
We were lucky enough to have a guide who spoke quite good English. He was very proud of the fact that South Korea really promotes innovation and hard work, and of the fact that it is a harmonious society in which Buddhists and Christians and members of other religions all accept and respect one another. He told us that heavier industries are located in Busan, since their goods can be easily transported by ship to other places. The well-known high tech industries, whose products are transported by air, are located in Seoul.
Our first visit was to a cultural centre where we saw a wonderful concert showcasing their dancing, music and opera. The performances were colourful, superbly choreographed, graceful and highly energetic. The costumes were gorgeous. I just loved it! My only regret was we were only allowed to take photos in the last minute. I would have so loved to take photos of the beautiful fan dance. But this policy was very understandable and is also the case back in Australia. There you are not allowed to take photos during a performance at all. (See Photos 2-5.)
Next we visited a small park in the centre of the city. It was a real pleasure to see the white blossoms of apricot trees, the statues and the buildings, including an enormous tower which, unfortunately, was closed for renovations. The view of the city from the top would have been great. (See Photos 6-7.)
Finally we were driven to their fish market, which apparently has widespread fame and is featuring in a US movie due to be released next year. Now I am not keen on eating fish, but even I was impressed with this market. It was so much in contrast with those I saw elsewhere. Most of the fish were alive in tanks into which fresh clean water constantly flowed, so there was little odour and a sense that the fish would be safe to eat. And the variety of species on sale was amazing. (See Photos 8-9.)
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