August 10th 2008 - Summer vacations
August 10th 2008
Summer vacations in the heat
This week started off with two days of summer vacations ! This is what the yard summer vacations amount to this year... As I had been working Saturday, it didn't feel like much of a vacation, but we made the most of it and headed for Busan anyway. Paula wanted to show me what the girls get up to when they go to Busan for shopping and we both wanted to go see the aquarium at Haeundae Beach. Haeundae beach is the hip place in southern Korea, if not all Korea. This is where you go to be seen and to see. It is also the only place I have seen Koreans hang out at the beach in the sense that we westerners know it - they are normally too respectful of the sun to walk around in bikinis.
Haeundae Beach
La playa de Haeundae en Busan. Como veran los coreanos no son muy amantes del sol asique se cubren de protector solar factor 50 y estan bajo los quitasoles.
Notice the mist creeping over the headland.
Fijense en la "neblina" que se ve en la foto.....pura HUMEDAD !!!!!!
The aquarium was great, although there were a few too many kids around for our liking. We are not great fans ..! There were many salt water fish and a great big tank with turtles and sharks. Paula recognized a lot of the fish from her snorkeling adventures. After the aquarium visit we had lunch overlooking the beach and then headed for Shanghai street. This is the (in)famous "sailor" street, with all what that entails ! Nowadays the street has a high Russian influence, with both Korean- Russian and pure Russian shop-owners. Many shops only have signs in Russian. The street was a little dead this day - better for a country-boy like me! After Shanghai street Paula wanted to show me Nampo Dong market, which is where she does all her bargaining. This street market was much more lively than Shanghai street. We were pretty tired though, so we just had a quick look around and bought a few souvenirs. Then it was back on the metro to Haeundae Beach and our car, before the 1½ hour drive back to Ulsan.
Paula at the underwater tunnel at Busan Aquarium. Raggytooth (also called sand tiger or grey nurse) overhead.
Aqui estoy en el tunel del Acuario de Busan. Increible muchos Tiburones , tortugas y muchos otros pescados.
Our lunch view !
La vista del restaurant donde almorzamos.
Tuesday we went downtown to find some good maps of the surrounding mountains for when I go biking. It wasn't as easy as we had thought. Even with the always friendly help of the locals, we were not able to find anything I could use. But that's OK - I'll just have to explore a little myself, which is what I had done that same morning. Without much luck ... I mostly learned which trails NOT to take, but that is also valuable information !
As if it wasn't hot enough ... the neighbor drying chillies on the rooftop
Aqui los vecinos secando aji.
Peo has been here too long .. her eyes are turning Korean!
La Pobre Peo ya tiene los ojos de Koreana!
The rest of the week was nothing out of the ordinary. The heat sucks all initiative out of us and we are very homely at the moment! We do manage to go play squash most days though. Saturday we went to the pool and today we have just been lazing around. I am getting itchy feet ... I need to get in gear again, go windsurfing, diving or water skiing. As soon as it get a bit cooler !!
Paula at the pool
Aqui en la piscina de otro edificio de la compañia nuestra. La vista es especular y sin niños tirandose bombitas !
.. while I got into my book
Peder Leyendo al solcito.
.. with the view of Ulsans version of Haeundae Beach: Ilsan Beach
Aqui la vista que teniamos de la piscina. Muy lindo , es la playa de Ilsan.