From Seoul to Busan, a whirlwind G Adventures tour is one great way to see South Korea. Photo / Korea Tourism
From martial arts classes to sampling live octopus, a whirlwind G Adventures tour through South Korea leaves few senses untested, writes Nathan Limm.
“Annyeonghasyo. Juseyo, er, that?”
The Korean waitress flashes a friendly smile at my abysmal attempt to order food on a bustling side street during my first day in Seoul.
“Are you sure you can handle the spice?” she replies in perfect English.
I give a thumbs up in reply, still self-conscious about knowing approximately three words in Korean. My spice tolerance surely couldn’t be any worse than the local bloke sitting next to me, who is gasping for breath and wiping his brow.
“Gamsahabnida!” I reply in thanks. I have no idea what I ordered and zero clue how much it cost, but my attitude for the next nine days is to embody a blank canvas – ready to be splashed with every delicacy and delight the Korean culture has to offer.
I easily become lost on day one in the capital. The neon signs and endless curling streets of food, clothes and toys proved seductive enough to abandon my sense of direction.
My G Adventures tour group is small but friendly, and we gel wonderfully at our maiden joint introduction to the local cuisine. We learn to cook bibimbap and bulgogi – rice bowls with beef, egg and vegetables – though my handling of the fried egg leaves plenty to be desired.
The culinary journey is interrupted fabulously with a taekwondo class. My complete lack of experience in any martial art doesn’t stop me from launching into a tirade of kicking and striking movements. The instructors hone this enthusiasm into helping all of us snap a wooden board with an axe kick by the end of the hour-long session.
Now a seasoned black belt (at least in my head), Gwangjang Market provides an opportunity to refuel my limbs and expand my palate. Priya, our friendly, helpful and all-knowing tour guide, encourages us to indulge in live octopus, known locally as sannakji. Still wriggling on the plate, the tentacles taste rubbery, but provide a contrast with the tteokbokki - which reminds me of gnocchi – yukhoe and beef sashimi.
My experience of Seoul’s architecture is just a taste of what’s to come, but an eye-opening one at that. We visit Jongmo Shrine, a Confucian landmark honouring past royals of the Joseon dynasty. The beautiful ancient buildings are supplemented by a stone path built specifically for the souls of past kings and queens, plus a slightly haunting, twisted tree in the centre of a pond.
I have thrill-seeking tendencies, and am slightly disappointed that the bullet train – travelling at more than 300km/h from Seoul to Gyeongju – doesn’t pin me back in my seat. Our driver collects us in a private bus for an equally smooth ride to Daereungwon Tumuli Park. Gyeongju is a quiet, rural area rich with history of fallen kingdoms. The park is an ancient resting place for some of Korea’s wealthiest and regal figures, decorated with vibrantly coloured flower meadows and an ancient astronomical observatory.
Twenty-three tombs, which may look to the casual observer to be poignant yet rather innocuous hills, are dotted around, under which former kings are buried with their most prized luxuries. We get the opportunity to enter the Cheonmachong Tomb, which has been partially excavated and transformed into a museum. Joseon crowns and other artefacts are on display, with the construction of wooden framing, rocks and dirt illustrating how the burial sites were sealed.
We end up at Gyochon Hanok Village, where we get a taste of how the Joseons lived – or at least, how they slept. The hanok village consists of quaint, reddish housing with curved rooftops, large eaves and an oaky aroma. My room is compact, with a thin mattress on the floor and a pillow resembling a large hacky sack.
I get a chance to embrace my inner 4-year-old, dressing as a Joseon king. We take photos in the pretty courtyard, featuring a pool of brightly coloured carp, stone sculptures and picturesque little trees.
The night is topped off in a fashion I’m a little more familiar with - karaoke, soju and fried chicken. We tipsily wander through Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, which are illuminated by warm lighting and accompanied by the restful ambience of insects. My ibul (bedding) is a welcome relief after a day of walking and singing, and I sleep deeply.
A couple of pastries and a coffee from the local cafe supplement a meditative morning sitting on the step of my hanok abode, before we depart the village for Gyeongju National Museum to continue our education.
Seventy per cent of Korea is covered with mountains, so it would be remiss of us not to venture to a higher altitude. The Unesco Site Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto were both built by Prime Minister Kim Dae-seong in the eighth century to honour the life and afterlife of his parents. The grotto is high up in the mountains, and we can even see the line of the ocean on the horizon, which bizarrely appears above the mountain ridges in the distance.
By this point, my bottomless pit of a stomach needs some love and attention. We purchase cuts of meat from a mini supermarket adjoined to a Korean barbeque restaurant, before cooking them over hot coals at our table.
Another glorious hotel breakfast buffet is followed by a trip to the city, which becomes my favourite place in South Korea – Busan. Towering skyscrapers sit on a beautiful beachfront, with ominous mountains glowering in the background. The Gamcheon Culture Village is a sprawling hive of character. It provides a variety of hidden gems, including murals, cats and winding alleyways.
Priya takes us to the Jagalchi Fish Market, a warehouse with endless lines of seafood delicacies – most of it still alive. The bloke manning one particular stall enthusiastically obliges my request to hold a live octopus. I can feel the tentacles sticking to my hand, leaving a slimy residue. I ask him what the odd-shaped sausage-looking things are in the bucket and he announced they are spoon worms but locals call them “dog’s penis”, giving one a hearty squeeze.
Upstairs, we treat ourselves to a truly bizarre array of Korean-style seafood. A standout at our table is braving the top shells on offer, from which you have to extract the fleshy insides. They are slimy on the outside, with the texture of potato on the inside and a bitter taste. Extremely bitter. My Western taste buds are unprepared, and my facial expression reveals my honest thoughts. Thankfully there’s many other options and I tuck into yellow croaker, flatfish, red sea bream, fish soup, kimchi, lettuce wraps with garlic, chilli and buchujeon (chive pancake). My cholesterol isn’t used to being this low.
A cable car ride over the sea gives a breathtaking panorama of the city, before we later regroup for another trip well outside of my comfort zone. A naked spa isn’t usually how I’d spend my Saturday night and while my apprehension is through the roof, it’s a bizarrely liberating experience. I grace the pools, saunas and showers au naturale, before donning the comfortable shorts and t-shirt provided and spending a couple of hours testing the massage chairs, foot spas and relaxation rooms.
What better way to end our time in Busan than on a yacht out on the harbour? For just $35, we are treated to a cruise under the Gwangan Bridge. Fireworks, bubbles and music accompany a stunning sunset. It’s a moment for gratitude. We live better than even the ancient Joseon kings buried with their wealth in Gyeongju.
SOUTH KOREA
GETTING THERE
Fly from Auckland to Incheon with one stopover with Malaysian Airlines.
DETAILS
For more information on G Adventures’ 9-day ‘Solo-ish South Korea’ tour, visit gadventures.com.