On a White Sandy Beach…

In my last post I suggested that no natural creation compares to the beach. Add to it human inventions such as beach blankets, frisbees, sun umbrellas, good books, bikinis, and beer and the beach becomes a sanctuary. It’s a place where one can remove themselves from the troubles of the world and forget about anything that may be pressing their mind. What also makes the beach phenomenal is that regardless of how much time you spend lounging around on the sand, never are you left feeling, ‘shit, why did I just waste an entire day?’ Indeed, I believe it to be impossible to waste a day on the beach.

Famous Haeundae Beach

From August 17 to the 20th, the beach and I were nearly inseparable. Our affair with each other was  only compromised when it was time to sleep, though that sort of happened on the beach, and when it was time to indulge in fiery cocktails served up at a local watering hole named the Fuzzy Navel. Oh what an affair we had together, but allow me to digress. The place was Busan (pronounced Pusan). Busan is the second largest city in Korea and one of the world’s most important ports. What makes it special though is its beach/night life. I stayed in a place called Haeundae-gu for four of the five days spent in Busan, which, just so happens to be home of the renowned Haeundae beach.

The daily itinerary ran something like this. 1) wake up at 10 and eat breakfast. 2) spend the day at the beach. 3) leave the beach for supper. 4) relax for a couple hours. 5) drink cocktails. 6) grab some beers and head back to the beach for some late night drinking with a few thousand others doing the same.  7) leave the beach in the wee hours of the night/morning and go back to the luxurious (possible overstatement) hotel. Then repeat steps 1-7 the next day. Sound boring? If so my friends, I challenge you to do the same. Just remember to have good company as this can make or break the experience.

Heaundea Beach 4am?

How strong was the pull I felt to Haeundae you ask? Well, leaving Busan became a quagmire and at times an insurmountable task. On a vacation that was suppose to end on Wednesday, I uncharacteristically faked sickness, called my school and told them I was unavailable for work on Thursday, which, not overly proud of, was something I did for Friday as well. Will the karma gods strike me down? Time will tell. Do I regret this? Not even in the slightest!

As I write this I am left to reflect back on what has been an incredible summer in Korea. The weather has been exceptional and I wish it would never end. But as usual the summer has this uncanny ability to pass by us in the blink of an eye. September, however, has had the ability to surprise me in the past and I am positive that more beautiful beach days are destined to occur. With that said, let me add this: if you have not made the beach a habit this summer then do yourself the favor of packing up what is needed and taking yourself there the next hot day, because, you know you will be ‘California Dreamin’ (amazing song by the Mama’s and Papa’s) when Old Man winter comes back upon us.

Until next time.