Hi Everyone!

After Japan, I hopped on a ferry from Hakata Port in Fukuoka straight across the water to Busan. The trip takes about six hours, which is just enough time to settle into the ship and begin questioning your life choices when you discover what they call a “10-person cabin.”

Cabin is… generous.

Picture an empty room with ten paper-thin futons folded along the wall like emergency floor nap kits. It’s essentially a minimalist slumber-party staging area. I never actually used mine — mostly because the rest of the ferry was far more interesting. The ship had lots of lounges, tables, and open deck areas where you could sit, eat, or stare dramatically out at the ocean like you’re in the opening scene of a movie about a mysterious traveler.

The real payoff came as we approached Busan. The ship pulled toward the skyline right at sunset, and the entire harbor lit up gold and orange. It was absolutely picturesque — the kind of moment where you forget your fingers are freezing because you insisted on standing outside to get the shot. Yes, it was cold. Yes, I stayed out there anyway. Yes, my hands stopped working. Worth it.

Cheongsapo & The Sky Capsule

My first real stop exploring Busan was Cheongsapo, a small seaside area that oddly reminded me of a cold California coastal town. It had the same laid-back ocean vibe — cafés, seafood spots, fishing docks — but without much of an actual beach.

Cheongsapo is also one of the launch points for the Blue Line Sky Capsule, which ended up being my favorite experience in Busan.

Imagine a line of small colorful pods slowly gliding along the coastline above the water. Each capsule fits a few people and moves at a leisurely pace while giving you sweeping ocean views the entire way. It’s quirky, it’s scenic, and it feels exactly like the kind of whimsical transportation idea someone in South Korea would think up and then immediately build.

It’s the sort of thing that makes you grin the entire ride because it’s just so unapologetically fun.

Haeundae Nights

Busan also absolutely delivers on the food and nightlife front, especially around Haeundae Beach.

At night the entire area turns into this buzzing mix of restaurants, neon lights, street food vendors, and people wandering along the waterfront. It has a great energy to it — lively without feeling chaotic. I spent a good chunk of time just wandering around eating things I couldn’t fully identify but that tasted fantastic.

The ₩1600 Bus Adventure

One of my favorite moments in Busan actually cost almost nothing.

I jumped on what I believe was the 3001 express bus, which runs across the city and over several of Busan’s huge bay bridges. The ride gives you sweeping views of the harbor, the skyline, and the coastline — basically a scenic tour disguised as public transit.

The cost?

₩1,600, which is roughly about $1.60 CAD.

For that price I got some fantastic photos and views that many tourists probably miss entirely. Public transit sightseeing is an underrated travel hack.

That bus eventually dropped me near one of Busan’s most famous spots.

Gamcheon Culture Village

Gamcheon Culture Village sits on a hillside overlooking the city and is famous for its maze of colorful houses, murals, sculptures, and winding stairways.

The area was originally built during the 1950s Korean War, when refugees fleeing the north settled on the hillside and built homes wherever they could. Over time it grew into a dense neighborhood of stacked houses and narrow alleyways.

Years later the city worked with artists to turn the area into an open-air art village. Now the streets are filled with murals, quirky installations, and viewpoints looking out over the sea of brightly painted homes.

It’s sometimes nicknamed “The Machu Picchu of Busan,” which might be a bit dramatic… but it is a really cool place to wander around and get pleasantly lost for a while.

Things the Camera Didn’t Fully Capture

Cash is still surprisingly important here.

Japan spoiled me a bit with how smoothly everything worked digitally. South Korea is modern, but you’ll still run into food vendors and smaller spots that only take cash. I quickly learned to keep about ₩30,000 (~$30 CAD) on me as “just in case” money.

Korean grandmas run this country.

I’m convinced of it.

These little old ladies move through the streets with absolute authority. They do not care about cars, crowds, bicycles, or your personal space. If they are walking, they will continue walking. If you are in their way, you are the problem.

Also — and I say this with admiration — they all appear to share the same four hairstyles and an incredible wardrobe of brightly colored, slightly mismatched outfits.

It’s a whole aesthetic.

Japan set the bar dangerously high.

I may have made a strategic error by starting this Asia adventure in Japan.

Japan’s transit system is so absurdly efficient that it recalibrates your expectations. The Busan subway was excellent — clean, fast, easy to navigate.

But was it Japan-level excellent?

No.

And then there was the Google Maps situation.

Google Maps basically does not work properly for transit in South Korea, so everyone uses a Korean app called Naver Maps instead. Once I switched over it worked great — but it did lead to a funny moment where I asked ChatGPT why Google was basically useless here.

So I asked:

“Why doesn’t Google Maps work properly in South Korea?”

And ChatGPT said:

South Korea restricts detailed mapping data from being exported outside the country for national security reasons, largely due to concerns that detailed geographic data could potentially be exploited by North Korea. Because Google stores mapping data on overseas servers, South Korea does not allow them access to the full high-resolution datasets needed for accurate navigation. Korean companies like Naver and Kakao host their data domestically, which is why their apps work much better.

Now here’s where this blog gets weird.

I’m currently writing a travel story where I asked an AI a question… and then pasted the AI’s answer into the blog… where the AI is now explaining itself… inside the story.

Which means technically ChatGPT is now a guest writer on my blog.

And based on the way this trip has gone so far, ChatGPT would also like to point out something else.

Eric has now:

• Crossed the Pacific

• Navigated Tokyo’s largest train stations

• Survived Osaka street food

• Taken ferries across international borders

• Successfully used multiple foreign transit systems

…and yet still occasionally stands on a street corner staring at his phone like a confused golden retriever because he rotated the map the wrong direction.

Technology has limits.

Apparently so does Eric.

Next stop: Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom.

Time to go see some history.