Busan - Same, Same, but different

Setting off to a different world 🚶‍♂️

I suspect that there is a bear sleeping above me. At least, the sounds from the cabin above suggest so. I wasn't sure, but eventually I realized: only men in this bear cave. What woman would voluntarily put up with this? 😅
During the night, I hear faint sounds of the city entering my cabin. Probably from ventilation ducts. It sounds like the bird chirping of the traffic lights.

I am heading to the port. It's only a half-hour walk from the hotel, and I decide to go on foot, taking one last stroll through Japan. When I arrive at the port, I am amazed. I will be traveling on the large trimaran, the 'Queen Beetle'.

I check in and board the ship. As I enter the business class, I am pleasantly surprised. The stewardess hands me slippers and a bag with a sleep mask and shows me the way. I like the decor up here; I booked a seat at the front right. Instead of paying ~70 €, I only paid ~100 €. I consider this a fair price for a comfortable four-hour cruise. Given the choice, I would definitely prefer the ferry over an airplane. I take my seat and enjoy the gentle and soothing sway. Along with the sleep mask and slippers, it invites me to sleep. After a rough night, it's a really good idea.

A cozy boat trip ⛴

Shortly after departure, I am awakened by a stewardess. She hands me Japanese sweets. Well, why not. Before I can finish eating them, I already hear the soundtrack of my Asia tour starting again. Somehow, I envy the people who can fall asleep so deliberately. If I could do that, I wouldn't have to listen to their snoring. This time it sounds like the Tenet soundtrack when the antagonist can't breathe. I think. For the last leg of my journey, Singapore, I don't have a private room because Singapore is definitely expensive. But I can still cancel for free and look for something else...

Taking the bus in Busan 🚌

I leave the port building and I am overwhelmed by the sight that awaits me. So this is what a city with 3.5 million inhabitants looks like. Covered with skyscraper bunkers.
It's loud, no comparison to Japan. This won't be the last difference that I notice here. I navigate my way to the bus stop.

What I notice is that Google Maps is only of limited help here. I have to use at least two apps for navigation, KakaoMap and Google Maps. Google Maps is only useful for public transportation; auto, bicycle, or pedestrian doesn't work here. Map data can only be stored in Korea for security reasons, which doesn't work with Google. That's where KakaoMap comes in. On the other hand, they seem to only have a preview version, I'm not automatically directed, and I have to constantly check where I am. But I can see the locations of the buses almost in real-time. Not bad.

I arrive at the bus stop, and the frequency here is typical for an Asian metropolis. My bus will come every eight to twelve minutes. No need for a bus schedule. It would be useless anyway because the express bus lives up to its name. It zooms through the city like a street Shinkansen, coming close enough to the countless cars to make me double check if nothing happened. On this ride alone, I hear more honking than in the 20 days in Japan before. It doesn't stay longer than necessary.

The rule applies here too: tap the card when boarding, tap the card again when getting off. It's also advisable because using cash costs more. And yet, it seems to work a little differently than in Japan. Basically, you pay a fixed fee when boarding, which varies only based on the type of bus.
So, I tap my card on the reader, but it doesn't work. 'Okay.', I think to myself. I read about this, just tap it again. And then a third time. It doesn't work. I take one step down to the driver. He is busy. Shortly after, he waves me back irritably. Alright, then I'll save the ridiculously cheap 1.17 € for a 45-minute bus ride. I realize that my lucky charm in the card slot in front of the card prevented it from being read.

Finally arriving 🏠

I check in at the reception. And I am greeted with a new concept. Reception desks of different hotels are scattered throughout the ground floor. I am assigned to the sixth floor out of thirty and pass by apartment doors of other providers along the way.

I don't have much time. I still have to work for eight hours and find a coin locker. And find a minimart. The latter is not a problem. As I step out of the elevator, I find a GS 25 just 20 meters to my left. I enter it and look around. At the checkout, I somehow manage. When leaving, I stop. I dig out the vocabulary for saying goodbye. I say it, wave at the same time, make a questioning face. It turns into a ping-pong, where we both wave at each other with a smile and practice saying goodbye. She is visibly delighted, and we both have fun. I like her, she is nice to me. The mood carries me through the rest of the work evening until I close my laptop at midnight.