Gunpla Expo and Gunpla Builders World Cup 2014, Seoul

I know what you're thinking. It's pretty obvious. "Wow, all of those Busan pics were great, but my favorites were the photos from the Gundam Base! I sure wish the next blog post would be about Gundams again!" Well well well... Today is your lucky day. The Gunpla Expo has rolled into town here in Seoul, heralding the start of this year's Gunpla Builders World Cup and calling forth the planet's greatest Gunpla builders to strut their stuff. On the third floor of the I-Park department store in Yongsan, Seoul, the Korean entries into the 2014 World Cup are on display to the public, and the level of talent present is impressive. While some of the models are less than stellar, most are amazing, with a few being truly remarkable.
Sadly, I did not have my camera handy when I visited the expo, so I had to make due with my phone. The pictures I took with my Galaxy S3 may not be as crisp and clean as those I snap with my Canon Powershot, but I have to say I'm not displeased with the results. Besides, the expo will be running for a few weeks yet, so if I really feel the need to go back and get better photos I have plenty of time.

Gundam Base, Busan

Thought I was done posting about Busan? Nope! I've got one more batch of photos to share, because what trip to Busan is complete without a stop at the local Gundam Base?

Although a little difficult to locate, the Busan Gundam Base is a lot nicer than the two in Seoul. It's better stocked, has more interesting props and themed decor, and it actually has Gundam-related music playing on the in-store stereo. While that last bit may not sound like much, it makes a huge difference when you consider the Gangnam Gundam Base is playing angry rap every time I enter. My running theory is that a clerk over there with an affinity for African American music hijacked the stereos and nobody except me has noticed the stream of English profanity flowing from the speakers.

Anyway! Enjoy the Gundams.

Busan: Haeundae Beach

So when I wrote about Gwangan Beach in my last post, I mentioned that despite it's claim to the Gwangan Bridge, it's not the most famous beach in Busan. That honor belongs to Haeundae, a relatively decent strip of surf and turf that would be amazing if it wasn't so crowded. The beach itself is very pleasant: clear waters, fine sand, and the canopy of tall buildings surrounding Haeundae makes for a unique backdrop to splashing in the ocean. But the density of people congregating along the shore is suffocating, giving you nowhere to go for a moment of solitary relaxation except under the waves. Which, actually, was fine by me, because it was hot out and I needed a swim.
In fairness, a big portion of the crowd that weekend could probably be attributed to the ongoing sand sculpture festival, which provided a great alternative to paddling in the water after I had gotten enough salt in my eyes. When I felt done with the beach in general, I wandered over to a nearby modest-sized fish market, giving me another chance to decline trying some of the most distressing looking seafood I've ever seen.

All in all, the whole Busan experience was a good one. I checked out the landmarks, I meandered aimlessly, I mingled with the locals, and by the end of my trip I felt like I had gotten a really good taste of what the city has to offer. If I get a chance, I'd like to go back someday. And honestly, working there would be a good change of pace if I ever decide I want to move away from Seoul but still want to stay in Korea.

Busan: Jagalchi Market and Gwangan Beach

Seeing as Busan is a port city, it makes sense that one of its numerous famous landmarks is a massive outdoor fish market. I'm not the biggest fan of seafood, but Busan's Jagalchi Market is a landmark, so I made sure to pay it a visit. Upon arriving I wandered up and down the crowded rows of vendors for awhile, gawking at the alien-looking sea creatures for sale and politely declining the invitations of dozens of fishmongers to try their wares. I definitely wanted to eat something at Jagalchi though, and just when I was beginning to think I'd have to suck it up and attempt to ingest a terror from the deep, I found a very welcoming booth selling traditional Korean potato and beef soup. Together with a bottle of soju, the soup was perfect: it certainly helped that the ajumma cooking the food would reach over and pour me another ladle-full whenever I neared the bottom of my bowl.

In the end, I never did sample any of the local aquatic delicacies. Did I miss out by not going out of my way to eat the most disturbing looking thing I could find? Some people might say yes... But I'm not one of them.

After Jagalchi I spent the rest of the day checking out the markets that didn't smell like fish; eventually I wound my way over to Gwangan Beach. While not Busan's most famous beach (we'll get to that in a future post), Gwangan Beach is notable for its spectacular view of Gwangan Bridge, a lengthy suspension bridge that lights up every night. I arrived at the beach just in time to enjoy that evening's light show, and I was relaxing with a friend and a beer when a peddler approached us and tried to interest us in her goods. My knee-jerk reaction was a quick no-thank-you; I had been refusing mongers all day and it was just natural to say no by this point. However, I did a double take when I realized she was selling fireworks. Can you imagine? Saying no to fireworks! So of course I changed my tone and bought some. Who doesn't want to shoot off some fireworks on the beach!

Busan: Yonggungsa

Been awhile since I posted, huh? Got a little distracted with life, but I'm still around, and I'm eager to finish sharing the pictures from my Busan trip. After all, I'm going to be taking a ton of photos when I go traveling in a few weeks, so it's probably a good idea to upload the rest of my pics now before my backlog gets out of control.

On the outskirts of Busan, situated serenely on a coastal cliff, is the seaside temple Yonggungsa. Typically Buddhist temples are built on or around mountains, so Yonggungsa's location is a big key to it's fame. See for yourself; my photos do Yonggungsa more justice than my words ever could!

Most of the photos are pretty self-explanatory, but in very last picture is a Buddha statue with a black belly. When you get to the end, I'll explain why that is. Meet you at the bottom!