Unbelievable Ulsan

National Geographic-this one's for you. 

We've been living in Busan, South Korea for three months now. That's three months in the same city, with no car and no prior knowledge of where things are or how to get to them. Learning to get around is only fun after you've figured it out the first time. Sometimes, getting temporarily lost is rewarding, yet rather consuming. Travel is more time-efficient the second, third, or twentieth time. My husband and I decided that with an upcoming 3-day weekend, we'd earned a little vacation. When you work at a Korean academy, it's best to take advantage of EVERY holiday and/or vacation day, because they don't come around too often. So, we reserved a room at a snazzy hotel, bought a couple of bus tickets, and rode the hour-long drive to a city northwest of Busan: Ulsan.

Our journey was actually simple: We walked to our nearest subway station (Gwangali) rode the train six stops away to Haeundae, then made the brief trek to the bus station. At this place, purchasing the tickets was slightly hairy, because English information is so limited. However, I will say that travel by bus is hassle free-no security checks or baggage claim to fuss over. Not to mention the enjoyable window-seat views!

Although Ulsan is another large Korean city, we were able to find a beautiful park by the sea. Named Daewangam Park, this area juts out into the sea, allowing magnificent views from golden colored, craggy cliffs. The sound of the waves crashing, flowing, and churning against the expansive rock was completely captivating. There's no more need for words-the pictures will tell the rest.

UNexpected! That should say "unexpected." Sometimes, I hate touchscreen!

Go ahead and laugh at my casual hiking clothes and ponytail. I dare you! It's not every day you get to sit on a cat bench. Can you see the stone felines adorning each side?

I love lighthouses. Naturally, I found these and took their picture.

High winds made this bridge walk an exciting one. The cliff to the right boasts a family of cats (yes, real cats, seriously) and a narrow tunnel where the water would intermittently bathe tourists in a cool, salty spray. When a wave funnels through the ravine and crashes upon the rock, water particles and sunlight create a beautiful rainbow.

A mighty Dragon resides at the park entrance. His eyes kept changing colors....I promise! It's true! Pepper was skeptical, but I saw his eyes change. Seriously. Really! Honestly. I'm not crazy.....

All showered up and ready to see The Martian! What an amazing movie.

One of the park trails led to this jewel of a scene.

One just doesn't see images like this every day.

We stumbled upon a rather stoic sea captain. Pepper says, "What's with this guy??"

City view from our 10th floor window. This city wasn't quite as lit up and flashy as Busan, but it did seem quieter.