S. Korea p.2 Ilsan Beach

I sleep like 12 hours and take a shower. Justin gets on his lunch break and we walk around. It smells really gross and fishy by the water. We end up eating at a Indian food buffet. Great stuff. Server hooked it up with some pink milk looking drinks? I imagine the red Hershey sauce with milk. It's probably more complex than that.

After Justin goes back to teach S. Korea's leaders of tomorrow English, I get on the 106 bus to Ilsan Beach. I would've taken the 108 that arrived ten minutes before the 106, but I didn't flag it down properly (I didn't move at all).

 I've seen ZERO graffiti or sticker game that isn't advertising. Hoping Seoul is different.

Tons of students got on the bus before my stop. One girl had a Supreme sweater so I think she must be very cool. We get to a more downtown/city looking area. Not sure if I got off at the right stop. A few blocks and I'm at the beach.

 Skipping stones didn't work that great.

Not many people there. People with a kite, people with dogs, and people skipping stones. Most successful in a decreasing fashion. About half way down the beach, I see this pyramid type structure. I asked Justin about it and he's never seen it open and says that older guys like to drink in front of it.

At the end of the beach there are plenty of coffee houses (Moby Dick Coffee was my favorite. What's up, Melville?). There are also a lot of stairs that some group of teenagers were running up and down shouting. I try to stay out of their way and ascend the stairs to a forest peninsula park thing.

 Took this on my way down after those athletic fools left.

Every person stares at me. I smile, but reactions are mixed. Half the time I can't see the reaction because most people wear visors that cover their face or the P.L.U.R. life surgeon masks. Justin says they do this "because of China's pollution." Never mind all the chemical and paint factories in Ulsan.

I get to the farthest point and the view is great. It was picturesque for the most part but when I went to take a picture of it, I caught myself trying to get the massive Hyundai cranes out of the shot. I press on.

You so pretty, Ilsan.

More steps. I'm writing this two days after the fact and I know that it seemed like a lot of steps, but I have seen even more steps. Then I see people utilizing one of the many exercise parks for the first time. Also exercising with face masks on.

This one you just swing back and forth. I might do a special report on this when I get home.

The homie.

One older couple is kind enough to show me how to use some of the machines. After realizing our hula hoops are too big, we exchange them for smaller ones. I get bored of this and try one where you are fully inverted. It's a bit tricky taking a picture, but I manage to not fall in the process.

Looks like a torture device, right?

 No obstacle too demanding.

On top of all this there are speakers everywhere pumping like soft rock or more traditional Korean sounding music throughout the park. A little strange but I forgot my headphones anyways.

Jazzercise?

I walk around until I get to a parking lot the opposite end from where I entered. I hear something that sounds like compressed air shot through a gun. I get closer and I see a family blowing dust and whatever else they're worried about off of their clothes with these air guns. I wait my turn to try it out.

She really enjoyed this and her parents had to make her stop.

Really curious about the viability of this.

 I couldn't help it.

I go back down the stairs and get some coffee. Head back to bus stop. Get on right bus in wrong direction. The stop where I finally get off is some big sports complex. I hop a fence to take a picture.

A little dark but you get the idea.

After getting on the right bus in the correct direction I pass Justin's stop. I ride to the end of the line and look confused when the bus driver kicks me off. I tell him where I want to go and it's only like 7 blocks but it's starting to rain. I buy some crappy beer and these (what I believe to be the Kangaroo Dunks of Korea) snacks and start mobbing.

Boom.

When I get back, I'm just in time before Justin's last and oldest (15 and 16 international age). I go into the class and chat with them for a bit. They are weird and it is endearing.

For dinner we do a Korean BBQ. Phone was dead; thus no pictures. For now.