This weekend, like most others, was filled with fun, excitement and epic adventures! The weekend started out slow, so slow in fact that I could notice the dust settling around my desk. This I suppose, is what happens when you are forced to work on a Saturday when the sun is shining, the birds are chirping and your friends are living life to its fullest at a nearby beach and theme park. As soon as 4 o'clock hit Danielle and I were out the door and on our way to meet up with the gang. We found them a few hours later wandering around the beach, starving and wanting to eat. So we find this interesting little thatched roof BBQ place whose only means of structural support was the 4 trees it was balancing on top of. We ate to our hearts content, drank a bit of soju, and enjoyed the local flavour. We were enjoying it So much so that by the end of the meal Adam had exchanged his phone number with the family sitting next to us. After a delicious meal amongst friends it was time to pay up, it was something to the tune 10,000 won a person, so somewhere in the neighbourhood of $10 CAD. We left the restaurant and proceeded to the beach where we indulged in a few drinks and some Korean fireworks. After a little while we decided it was time for another round at a local bar. This place was incredibly fancy and had deliciously spicy chicken tenders and giant pitchers of beer, all of which facilitated deep philosophical debate through which East-West socio-political discourse was discussed. After this incredibly intense discussion we decided some fun was in order, so we went back to the amusement park. This park had some of the fastest, wildest and most dangerous bumper cars in existence, giant race-able panda bears, a swinging ship, batting cages, trampolines and some crazy spinning thing that does not have seat belts or restraints and whose sole purpose for existing is to try and hurt you. We stayed in this park for a number of hours, trying all sorts of different rides and modifying them in a way that would increase the relative level of fun had. After this park it was time for shrimp burgers and mozzarella sticks at the local Lotteria, and I have to commend them on their mozzarella sticks. Not only were the portions greater, but the quality was better and the price was lower than Arby's. Well done Lotteria. After this midnight snack some of our commrads went home while the remainder of us went to a local foreigner bar to play darts and watch football. By the end of the night, Alex, Sam and I were wandering around downtown Busan trying to find our way home through deserted streets and fish markets that had long since closed up shop. The next morning the gang reassembled for a day of adventure. The girls went shopping and the boys climbed a mountain. Which seems more epic to you? We started out at the foot of a mountain near Adam's apartment and climbed for several hours until we reached two summits, all with the intent of finding a temple hidden away from civilization in the mountains. We spent most of our day ascending, descending and enjoying the hike while the girls found bargain deals on clothes and footwear back in civilization. Whilst on our journey we encountered several of the locals living in the hills who farm vegetables and herbs on their tiny farms which they than bring into town and sell on the streets. We also encountered a fresh water spring and outdoors mountaineer exercise centre. On occasion we even stumbled upon ancient grave sites whose inscriptions were written in Chinese calligraphy. Unfortunately we did not find any temples and thus no ancient wisdom was bestowed upon us during this trek. There is always next week and if we still are unable to find a temple it may be time to upgrade to mountain bikes.

I hope my adventures this past weekend have helped paint a vivid image of the landscape and social life within Busan for you. But if that is not enough, than please check out my galleries on picasa. As well, there is a link to picasa located to the right, underneath my profile picture.

Slante!