.The wind and rain chilled us to the bones but Sunmi and I
had a great time on the edge of Pusan.
Taejondae was one of the first three Korean sites to be
designated as an official tourist attraction in 1969 by the
Korean National Tourism Office. Located on the southern tip of
Pusan, the Cliffs of Taejon provide a spectacular view and fresh
air for weary souls.
Yesterday, Sunmi and I took two buses and a subway to the
gates of Taejon, bought tickets and took a tour train up to the
top. The new air was a welcome relief from the exhaust of
crowded streets and the evergreens surrounding the cliffs
reminded me of spring.
We then walked down a long series of hand carved steps to
reach our destination at Taejondae. Several youngsters amused
themselves by daring each other to stand as close to the edge as
possible but Sunmi and I were content to have a seat in the
middle and watch the seagulls land and embark. We kindly
approached another viewer to take a picture of us with a tiny
island in the background and then we sat down to enjoy some
boiled potatoes and chocolate cake that we had packed.
"Oh no", I said biting into a potato.
Sunmi looked at me, "What?"
"Rain", I responded while putting on my jacket.
"Then let's go. We can come back another time", Sunmi stated.
My face turned stubborn, "No way! We have been trying to find
time to come here for six months and now that we are finally
here, we are not going to stay for only 10 minutes", I
exclaimed. "Let's get shelter until it lets up."
Sunmi glanced at a small tour boat sailing along the cliff.
"Why don't we get on that boat. We can get out of the rain
and still enjoy the view."
"Good idea", I said grabbing my bag. "Let's go!"
We dashed to the pier and gave a man in a little shanty
10,000 Won for two tickets. A tall Korean man in a big straw hat
helped us board the Eunnasoo 3.
"Annyonghaseyoo", the man yelled as Summi and I boarded the
boat!
As the boat departed, we heard a song by Celine Dionne over
the loud speaker and then relaxed with serenades of traditional
Korean music. Sailing pass Taejondae, we noticed several people
fishing in the rain.
"How did they get down there?" Sunmi asked me. "There are no
paths there."
I just shook my head in response.
The rain and wind gathered momentum as the boat rocked among
the waves. We passed two naval ships, two oil tankers, several
fishing boats and another tour boat with many Korean women
waving and shouting at us. We docked on the other side of the
cliff and watched divers bobbing up and down near the shore.
While we were waiting for the boat to leave, I noticed three
men leave shore in a small outboard.
"Look", I shouted. "They must really like the sea to go out
in this storm."
"They don't seem to care", Sunmi reported. "They probably
know the weather better than meteorologists because of years on
the seas."
Just as the rain stopped, the boat took off and the music
started again. From our new angle, we saw the waves beat against
some huge rocks along the shore. Some of the waves were high and
some were low.
"This is romantic", Sunmi said as I put my arm around her.
The boat landed and the same man in the straw hat helped us
off. Just then, it begin to pour once more. Sunmi and I tackled
the long windy stairs as fast as we could but my breaths quickly
became short.
"There is no way we be able to get back to the gates without
getting soaked", I yelled leaning onto the guard rail! "Let's go
in that little coffee shop!"
Although it was a little leaky, that little coffee shop
hugging the edge of the cliff offered an excellent view.
"Kopi, deugei cheusei yo", Sunmi said and within two minutes,
we had two tiny paper cups half full of the hottest and thickest
coffee that I have ever had in my life.
"That feels warm", I said taking a sip.
Through the small windows, we watched the Eunasoo 3 take
other passengers around the cliff despite the storm. What a life
that must be to keep going regardless of the weather.
"Ul mae yo?" I asked the clerk.
The response was 1600 Won.
"Wow" I said to Sunmi as we left the shop. "At least one
dollar for half a cup of coffee, I can see how they have managed
to stay in business."
Half an hour later, we arrived back at the gates and headed
for the closest bus stop.
"That was great", I said. "Let's go again on the next rainy
day."
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