Besides being South Korea’s 2nd largest city and the world’s 5th largest port, Pusan is the most popular summer retreat among Korean and foreign residents alike. On the hot summer weekends the beach is non-existent; covered with 100,000s of blankets and bodies. A typical foreigner’s trip starts with drinks on Haeundae beach, then a migration to the bars above the beach as the sun goes down, and finally crashing in a ‘Love Motel’ after the sun comes up before going home. This past trip for me however, was a nice change of pace.
Pusan Tower, built after the Korean War less than 40 years ago, has a façade of antiquity and has seen better days. The park in which it is set, with statues and temples however, is a pleasant place to get a great view of the port city. The nearby hillside memorials to remember those, both Korean and Allied troops, who held the city against an advancing North Korea, also remains a place of tranquility and remembrance. 
No trip to one of the world’s busiest ports is complete without visiting a fish market. The Jagalchi fish market is not only the oldest in Korea but also the largest, housing fresh catches from squid to shark and giant clams to king crabs. If you can bear the overwhelming smell of fish guts and trudging through bloody water in flip flops, then one can surly find a low budget seafood meal fit for a king.Living for so long in South Korea, like anywhere else, you take many things for granted. After being a tour guide this past week for a friend from home, I was able to see parts of Pusan for the first time myself, beyond the beaches and cold beers. It truly is a magnificent city with a plethora of things to do and even more extravagant plans for the future.
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