As a British born South Korean who has grown up in a conservative town hidden amongst the fields and forrests of England, the only connection I have really had with South Korea is through my family. So it is always refreshing and enlightening for me to travel there every few years or so, hoping that I can get another glimpse of a culture that has developed a resilience and a commitment to self-improvement despite the countless invasions and attempted colonisations from neighbouring countries over the centuries.
The photos here were all taken within the city of Busan where my parents were born.
Here are just a few of the photos from a recent trip there.
I loved the fact that instead of cutting down the trees, buildings were designed to work around them, integrating them into the design and even providing them with more space to grow!
These preying mantis would pop up just about everywhere in Busan. If anyone knows the name of this specific mantis please let me know! Would be much appreciated!
Away from the skyscrapers and congested city centre of Busan you can find some quiet back alley roads, which I much prefer and I think show the country in its orginal state.
As Busan is a port city the sea is never too far. With some beautiful cliff faces and friendly locals its difficult not to get drawn to this place.
Unfortunately my cousin didn't make it after this photo (just joking).
We came across some beautiful rock faces where you can see each layer deposit, a timeline in the cliff.
The next day it was time to go up the top of the mountain just on the outskirts of the city via the gondola lift, which offer priceless panoramic views of the city.
In the mountains, there are countless trails where you can find carvings in the rocks and small temples.
Nearer towards the end of our trip our uncle took us to see the Lotte Giants, the Busan baseball team.
The Lotte Giants ended up losing that match....... Buuuuut the match ball came our way! I fell on the floor to claim it and gave it to my little cousin. And yes you saw correctly, there's a boy in the background with a bag tied on his head. This is custom as a Lotte Giant fan...
And ofcourse a trip to Korea woudn't be complete without a Korean barbecue with pork belly. I can still remember the smell...
Really appreciate all of you who have taken time to look and read through this post.
Follow for more on future trips.
Namaste.