Pohang - Day 1

A child fighting the senseless education of his mother, noisily complaining, causing a single ruckus; a woman's voice in mono sound, blindly shooting out of a handheld television set two rows down; a middle-aged couple munching and slurping their lunch boxes right behind me, the piercing sound of mannerless chewing, paired with the necessary ignorance. 

I could easily freak out, but i don't. I look to my right and find a beautiful girl resting her sleepy head on my shoulder. Instantly i forget about all those things. They're still there, but they're not. Omnipresent in the miniature environment of this train compartment, they don't matter. I won't let them ruin my vacation. No. I'm in a good mood, because I feel like I'm the luckiest man alive.

After about three hours we pass Daegu and can't fight the hunger any longer. Different to the Ktx, the Saemaeul trains have no on board walking-through-the-aisle snack service. Instead, they have a whole wagon named Cafe Station, equipped with a small kiosk, a couple of arcade games, an internet station and a miniature karaoke booth. I was quite surprised when we went to get some coffee and sandwiches. 

Two hours later we arrive in Pohang, a small naval city in the south-east of the country. Why did we choose to come here? No particular reason, but the fact that Sumin and I both have never been here before. We get off the train and drink the fresh air like divers who had been under water for too long. At the information desk outside of the station we ask for the way to the Jukdo Market. 

We get the directions and keep them in mind while we drift off track every time we see an interesting alleyway. Camera in hand we make our way to the market like tourists in a museum. That's the part I like most about traveling. There are painted pictures on every corner, hidden in the camouflage of the streets. We're eager visitors at an unknown urban exhibition.

In the midst of countless stores and vendors, run by people who have spent the majority of their lives in the maze of this market, we find a restaurant as ancient as the sea. At least that's the impression that it gives. After a defty snack, Sumin and I go on exploring. We take the express bus number 200 and stay on it for as far as it goes: the port of Guryong.