An Epic Avalonian Adventure: Haeundae Beach and of course, a Lost Wallet

I lost my wallet. Not the best way to start a relaxing vacation. Shortly after getting out of the taxi, which we didn’t even take anywhere, I realized I had lost my wallet. Not the best start to a vacation ever. I called the Korean Police which didn’t do me much good. Next, I called the Busan helpline, a little better. She at least offered to call the taxi companies and see if any of the taxi drivers had found a wallet. The woman also directed me to the closest police station, which luckily was right by the Tourist Information Center.

I walked in and met ‘Sam.’ He took me over to the police station and helped me file a report. The worst part, at least for me, wasn’t the fact that I lost my wallet, which has no sentimental value, it was the money inside and the fact that there was no way for me to access money. Plus, all the headaches that come in the future with cancelling cards, getting a new Alien Registration Card, etc. So, we are going back and forth with the police through Sam for about an hour. They call the taxi companies as well and tell Sam to tell me there is nothing else they can do for the time being. Luckily, I realized I had my bankbook, a strange contraption in Korea that afforded me the opportunity, if I could find a KEB, to at least withdraw money. I’ll admit, this isn’t my first time losing a wallet.

So, as we are saying our goodbyes and now asking Sam to help us find a place to stay for the evening, I get a call on my phone from an unknown number. It’s a woman from KEB bank. A man named Casper has found my wallet, called the bank, and in turn the bank has called me. However, he’s headed to Seoul so I need to contact him quickly. I call Casper, expecting him to be Korean and having to turn the phone over to Sam. Nope, he’s a foreigner, actually headed close to where I am. After another half an hour or so I have my wallet, with all the cash. Thank you Casper. I hope Karma comes back double for you! Needless to say, I was a bit frazzled but happy to have my wallet back.

We didn’t do a whole lot the rest of the day. We found a hotel, got some food, and relaxed. For the next two days, we went to a temple in the morning, beach in the afternoon, and then something in the evening. Here are a few pictures from the beach we went to – Haeundae Beach. Haeundae is supposedly the most popular beach in Korea and let me tell you, it was packed!

(You could rent a tube and an umbrella for 10,000 won a day, about 10 dollars. So I did. This is me, headed into the ocean with my tube.)

(This is me in the ocean, in my tube. Notice the boat in the background. They had red buoys out about 30 feet and you couldn't go past them. The police manned jet skis and boats, like the one in the back, made sure nobody went past the red markers.)

(Burger King on the beach... what more needs to be said?)

(This is just to give you an idea of how crowded it was and how many people can fit into such a small space.)

(Katrina looks gorgeous as always, tanning in the sun. Imagine the picture about, now with all the different colored umbrellas you see spanning the entire length of the beach...)

(Korean Style - not sure if it's because of the sun or good old fashioned moral values, but several Koreans tend to wear full length shirts into the water, if not a t-shirt. Also, we saw one guy wear his jeans in the water.)

(Again, notice the number of people)

(This also tended to be a popular trend. People would cover themselves in sand fully clothed. Perhaps it is cooler or again to keep the sun off of your body. I just like this old lady's style!)

(If you are facing Haeundae Beach and walk down as far as you can to the right, you'll see a little walkway. Our first night, after hanging on the beach for a bit, we decided to take this little hike.)