[HiKorea Hostel(Guesthouse) in Haeundae, Busan] Please, Stay the Same, ‘Eulsukdo!’_1

1. The Water of Busan, the ‘Nakdong River’

Eulsukdo is an island located in the mouth of Nakdong River, at Hadan-dong, Saha-gu. You can come out of exit no.1 of the Hadan station and take the 58-2 bus and get off at Eulsukdo station.

Maybe it was last autumn. The weather was so nice that I took my bicycle out for a ride, and that was the first time I visited Eulsukdo. The first feeling was that, it seemed like a ‘gigantic playground’ for Saha-gu district inhabitants. It was interesting that all kinds of things were all gathered there starting from the cultural center where performances and events are held, to outdoor stage, soccer field and an exclusive theater for cars. If I lived in Saha-gu I would have visited here every now and then. The street vendors that sell snacks such as cotton candy and hotdogs were affectionate, and I could see a few rides for children. Especially I was glad to see the trampoline which people call the ‘pong-pong’ in Busan, because it is hard to see it these days. It’s a pretty embarrassing story, but last year, I asked the owner for permission and went on for a ride. I think I’m still a little bit young, because when I see those things, I just can’t pass by. The owner said many adults take a ride also, but actually I was afraid that little children would get hurt. Of course, after bouncing once to the sky I never wanted to come down again, so I ran about sweating like crazy and had much more fun than children there. That was after I had been riding the bicycle being lost in the scenery of Eulsukdo, so I remember my strength being below zero at that point. Well this year I decided to head to a place I haven’t been to last year, without a bike. Last year I appreciated the scenery by riding a bike with fresh breeze from the river passing by, and it’s a pity that I don’t have any photo of that time. The scenery riding a bike with the breeze passing next to you is like a scene from a movie. Writing this, the memories come up again and my body itches wanting to go there again. I had better go there again to ride my bike.

Oh, a tip for renting a bicycle! For children’s bicycles you have to use the charged bicycle rental center, but for adults’ bicycles you can use the Saha-gu bicycle rental center for free. The center is just besides the charged bicycle rental center, so if you are not looking for a couple bike or a bike with a pretty design, you can leave your identification card here and rent it for 2~3 hours, for free. It’s quite depressing to rent a bike paying for the rental fee, not knowing about the free one.

 Today I decided not to take a bike, and decided to look over the facilities that I haven’t seen last year. The first thing that shows is the ‘cross-country cycle routes of the four major rivers’ directional sign. There is information on the cycle routes of the four major rivers and at the same time, it says that this part is one of the cycle routes. You can get a stamp for authentication at a place like a telephone booth nearby. I heard that you can ride along the four major rivers of this country with a bike, and I think this is it. This is one of the ‘Galmaetgil’ that I have mentioned a few times above. The Galmaetgil is the good road for walking that the city of Busan has designated. There are various trails in Eulsukdo, and to my opinion, I think it’s better to take a bike since it is quite large. Actually there are many people who enjoy ‘riding.’ The mood of the scenery is quite romantic so it is very nice as a date course for couples.

 Climbing up the stairs of the Nakdong River Integrated Water Management Center building and looking at the scenery of the mouth of the Nakdong River, feeling the breeze with my face and hair, I went on to the Nakdong Culture Center on the opposite side. The Nakdong Culture Center is an exhibition facility made for children so that they can have an easy understanding on the Nakdong River. They give multi-purpose spaces such as meeting rooms for rent to local residents and regular citizens. Undoubtedly, my mental was so young that I didn’t feel time flying by while taking a look and experiencing many things. The exhibits that help us understand about the four-river project are so brilliant that they steal our sights. The four-river project is much-troubled, but the art works and exhibits, playing facilities that children could experience variously were enough for children to enjoy. The rest zones are well facilitated so it’s nice to take a break.

 Coming out of the building and walking out a little, you can see a well made soccer field. They give rent to organizations that need it with charge. If you pass the soccer field a little there is the Eulsukdo Sculpture Park, and behind there is the culture center. To the opposite of the exhibits of the sculpture park is the little outdoor stage. There are various performances at the culture center, so I think it will be nice to come here after setting a date for a performance. (Website, http://www.eulsukdo.saha.go.kr)

Other than that, at the Mouth of the Nakdong River Eco Center, the types of migratory birds that come to Eulsukdo are displayed and introduced. Eulsukdo itself is quite large, so it feels that the facilities are also set apart extensively. If you take time and look around every inch with a feeling of riding or walking, then there will be plenty of spectacles and things to enjoy. Especially children will like it so much!

For your information, the eco-park wasn’t opened 100% when I went there last time, but it is said that it has been opened all the way at this point I am writing this (30 March, 2013). Today there will be a walkathon in commemoration of the opening.