So this must be how people who don’t speak Japanese feel like when they’re in Japan. I’m currently writing this from the Toyoko Inn in Haeundae-gu, Busan, Korea. I have no idea what people are saying. I have no idea how much this money is worth. I have no idea what areas are safe and what areas aren’t.

Ah well, I was told there’s no manners in Korea (I have noticed there’s no such thing as lines or order and just to get out of the way of the little old ladies at the airport) so I should be OK.

Today was mainly a travel day and my sister’s cost-savings idea took us several hours to get to the airport. Not a big deal, really, since we had nothing better to do and it was POURING RAIN outside. Fortunately I think only a couple of things in my suitcase got wet and I had to throw out a nice paper bag but that’s about the only disaster.  We started out the day at Tully’s coffee with a breakfast set.

Not many pictures from the travels because it was POURING and since there’s all sorts of restrictions about taking pictures at the airports in certain areas. We did make it to Busan and my sister’s cost-savings deal on this end meant we took a two-hour bus ride from the airport to our hotel. We met my sister’s friend Sally for dinner. She’s from the US but her husband is a bigwig in the Busan textile industry now and she lives here.

She took us to a pork barbecue. They put coals in that hole and then pull the vent down fairly close to the grill.

The first course is the soup which comes out still boiling. Everything on the vegetable plate goes onto the grill and there’s unlimited salad.

Here we go with the pork.

They’re big on Japanese beers here, but I decided to try something local. I’d never heard of Cass, so I had it instead of Hite.

Dinner was spectacular.

Afterwards we went back to the hotel and got some ice cream at the Seven-Eleven, a Haagen Dazs Crispy Sandwich green tea. It was tasty.

The Toyoko-Inn here doesn’t have all the amenities of the Japanese Toyoko Inns. No free razor. No ladies set that my sister is used to (some hand and face lotions). But they did give us two little bars of soap. Sally told us that could just be a Korean thing where you get little free trinkets. It’s all part of the adventure of Korea!

Tomorrow I guess I’m going to wait for my sister to finish running and then watch her and her friends shop. At least that’s what I think is happening. I’m just along for the ride.