Gamcheon Culture Village

Gamcheon Culture Village, often referred to as the "Santorini of Korea", was certainly not a disappointment. I have slowly started curating a list of places to visit in Korea, both near and far from me. Gamcheon was top of this list. From the pastel colored houses to the rich history, I couldn't wait to explore.

Gamcheon Culture Village

After taking a VERY rocky bus ride up to the village (think literally any bus ride with Ms. Frizzle) where I made it mostly in one piece, I was met with the absolutely stunning scenery of a mountainside community. I was then almost immediately hit on by a Swiss man after he took a picture of me and my friend (don't worry, I had no desire to meet the man for dinner), we both then proceeded to hightail it out of that situation.

Me with my not-so-Swiss boyfriend

The entrance of the village opens up with a variety of souvenir shops where I bought the cutest socks that say Busan on them as well as a pair with flowers on them. I also just had to visit the itty bitty museum detailing the historic past of this village; I do LOVE a good museum. I have to admit, there is something...special about reading an explanation for what a beeper was and what an iron was used for. Keep in mind this iron had a CORD attached to it, not an old cast iron one heated by the fire. I didn't think I was THAT old, but now I'm starting to reconsider. Anyways, I digress. The village was first constructed in the 1920s, but grew heavily in numbers immediately following the end of the Korean War due to the refugees. Over time, the village has fluctuated in numbers, and in 2009, a community art project was started where all the houses and buildings were painted in bright colors. The environment was greatly inviting, and there was a prominent theme of the Little Prince; yes, like from the book.

Me with my new beau, the Little Prince

I enjoyed tasty kimbap, spicy tteokbokki, crunchy potatoes, sticky japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), and crispy dumplings for lunch. I will never tire of eating Korean food, especially when there are so many options and varieties available! I joke that I will easily gain 5 pounds while I am here.

After lunch, we spent more time simply meandering the streets of the village, pausing to take dozens of photos as well as stroll through all the shops. I bought a beautiful post card (I try and collect one from every place I visit), and absolutely fell in love with a set of paper shoes. I promised myself I would buy them once I actually get paid, so I look forward to the next time I'm at the village! We may have gotten a tiny bit lost at the very end of our journey, but a quick 5 minute walk had us back to where we needed to be in no time. When in doubt, just look for foreigners.

I cannot wait for my next adventure. Seeing as how Chuseok, Korea's version of Thanksgiving, is in a few days, I have plans to travel around more of Busan. Wish me luck as I venture out on my own for the first time (eek!).