Cherry Blossom Explosion

Spring is finally here! I feel like it's been winter for months! I do love winter, but it's definitely time for warmer weather and the earth to come alive. Spring in Busan is amazing. The streets and neighborhoods are filled with cherry blossom trees. They are everywhere and really hard to miss. They definitely make the city more beautiful and instantly put me in a good mood.

Recently, I had a Friday off from work and met with one of my dearest Korean friends, Sat Byeol. We meet once a month and it's always a great time. She always researches the best restaurants and cafes beforehand and we always end up at some great places. For this meeting, she wanted to take me to one of the best places to see cherry blossoms in Busan. 

Twinsies

Beef Pho

Fried Spring Roll

For lunch, she found a Vietnamese restaurant in Gwangalli. Markus and I have had Vietnamese food in Korea and it's always been sub par. It's nothing like it is back home and it's one of the comfort foods I miss the most. This restaurant wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. It's probably the closest taste wise, but it's still lacking a lot. They don't give bean sprouts on the side and already put them in before the bowl has reached the table. The broth tastes really good, but it's kind of a one note dish. There wasn't any hoisin to dip my meat in and that's one of my favorite things about pho. The spring rolls were delicious, but it's really hard to mess up a fried spring roll. Although, it was nothing like a Vietnamese spring roll. It was a weird Korean facsimile, but it was still really tasty. 

Gwangalli Beach

Before we saw the cherry blossoms, we walked along the beach. It was such a beautiful day. The sky was absolutely clear. It wasn't too hot or too cold, the weather was just right. It was a perfect spring day. When we walked closer to the the sea, we saw an ahjumma (older lady) out in the ocean trying to catch fish or picking seaweed. We really couldn't tell, she was sort of wading for most of the time. We stood and watched her for a little bit, soaking in the sun and enjoying the day. 

When we finally made it to the street lined with cherry blossoms, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was so beautiful and there were so many flowers! This street is one of the more popular spots in Busan and it was packed full of cars, couples and families. It was hard getting a photo without a barricade, car or person. Last year, Markus and I went to another residential street, but it was a lot more spread out. This street is like a cocoon of cherry blossoms. It was much more magical and I loved it. For a perfect ending to a perfect spring day, Sat Byeol took me to Beans Bins for coffee and a waffle.

Around the Town | London, England | 5 of 6

On our final day in London, we walked around the city to catch all the places we missed. I'm pretty sure that we won't be in England for a very long time. I do love England, it's one of my favorite countries, but there is so much of the world to see! I promised myself that I wouldn't travel to the same country twice, but England is such a special place for me that I couldn't help it. It will always have a special place in my heart.

Covent Garden

Hyde Park

Big Ben

Harrods

Diagon Alley & Ministry of Magic | Harry Potter Studio Tour 5 of 6

Magic is Might

As I said before, the Harry Potter Studio Tour was massive. We could've spent all day there, since there was so much to see and explore. Two of the most impressive and easily recognizable sets were Diagon Alley and The Ministry of Magic. Besides The Great Hall, these are the other most recognizable locations from Harry Potter.

Seeing the Magic is Might monument from The Ministry was pretty cool. I didn't think it was that massive, but when I finally walked up to it, it was quite big and really detailed. Markus, James and Ari were wandering about the other sets, and I was a bit tired. So, I sat down on a bench below the statue. While I was sitting there, I imagined myself as a Ministry worker on a lunch break. There were heaps of people walking about with wands and cloaks, so it only added to my daydream. It was a bit silly, but it was a moment I enjoyed.

As you can tell from the photos, Diagon Alley wasn't as big as you would think. I think that's the magic of movies. When you see the films, you imagine a larger than life world and seeing it in real life takes a little of the magic away. It doesn't ruin the films, but it's still a bit jarring. I will say that the amount of detail and work that went into these shops were amazing. I wish they let us walk into the shops, but I know they were just for show. It was still a wonderful experience and more than just seeing a set from Harry Potter. It was like stepping into another time period, it was almost Dickensian and it was awesome.

Olivanders Wand Shop

Wands galore!

Eats with Jeff #3: Makguksu 막국수

Bibim Makguksu (비빔막국수)

In this installment of Eats with Jeff, we try makguksu and suyuk.  When he was describing the meal to me, I have to admit I was completely skeptical. He kept saying, "Cold noodles and boiled pork." Sounds really delicious right? Also, the restaurant is really far from my house and I can't be bothered to travel far. Jeff kept insisting it was worth it. I was really disinterested, but he said it was one of his favorite meals, so we agreed to go.

Boy, you cut those noodles.

 Boiled Pork (수육)

 Makguksu (막국수)

I will always remember this meal because it was one of the tastiest meals I've ever had. The makguksu was refreshing and delicious. It's very hard to describe, especially for someone who isn't used to eating cold noodles. I know that as an American, my mind is completely boggled by the concept, but it's so delicious. The noodles are made with buckwheat.  After eating, I didn't feel heavy like when I eat pasta. The broth is never overpowering and heightens the flavors of every component in the dish. Everything melds together perfectly. 

The suyuk or boiled pork was a revelation. As a Filipina, I love pork. I've had it every way possible, roasted, fried, stewed, minced but never boiled. I was worried that the meat would be bland and a strange texture. I was wrong. The meat was warm and savory. When you combine it with the sweet kimchi, the taste is amazing. Ever since we ate this, I've craved eating it again. It's something that I would trek hours for. It's that good.  This meal taught me another important lesson, always trust Jeff when it comes to food. 

A face you can trust.

Bayon Temple | Angkor Wat, Cambodia | 2 of 2

Bayon Temple is definitely a highlight that cannot be missed when visiting Angkor Wat. It was one of the most packed temples, but it didn't affect my enjoyment.  When you think that you've seen all there is to see, there is more waiting around the corner. Looking back on our time at Angkor Wat, Bayon Temple would have to be my favorite part. It was different enough from the other temples. It was different enough from the others and completely unique. 

 

As we walked around, I started to imagine what it would have looked like back in 12th century. It must have been a magnificent sight. Even now, it's quite amazing. It boggles my mind that we still have things like this in existence and definitely thankful that I was able to see something like this in my lifetime. We spent more time there than we should have, but it was worth it. I think we were able to capture the beauty and splendor and will have these photos to remind us of our time there.