I had read that Koreans, and particularly older Koreans, love to walk. They do it not only as a form of entertainment and socialising, but they also believe strongly in the health benefits that come with it. And they do it in style. Fully decked out in the latest outdoor fashions you see them everywhere. City streets, parks, mountain trails. Groups, couples, singles, they are out there and striding along with purpose. What I don't understand is that they don't appear to sweat. I'm in shorts and a t shirt and drenched in sweat. They are in long pants, long sleeved shirts, most of them wearing jackets and some even have gloves and not a drop of sweat can be seen. I'm both amazed and envious. And this was driven home on my visit to Beomeosa Temple. The temple is in the mountains/hills about a 45 minute subway and bus trip from where I'm staying. It's a working temple in that it has resident monks who study and pray here and lead local Koreans in worship, of which there were quite on few on the day I was there. It dates back to the 6th century, although a number of the buildings have undergone recent refurbishment. The setting is very peaceful despite the edge of the bustling city being about a 10 minute ride away. There is something about the chanting of Buddhist monks which has a very calming effect and it was no different here. There are quite a number of different temples and many of them were in use, with groups of worshippers being led by the monks. In others there were just 1or 2 people quietly sitting in prayer. From here there are number of walks into the mountains, most of them leading to places with sacred histories attached to them. I decided to head up to Mt Godanbang (which is what Google Translate calls it, although in other places it is referred to as Geumjeong-san) 3.6 kms - doesn't sound too hard at all. Well in 30 degree heat, 90% humidity and being all uphill I soon found out otherwise. But as I watched groups of Koreans older than me casually walking down, making it look like a Sunday walk in the park, I was determined to keep going. It was little tricky in some places where 3 or 4 tracks joined. All the signs were in Korean and sometimes Google Translate didn't work that well. I just figured I needed to keep heading uphill so I followed the track that was doing that. I finally reached what I thought was the top only to see a huge platform structure perched on the peak above me. The sign said it was only another 300 metres, but by that time I had lost faith in Korean signposts and the distances they proclaimed. However I think in this case they had under called it and in no time at all I was standing at the top with a 360 degree view. As usual, going downhill is much easier and it was very happy body that was soon riding the subway home.

The subway system makes travelling around the city so easy - and with a station about 30 metres from my front door it's the only way to go. A visit to the Busan Museum was quite enlightening. It focused on Busan which has played quite a crucial role in the development of Korea. Being close to Japan it was the first place they attacked when they invaded, and it was also a focal point of trade. During the Korean War it actually became the capital city after Seoul was captured by the Nth Koreans. Close to the museum is the UN Memorial cemetery in Korea. It is the only UN cemetery in the world and is the final resting place for 2300 military people (including 281 Australians) killed during the Korean War. I find all military memorial places to be a sombre experience and this was no exception. Despite the being completely encircled by a busy city there was a sense of calm within the cemetery. Within the cemetery there is a small Memorial Hall. The dominant display in here is a quilt that was hand stitched by a group of elderly women from Coleraine. For those that don't know Coleraine is a small country town about 30kms from Balmoral. It was quite touching to see something which holds so much significance, which had originated so close to home.

Locals seem to make the most of Busan's beachside position. Not only in where they live but how they live. There are 2 beaches relatively close to where I'm living and it doesn't matter what time of the day or night, there is always plenty happening. Gwangalii Beach at night is full of activity. There is a major road that separates the beach from the restaurants, bars etc. These are always full but the highlight is the nightly light show on the Gwangan Bridge. This is a huge double story suspension that cuts across the harbour. A couple of times each night 70,000 LED's put on a sensational display. It runs for about 10 minutes and literally lights up the harbour. Combine that with buskers other performers along the beach, and all with a backdrop of very, very brightly lit buildings. There is no lack of atmosphere.

My objective off getting away from the Victorian winter has certainly been met. In the 2 weeks that I have been here I don't think the temperature has dropped below 25 with the usual daily maximum being around 32. Which sounds nice until you decide to do some hiking which I did yesterday. Probably one of the slowest hikes I have ever done - two and half hours to cover about 3.7 kms. Admittedly it was all uphill but I still struggled. The track to the top of Mt Jangsan could probably best be described as the "Korean Grampians". Despite the haze from the top, the view back over the coastline of Haeundae and Gwangan was worth the effort. Again I came across large groups of locals out for a Sunday hike. And while I sweated in shorts and t shirt they were wearing the usual attire of long pants, long sleeve shirts, jackets and in some cases gloves. I just don't know how they cope. But for them it's not just a walk, it also the opportunity to some exercise at the many exercise points along the way. These are ostensibly rest stops but they are decked out with a huge array of exercise equipment. Step machines, spine stretchers, even weights for bench pressing. And they get used. I watched one elderly gentleman, probably in his 70's and having already walked at a minimum a few kilometres, move from machine to machine. As I huffed and puffed I could only sit and watch in admiration. It was a very tired body that finally made it to a subway station for the short ride home. That same body was calling out that tomorrow was a rest day - and I couldn't agree more.