Come, See, And Make Memory

“Why would you want to go there, there are so many people.”

This is what my grandmother used to say, whenever I visited her in Pusan in my childhood (early 1970s) and asked her to take me to Haeundae Beach. Although it has been a long time since she passed away and I last heard the waves at Haeundae Beach, I suddenly remember her words as I was passing by the place in Pusan last weekend.

She, then, gave `orders` to my uncles, who would actually take me, with little money. “Go to Songjeong.”

Songjeong. It is a quiet beach located behind a high hill at Haeundae. In comparison with Haeundae’s crowded beach downtown with tall hotels, Songjeong used to be lined up with military resort tents on one side, and a breakwater behind a pine forest on the other. It was quiet and full of sea smells. I still remember the time, when I caught crabs by hanging an eel’s head on a stick and waiting after putting it between breakwater rocks.

However, the image of Songjeong Beach on the day was as different as the amount of time passed by. Neat hotels and tall buildings were built, and there is a new road along the coast now. The only things that did not change were the green pine-forest, sea, and the sand. However, the feeling of simplicity and warmth, compared to Haeundae, was still overwhelming, which is not different from before the development.

Who would have thought that hill, which buses barely passed, would become such famous `Dalmatji Hill`? It has been some time now since it has risen as Pusan’s new noted place filled with café restaurants, resembling Seoul’s Abgujung-dong. Also, there are now high-rise apartment buildings that when looked from below, Dalmatji town almost looks like little Mediterranean kingdom Monaco’s Monte-Carlo.

The hilltop has full view of Pusan’s sea, and it naturally has a tower. This is Haewoldae. It overlooked Suyoung Bay and Oryuk Isle in some distance. In the parking lot, there was Chunwon Lee Kwang-Su’s poetry monument of `At Haeundae`.

The old road was named `Dalmatji pass`, which was given for joy-riders, and for the busy ones, Songjeong Tunnel was made to connect Haeundae and Kijang-up in short distance. Unfamiliar tourists should watch out for this beautiful beach road, which passes through Songjeong, Kudeok, Yeonhwa-ri, and Daebyun.

Among them, Daebyun is the place to stop at for its fame as `Anchovy Port`. Now is the right season for anchovy, and besides, an anchovy festival is also to be held from the 16th to 19th.

I met Yeom Kyu-Beom (66. local broker for National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives) there, who handled anchovy at the port for the past 40 years. His explanation was quite simple. Although the anchovy season is between March and May, now is the time when anchovies become filled with eggs making them more delicious than ever. And he also explained that this was the right season for making anchovy-jeot (salted anchovies), because they feed on `Gaengeangi` (tiny shrimps). Then, he showed me a live anchovy after opening up its stomach. It was full of little shrimps. He said that when these anchovies are salted, the taste becomes `anchovy + shrimps`, and it actually was delicious.

Fresh anchovies were sold on the roadside at the port. The day’s price was 35,000 won (25kg packet). They say the appropriate price is actually around 25,000 won, but fishing has not been good. Yeom gave me a business card (Yeom-ssinei Myulchi-jeot. 051-722-9321), and told me to call and drop by in the morning, when the price is cheaper. Delivery was also possible.

At Daebyung Port, raw anchovy dish with Soju is a delicacy strongly recommended. Raw anchovy is not common in other places, since its oiliness makes it go bad quickly. It is eaten with shredded vegetables and fruits mixed with vinegar-chilly sauce. One dish (20,000 won) would be enough for 2 persons. There is also anchovy soup. The festival offers 25 Per Cent of discount.

∇How to get there △Haeundae→Kijang (beach drive) = Haeundae (at McDonalds. Following distances are from this point) – Dalmatji Pass (Cheonsapo) – Haewoldae (1.3km) – Songjeong entrance (5km) – Songjeong central road – Beach Sam-geori (5.4km) – Haedong Yonggung-sa (7.3km) – Yeonhwa-ri village (10.9km) – Daebyun Port (entrance. 11.3km) – Kijang-up (17.2km. there is a gas-station). △Kijang→Seoul = Kijang-up/route 14 – Onsan – Ulsan – highway 16 (Ulsan line) – Unyang/highway 1 (Kyeongbu line) – Seoul.

∇Daebyun Port Anchovy Festival = Planning committee 051-720-5638

2-day package for participating in the festival after seeing sunrise at Haedong’s Yonggung-sa on the beach. Departure from Seoul late afternoon on the 18th. 58,000 won. Apple Travel 02-723-8893

summer@donga.com