Japan

I had to get my Visa renewed so I can stay in Korea until I leave in December. I have a ticket to fly home on the 13th. In order to get your Visa renewed, you have to leave the country and then come back in. Most foreigners do it by taking the ferry from Busan, Korea to Japan and then come back to Korea.

You have to have a reservation and finding a travel agency that speaks English was not easy, but I found one and arranged everything. I also reserved a room at a hotel. I took a bus to Busan, and the trip down there was very pleasant. The bus terminal was not in town. If I felt more comfortable about taking the train, it would have been more convenient to do so. The train depot was within walking distance from my hotel, and it was very close to the ferry terminal.

I took a taxi to the the ferry terminal and I still did not understand what I was supposed to do and met another American who was doing the same thing I was doing. He was a man my age and very pleasant. As remarkable as this was, we ended up hitting it off very well and spending the day traveling the ferry to Fukuoka, Japan and then as my friend showed me turning around immediately and headed back on the same ferry. The trip was worth the time and money. It was beautiful. It was raining in Japan but not in Korea.

We went out to dinner in Busan and had a wonderful time. The trip took about three hours one way. Then he went on the train and I stayed in my hotel and I went to Daejeon the next morning. My friend's company really made the difference and I had one of the best days since coming to Korea.

One thing about life is one never knows what will happen around the corner and when you are a senior it becomes very apparent the corners are getting fewer and fewer. His children, like mine, are grown up and his live in England along with his grandchildren. Normally, I am a solitary person so it is a treat to be with someone my age and someone I really got along with very well. Most people just assumed that we were a couple so there were no problems in the immigration and custom lines. We have already talked on the phone and exchanged emails.