.The wind and rain chilled us to the bones but Sunmi
and I had a great time on the edge of Pusan.

Taejondae was one of the first three Korean sites to
be designated as an official tourist attraction in
1969 by the Korean National Tourism Office. Located on
the southern tip of Pusan, the Cliffs of Taejon
provide a spectacular view and fresh air for weary
souls.

Yesterday, Sunmi and I took two buses and a subway to
the gates of Taejon, bought tickets and took a tour
train up to the top.  The new air was a welcome relief
from the exhaust of crowded streets and the evergreens
surrounding the cliffs reminded me of spring.

We then walked down a long series of hand carved steps
to reach our destination at Taejondae. Several
youngsters amused themselves by daring each other to
stand as close to the edge as possible but Sunmi and I
were content to have a seat in the middle and watch
the seagulls land and embark. We kindly approached
another viewer to take a picture of us with a tiny
island in the background and then we sat down to enjoy
some boiled potatoes and chocolate cake that we had
packed.

"Oh no", I said biting into a potato.

Sunmi looked at me, "What?"

"Rain", I responded while putting on my jacket.

"Then let's go. We can come back another time", Sunmi
stated.

My face turned stubborn, "No way! We have been trying
to find time to come here for six months and now that
we are finally here, we are not going to stay for only
10 minutes", I exclaimed. "Let's get shelter until it
lets up."

Sunmi glanced at a small tour boat sailing along the
cliff. "Why don't we get on that boat. We can get out 
of the rain and still enjoy the view."

"Good idea", I said grabbing my bag. "Let's go!"

We dashed to the pier and gave a man in a little
shanty 10,000 Won for two tickets. A tall Korean man
in a big straw hat helped us board the Eunnasoo 3.

"Annyonghaseyoo", the man yelled as Summi and I
boarded the boat!

As the boat departed, we heard a song by Celine Dionne
over the loud speaker and then relaxed with serenades
of traditional Korean music. Sailing pass Taejondae,
we noticed several people fishing in the rain.

"How did they get down there?" Sunmi asked me. "There
are no paths there."

I just shook my head in response.

The rain and wind gathered momentum as the boat rocked
among the waves. We passed two naval ships, two oil
tankers, several fishing boats and another tour boat
with many Korean women waving and shouting at us. We
docked on the other side of the cliff and watched
divers bobbing up and down near the shore.

While we were waiting for the boat to leave, I noticed
three men leave shore in a small outboard.

"Look", I shouted. "They must really like the sea to
go out in this storm."

"They don't seem to care", Sunmi reported. "They
probably know the weather better than meteorologists
because of years on the seas."

Just as the rain stopped, the boat took off and the
music started again. From our new angle, we saw the
waves beat against some huge rocks along the shore.
Some of the waves were high and some were low.

"This is romantic", Sunmi said as I put my arm around
her.

The boat landed and the same man in the straw hat
helped us off. Just then, it begin to pour once more.
Sunmi and I tackled the long windy stairs as fast as
we could but my breaths quickly became short.

"There is no way we be able to get back to the gates
without getting soaked", I yelled leaning onto the
guard rail! "Let's go in that little coffee shop!"

Although it was a little leaky, that little coffee
shop hugging the edge of the cliff offered an
excellent view.

"Kopi, deugei cheusei yo", Sunmi said and within two
minutes, we had two tiny paper cups half full of the
hottest and thickest coffee that I have ever had in my
life.

"That feels warm", I said taking a sip.

Through the small windows, we watched the Eunasoo 3
take other passengers around the cliff despite the
storm. What a life that must be to keep going
regardless of the weather.

"Ul mae yo?" I asked the clerk.

The response was 1600 Won.

"Wow" I said to Sunmi as we left the shop. "At least
one dollar for half a cup of coffee, I can see how
they have managed to stay in business."

Half an hour later, we arrived back at the gates and
headed for the closest bus stop.

"That was great", I said. "Let's go again on the next
rainy day."
 

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