A Tour of Gamcheon Culture Village | The Machu Picchu of Busan!

In the long workdays here in South Korea, I noticed that one of the ways my co-teacher "escapes" - if not just for a few minutes between classes - is through her monitor. Some days, I see her just staring blankly at the screen, her head reclined, a small blanket thrown over her shoulders. There is no Youtube video playing, no TED Talk, no cute GIF on Tumblr.

"She's out of it," I would think to myself. 

But then, one day, I saw that her desktop background is a map of Europe. 

"I want to travel there," she said to me. The map is small and unadorned. I wonder at its ability to transport her anywhere at all in the midst of these 12-plus-hour workdays. It's not the map, it's the mind that carves out her momentary escape routes. 

Turning to her right one morning, she asks me, "Mimi, do you know Machu Picchu?"

Painted on a wall: a scene of South Korea just 50 years ago in Busan, South Korea

ME: Why, yes! My sister traveled there just this past year. I was practically there, thanks to all her timely Facebook posts.

My sister and her friend in Peru

SOOKHEE: There is a Machu Picchu here in Busan. I want to go there. 

ME: Wait - what? Machu Picchu...? In Busan...?

SOOKHEE: Well, it is a kind of Machu Picchu, you know. I just read about it in the news. 

[She motions to a tiny newspaper cutout stuck on a bookshelf on her desk] 

ME: The Machu Picchu of Busan! How incredible. I would love to go with you.

SOOKHEE: Really?

ME: Of course!

SOOKHEE: Ahm, maybe you will be disappointed? 

ME: Me? Disappointed? Nooo...Why would I be disappointed? I know it's not actually going to be Machu Picchu [insert reassuring smile here]

SOOKHEE: Okay! Let's go this Sunday. 

The following is a photo story of our Sunday exploring Busan's Machu Picchu together.

GAMCHEON CULTURE VILLAGE

I didn't do any research before going on this trip with my Fulbright co-teacher. I wanted to discover the place on its own terms - however this may look like. 

Our first stop: Former Baekje Hospital near Busan Station, where we decided to meet up

Immediately after getting out of the station, we were transported to a hidden Machu Picchu!

SOOKHEE: Hmmm, I think we are lost.
ME: What? How? We just got here!
SOOKHEE: [whips out her iPhone and giggles]
ME: Are you good with directions? 
SOOKHEE: Me? No. Are you...? [hopeful look]
ME: ahm, that is a definite no. 

We wandered into this church, where we were invited to sit in during the service. Finding it had already started (and was all in Korean), we decided to forego the invitation.

Look at the dates at the bottom of these photos! Seriously, look at how far South Korea has come in just a few decades. Incredible. A "miracle" many would even say.

                    

      

Busan Port Opening

168 steps ahead!

The steps sandwiched between humble houses and cramped alleys

Appreciating every little thing we passed on the way, including these potted plants

My beautiful co-teacher was a good sport when it came to all my photo-taking

I absolutely loved this little cafe! We had to take an alternate route to get here, but the view, the setting was so beautiful. You could see the Busan port from where we sat.

And this is where the little, yellow cafe is nestled. Classical music played while we talked about school, home life, future goals, my students' upcoming conference (YDAC), etc.

We also entered some buildings and enjoyed different displays like the one below:

This man had a special room commemorating his lifetime of service to others, all over the globe.

WHAT TEACHERS MAKE
ME: Sookhee, these are the times I wish I was a doctor
SOOKHEE: Why?
ME: Because doctors get thanked in a big way. Like this guy! The positive effects he had in the world is obvious, visible! 
SOOKHEE: [Smiles] Everyone has different gifts
ME: [Smiling back] ...You're right. Sookhee? 
SOOKHEE: Yes? 
ME: Someday, you will have a whole room just like this commemorating you for being a fantastic educator.
SOOKHEE: [Laughs] Let's go!
ME: I'll be right there...

There are some days when I look around and wonder, why a teacher, Lord? Why not a doctor? An architect? Why not a job with a higher salary, more respect, and requiring less stress?

I think on these things, I might even wonder out loud, and then I snap the heck out of it because I know why. I am a walking testimony to the amazing impact great teachers can have on the life of a single student. Over the years, I have walked into many teachers, instructors, professors' classrooms and came out with new questions to sustain my curiosities and new dreams to propel me ever onward.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that I have also been called to be a teacher, to be an educator. To be one is one of the greatest occupations I could ever dream of, and this is why. I dare you to read it.

I was glad I brought my jacket because it was definitely chilly!

This view is just amazing in person. Can you imagine all those houses lit up at night?

 Entering another gallery

...and my fascination with potted plants continues

Two women having a casual conversation on the rooftop of one of the buildings

My co-teacher appreciating every corner of the gallery

Famous dancer

His gown

Going down some steps to another section of the building

Loved this series of black and white photographs

This is how they carried brides to their wedding ceremonies back in the day

Self-explanatory

Chamber pots

Continuing on in our journey

I enjoyed weaving my way in and out of these alleyways

You have to see this hill and the houses that crawl up its legs to believe how beautiful it all is!

My co-teacher is amused at the positions I put myself in just to get my shots

The two of us!

I had a mini photo shoot with this white cat

This place is seriously a goldmine of potential on-site portrait photography sessions. 

Our journey about to come to come to an end

We had lunch afterwards at Nampo, and then parted ways as I hurried off to church.

HISTORY HAS A STORY OF ITS OWN
Am I still having trouble finding the connection between Machu Picchu and Gamcheon Village? Mmm, maybe. But am I disappointed? Absolutely not. I had a great time enjoying the fresh morning air, discovering new photo sesh locations, delighting in the modern artwork and the colorful cubed houses, appreciating the visual representation of Busan's history, and bonding with my Fulbright co-teacher.

If anything, this tour reminded me that History is still very much with us in the here and now. It breathes as we breathe, it lives as we live, and it transforms as we transform. I don't know all its implications, but it reminds me to stay awake, look around, and appreciate every single moment that I get to live out history.

MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU

What do you think of Busan's Machu Picchu? Some folks have said that Gamcheon Village actually reminds them more of La Paz, Bolivia or La Boca in Buenos Aires. 

Are you curious to know more about the history behind the photos? This article by Jessica Steele is a good place to start!