10-Nov-2019 -- A brief visit to beautiful Busan also offered an opportunity for a confluence point visit. With my friend Jin we set out in midmorning. We assumed it would take a couple of hours’ drive westwards from Busan. Our first surprise was that Google map did not work for going in your own car. It suggested going by bus and walking. We used a Korean app instead and arrived at the confluence point in nice weather. We saw the area from the main road, but found a small farmer’s road which took us to a point a few hundred meters from the confluence point. The actual confluence point turned out to be in the middle of a rice field. It was flooded and we had to settle for a distance of 12 meters.

It was a quiet place with some buildings to the west. Sounds indicated a duck farm there. A surprising number of birds could be heard and some seen. A heron took off as we approached. The air was so fresh and clear. We were near the sea. Winter had not arrived, garlic had been planted for harvesting in the spring and there were even a few flowers spotted on the roadside

When we registered the confluence point on the Garmin we found that the time and calendar was completely off. It showed 15 November 1959, almost 60 years off. We tried to reset the time without success. We were there actually at 11.44 on Sunday 10 November 2019. The date and times can be verified on the photos of the confluence point.

After taking the required photos we continued the main road to the sea, to a small fishing harbour without much activity since it was Sunday.

On our way back to Busan we stopped at a modest looking traditional Korean tea house with a delicate interior. Every table had a small flower setup, there were small ceramic pots and plates on shelves. Obviously the works of an artist. It turned out that the owner of the tea house was an established and well known potter. Small, delicate snacks were served with the tea. A calm atmosphere, classical western music in the background and a great experience.

The return to Busan took more time than expected. Our mobile phone with the navigation ran out of power. But Map.me on our other phone got us back to Busan. The main reason for the slow return was that it was a special day on the Korean calendar. It was a day for men to go to the graves of their ancestors to pay respect. The highways were full of people returning home.