Songao Beach

We rose early Sunday morning to buy tickets for the train. By 10 a.m. we were at the station in line. The man at the counter had sorry news. For the next 12 hours all tickets were sold.

So we ordered lunch and took a cab to Songao. In the 1920s, Songao was Busan’s favorite beach. In the 60s the cable car and cluster of ocean front hotels brought newlyweds and lovers to the shore.

But the 1980s brought typhoons and loss of sand. So Haeundae became the most famous of the beach brothers, as it is today. We lay our blankets out on quiet plot of coast. Overhead parachutes dropped from the mountains.

The fog pulled in from sea until it was floating at hat brim heights, begging to be touched. We ordered pizza and I curled up in the booth with headphones, breathing quietly: wake me for the train.