Hitchhiking in South Korea: Seoul
23rd and 24th of March, 2025.
My night at the airport is just fine. I try to buy some food in one of those “pay yourself” shops, but I make the mistake of not translating the info at the machine to English (don’t laugh!), and as my card didn’t ask for my PIN (terrible Kbank shit!), I thought I hadn’t paid for it. Well, it happened that I paid twice. I made peace with myself, as the amount was not huge. But then I noticed that I would still be here at the airport tomorrow morning, I could try and get a refund with the staff. And it worked!
What didn’t work well was my brain towards hitchhiking next day. I get stuck for hours in a spot nearby the highway, while a few people were telling me to go back near the terminals and try there, but I didn’t listened to them. When I finally did, it took just some time until somebody finally took me to Seoul. Unfortunately, it was already late afternoon.
The guy is called Pak and he’s super kind and generous. He first must stop by a place where he works, in Incheon, before we get to Seoul. Pak works with tourists, so he gives me a lot of free samples of snacks, three boxes of tea, and also some fancy and expensive face mask, made out of black truffle. As it was not enough, he even bought me an amazing and big sandwich, and two savoury vegetarian rice porridge, plus a coffee. And I hadn’t eating anything since early morning.
I ask him to drop me off nearby a church. As there’s nobody in, I get directions to a possible hitchhiking spot, which will lead to Daegu, the biggest city nearby where I’m doing my volunteer work. I pass by a church on my way there, and decide that, if hitchhiking doesn’t work, I will come back and ask for shelter here. Hitchhiking doesn’t work, as the place sucks, so I come back to the church.
I talk with a lovely woman, the pastor’s wife, who listen carefully to my request. There’s also a seniour couple with her, and her kid too. After calling someone, she shows me that I can stay inside one of the prayer rooms. It’s the perfect size for my mattress and backpack. There are some cushions and blankets too, so when they are worried about me being cold, I tell them that I’m sure it’ll be alright.
I prepare all my things and wash my feet in the toilet. I’m planing to eat one of the rice porridge, I’m just not sure if I can eat it cold, or should I try and walk a bit, looking for a place where I can ask the people to warm up for me. It’s quite cold outside, so that’s kind of a heckle to decide. Luckily, I don’t need to.
Soon enough, the pastor comes by with his wife to check on me and to bring me some food. Amazing! It’s a Burger King set, with a huge burger, chips and soft drink. I must say, it’s the best burger from one of these franchises I’ve ever had! The pastor event tells me I can turn on the AC if I want, which I kindly refuse. What a wonderful first impression I’m having of South Koreans! Why nobody has ever told me before how kind, friendly and generous they are?
Next morning, it takes me some time to come up with a plan, as my options are few. There are not any really acceptable hitchhiking spot outside Seoul. What a surprise! So I make the tough decision of taking a bus to Geochang, a small town nearby where I’m volunteering. But to get to the South Bus Terminal, I must hitchhike twice in the city, or walk a lot. I hitchhike half way to a metro station. A lovely man gives me a lift there, and also a bottle of water. Obs.: Last photo shows what they do with under viaduct areas in South Korea. SO the opposite of other places where it simply becomes freestay for homeless people.
From this point I walk for a while, until another possible hitchhiking spot. It’s not good. As I notice it’s a straight line to the South Bus Terminal, I ask for help to a young guy, and he tells me which local bus I could take to reach the terminal. As he tells me it’s only 1000 KRW for the ride, I decide to ask someone to pass their card for me. Soon enough, a lady who is about to take the same bus as I accepts to help me, and pass her card for me. It takes me about 30 minutes to arrive.
By this time is already afternoon, and if I was to start hitchhiking now to Geochang, I’m not sure how it would go.
I take the bus and for my surprise is super luxurious, and nothing compared to the Indonesian buses. Well, at least no durian smell this time. Laugh.
Once in Geochang, I ask for 1000 KRW in a 7-Eleven, as this is the price for the bus to the village where the Templestay is located. The buses are every hour, and I’m lucky to take the one at 17.30, as I missed the 16.30 because I didn’t have the money for it.
The bus driver seems strangely family with me and where I must get out. When we arrive, he tells me to go to the blue car waiting outside, where the driver from the Templestay is waiting for me. So he knows everything!
The templestay driver is a seniour man, quite rough but very kind too. We arrive to Buddha Forest Meditation Centre sometime before 19.00 hours.
10 Years Around the World 