Hitchhiking in South Korea: Andong to Incheon
26th of April, 2025.
I walk for a while until a reasonable hitchhiking spot. On the way, I pass by a love sign, and as I read and walk for a few steps, even before my brain could figure out the meaning, I already knew it it was appropriate for my love for Aamir. Attached is the photo with the saying.
I’m basically at the entrance of an express way. But I’m still good. Soon enough a car stops. The guy is going to Seoul only, but I better get it anyway, and figure out a plan after. He’s the vice president of a company, and works in Andong but his family leaves in Seoul. He drives there every weekend. His boss call him on the way, and asks for a photograph. I think the boss was slightly worried about the safety of the driver. Laugh. The driver himself repeated a few times to me that he thinks I am a dangerous person. Laugh.
I kind of think that the place where he drops me off it sucks. But that is just at first. After some consideration, I decide to hitchhike from here and fuck it. Soon enough a very nice guy decides to take me all the way to Incheon even though he’s not going there. In my defense, he only told me that after I was already in the car. He’s really nice and tell me that he only leaves on Seoul because his mum doesn’t want to move to a small town. She raised him and his sister alone, and she moved from a small island to Seoul in order to make it. As I explain to him that I’m not really going to the airport today but tomorrow, we look for a church in Incheon where he can drop me off.
The church where I ask is the first one to deny help. Well, the guy there said they are a small church, so I should try in a bigger one. Why some people like to complicate things? He gives me direction to another church, the “bigger” one, which I cannot find. I manage to get directions to another one. There, another no. I’m really surprised because they say even to have missionaries, and a guest house where these missionaries stay. But it’s full so I cannot come. What about trying to help me in another way? I cannot even accept the chocopie they had offered me before, and just leave the place before burst into tears.
I sit in a bench outside the church, trying to figure out a plan. All of sudden, I see an angel. The lady who was calling everybody and trying to help me inside the church. I remember looking at her and thinking about how beautiful she was, so jovial and stylish. It’s like I could see inside her soul back then already.
Sunhowa takes me to her apartment, the first one I am to see it inside and to stay in South Korea, even though I’ve seen them everywhere. It’s a very nice apartment, spacious and pretty, plus super well organized and tidy, thanks to Sunhowa’s touch and attention, of course. She has many cute plants, all super clean and tidy. She takes me to her son’s bedroom, and the first thing I notice on the wall are the film’s posters. He has “Roma” and “Tenet”. A great one and a not so good one. My opinion only.
In the living room there’s a beautiful picture of the whole family: Sunhowa, her husband, her daughter and her son. They all look gorgeous and she looks like a Barbie. Both her children are grown up now, and I cannot believe when she tells me her age. All the time she looks and acts like a young girl. It’s unbelievable!
As Sunhowa starts preparing dinner, I ask her if she needs help, but she says no. They have a massive television, and she tells me I should watch something middle time. I decide to finally give it a shot to K-drama, as this is my second last day in South Korea, and I am having access to their Netflix. Completely unpretentiously, I choose a show about doctors. I am taken aback by the first scene, where a woman doctor kick the ass of four mafia guys who are disturbing at the emergency room. I love it! To make it even better, there’s this other character, a loving and caring teacher, who everybody loves it. He reminds me of Aamir’s character in Like stars on Earth. I finish that episode and start the second one, and then is time for dinner.
Dear Loki, Sunhowa prepared a buffet! Everything looks and tastes delicious! I could eat much more but I don’t. While we are eating, her husband arrives and his expression of surprise when he sees me is priceless. He is just as nice as Sunhowa, as it seems they were really meant to each other.
We keep on chatting for a while, using the translator. They are both very kind and I can feel a great energy coming from them. They invite me to come to the service tomorrow morning, only if I want and feel like, no pressure. How sweet! I guess that after what happened in the church before, I don’t really feel like coming. But it’s also because I have so much to do at the airport, much of writing and work on my blog, that I decide to arrive there as early as possible.
After a shower and drying my hair, I have a wonderful night of sleep.
Next morning, we have some delicious bread and homemade cheese for breakfast. Plus fruits and milk. I get some oranges to take with me to the airport. Sunhowa looks absolutely gorgeous in a pink and black skirt. Like a Barbie again. They offer to drop me off somewhere before going to the church but as I can simply walk to a hitchhiking spot nearby, I kindly refuse.
I am so happy that the people from the church deny to help me, so I could have this amazing opportunity of spending some time with this incredible couple, with such golden hearts.
In a few minutes a man called Tchumho gives me a lift. He’s going to the airport to work. As we drive into the parking lots, even though they are many, I can recognize it from my first day in South Korea, when I was trying to hitchhike from here.
As I walk inside the airport, at Terminal 1, I sit and am making a plan of where to stay and what to do, when Tchumho walks to me and gives me a bottle of mango juice before going to work. How adorable!
10 Years Around the World 