Korea, Part II

If you are reading this for the first time, scroll down and read from the beginning. It is a continuous story and it starts with other side of the world, other side of the family.

Once I landed in Korea I went through customs, got my bags and once again tried to figure out where I was at. The Incheon airport was vaguely familiar from when I was here in 2005 and so it already felt good to be back. After getting my bags I headed to the travel office to see how I could get to Daegu at 11 o’clock at night. The people at the travel office informed me that the last bus to Daegu had already left and that the high-speed train (KTX) would not be departing until the morning. I thought I would be spending the night at the airport when one of the ladies rushed in and told me that there was a bus departing to a subway station where I could find another bus station that would take me to Daegu. Before I could figure out what the best plan of attack was I was running out the doors, following some lady I had just met, giving me directions that I was trying to get me head around. She took me to the bus, told me how much it would cost and what stop I needed to look for. On the bus I tried not to fall asleep because I didn’t want to miss my stop. It felt so weird being back here. I spent the bus ride reminiscing on my days here as a missionary. Once I got to my stop I gathered my bags and looked around at where I had been dropped off at. I thought I would be taken to another bus stop but in fact I was at a subway station entrance. I lugged my bags on to the escalator and headed underground to the subway. I then started looking at a map of the subway system to figure out where I needed to go. I must have looked totally disheveled because three college aged students came up to me, and in their best english asked if I needed any help. They helped me find the bus station that I needed to get to. I had to buy a subway ticket and take the line two stops to my destination.

If you look close you can see me.

Another session of lugging my suitcases down an escalator was followed up by a quick subway ride, another lugging of suitcases back up the escalators and to find another map. I wish I would’ve taken a picture of what I really looked (totally disheveled) because another college-aged student with a guitar slung over his back asked me if I needed help. I took him up on the offer and together we found the bus station. The fact that he kept telling me all Koreans get lost in this station made me feel better about myself as well as grateful for his assistance. We found the station and I got my bus ticket. I was able to catch the second to last bus out of Seoul to Daegu. By this point it was about 1 in the morning.

More later... (I'm not really in the photo for those of you who actually looked)