Good Luck in Busan: Public Transportation Crisis Solved — A Travel Tale — Description

I’m generally a lucky person. Only a few days ago, I had some good luck in Busan. I somehow managed to lose my hanaro card on Saturday (a discount bus card). Right, this isn’t the good luck part yet, I’m coming to that. Lol.

Good Luck In Busan On the Subway

I tried to buy a new hanaro card, but all I could find were machines selling the 6,000 won kind, the cutesy ones Koreans attach to their handphones like a keychain — I had paid 2,000 won for mine and wasn’t too impressed with the limited options.

I finally found a machine in Seomyeon and bought a card, but when I went to put money on it, I only had the option of putting in 45,000 that would expire in 30 days. I absolutely do not use public transit that much, so I was pissed! I usually put 5,000 or 10,000 won on it at a time…

A line was building behind me at the recharge machine as I tried to figure out what to do. Finally, a young woman asked me what the problem was, in broken English. Relieved, I explained and she turned to talk to an ajuma in rapid-fire Korean I stood no chance of understanding. Then she turned back to me and told me to come with them.

They brought me to the information office and got me a refund for the card, then steered me towards another machine, where I was finally able to buy the correct card. It looked exactly the same as the last machine I had used. How was I supposed to tell the difference?

No matter. I’d call that some good luck in Busan, alright!

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Good Luck In Busan On the Bus

So afterwards, we found out that we were all going to Dadaepo.

I was starting to panic as I thought I would miss the last train, but they rescued me again, informing me that there’s a bus that goes directly to Dadaepo until 1 a.m. Nice!

I’ve always thought I had to take the last train at midnight, and that doesn’t even take me to Dadaepo. I used to pay 6,000 won for a cab from the subway station to Dadaepo. Much more convenient this way!

I got on the bus with Bora and her mother, but the bus was so crowded we couldn’t sit together or even see each other.

They had told me where they lived, but they didn’t get off at their stop. Instead, they came with me to mine, to make sure I got off at the right place, then they took a cab back home, seeing as they’d just gotten off the last bus.

It never ceases to amaze me just how far people will go to help others! Thank goodness for good luck in Busan (smiley face).