A KTX Ride to Remember

On my Korea Bucket List, I had the goal to "ride the KTX." The KTX is the famous bullet train that is one of the nicest and fastest ways to travel across the peninsula. You can get from Seoul to Busan in 3 hours! Wow! For all of you who are knowledgeable about Korean geography, that might impress you. For those of you who aren't, just pretend to understand. 

Now, I said "nicest" because if you ride the KTX correctly, it is incredibly comfortable. The chairs are large and roomy. You can relax and sleep. Now, if you want this comfort, I would not suggest trying to alter your trip to make it more convenient. I had a ticket from Gyeongju to Seoul scheduled for an hour later than my arrival at the station. I had misjudged the distance and had plenty of time to spare. There was a train leaving 5 minutes after I arrived. Instead of doing what I was supposed to and wait, I tried to get on the earlier train. Usually, the KTX is infamous for not checking the tickets of passengers. So, if you just stand in the back, there is a good chance you could ride a different train. 

This, however, was not the case for me. The KTX man checked my ticket and informed me I was on the wrong train. He told me to get off at the next stop, wait, and get on my correct train. I was caught, so I decided to concede. I'd get off at the next stop (even though the guy walked away and did not check on me again to make sure I did not continue my stowaway adventure). 

At the next stop, like I decided, I exited the train and waited on the platform. But wait, what was happening. This platform said the next train for Seoul was...in an hour and a half? My original train was supposed to be in a half hour. What was happening?? 

I went to the ticket counter. The guy looked at me, looked at my ticket, sighed and shook his head. I had gotten off a stop earlier than I was supposed to . I guess my original train did not come to this station, but skipped it. I'd have to wait for the next train on this schedule. Of course.

All was not totally lost. After waiting for an hour and a half, past the time of my original train, I was allowed for free on the other KTX to stand in the spot between cars. Rather than stand I decided to climb into the luggage space and hang out. A restless kid came and we became friends. He and his sister and brother talked to me for a good hour straight. We exchanged kakaos and still pass around photos some times. They even gave me a button for the Busan aquarium where they had spent their day. After they departed, an ajumma and I shared the luggage compartment seating together for a while. In the end, I learned a valuable lesson. Even if USUALLY the KTX people don't check your ticket, they will when you're trying to catch an hour earlier train. 

Here are the adorable kids I'm now friends with: