Day 4 : Garden of Morning Calm - Petite France - Nami Island

Assalamu'alaikum~

Nggak kerasa udah 4 hari di Korea. Seperti biasa pagi ini sarapan mie gelas + energen. Wkwkwkw...Jam 8 kita sudah berangkat karena kita tau tujuan kita hari ini jauuuuh banget. Rencana kita hari ini adalah Garden of Morning Calm - Petite France - Nami Island. Ketiga tempat wisata itu bisa ditempuh menggunakan shuttle bus. Jadi sistemnya hop on hop off.

Can’t believe it’s already Day 4 in Korea. As usual, we had cup noodles and cereal for breakfast. Hahaha… By 8 a.m., we were already on our way because we knew today’s destinations were suuuper far. Our plan for today: Garden of Morning Calm, Petite France, and Nami Island. All three places can be reached by shuttle bus, so it’s basically a hop-on hop-off system.

Kereta menuju Stasiun Chengpyeong, sudah bukan di bawah tanah lagi

Hop on hop off makanan apa'an ya? Hehehehe.  Jadi cukup beli tiket sekali seharga 5000 won kita bisa naik (hop on) dan turun (hop off) di tempat pemberhentian mana saja tanpa perlu bayar lagi (asal tujuannya sesuai rute bis ini ya). Jadi tiketnya jangan sampai hilang, karena ketika naik bis kita diminta menunjukkan tiket saja. Bisnya sudah ada jadwalnya dan ingat di Korea ini semuanya serba tepat waktu apalagi kalau jadwal kalian untuk hari itu padat karena interval kedatangan bis tiap 1 jam sekali. Jadi kalau ketinggalan, lumayan juga nunggunya.

Hop-on hop-off… what kind of food is that? Hahaha. Actually, it just means you can buy a ticket once for 5,000 won and then hop on and hop off at any stop along the route without paying again—as long as it’s on the shuttle’s route. So don’t lose your ticket, because you need to show it every time you get on the bus. The buses run on a fixed schedule, and remember, everything in Korea is super punctual. Especially if your day’s itinerary is packed, because the buses come only once every hour. If you miss one, you’ll have to wait quite a while.

Waktu membuat itinerary ke sini saya lumayan pusing bikinnya karena saya ingin mengawali perjalanan dari Morning Calm Arboretum alias Garden of Morning Calm (sebut saja Sumokwon) baru lanjut ke Petite France dan Nami Island (Saya pilih rute yang warna orange/descending order). Nah untuk cari petunjuk ke Sumokwon ini kudu ngublek-ngublek google sampe stress. Kenapa saya ngotot pengen ke Sumokwon duluan? Karena pagi-pagi udah buka (pk. 08.30) sehingga saya punya waktu lebih panjang untuk eksplor Garden of Morning Calm. Rencana saya mau naik shuttle bis ke Petite France yang jam 11. Dan lagi bis terakhir yang berangkat dari Nami Island pk. 18.15. Harus hati-hati ketika merancang itin ke sini dan disiplin waktu.

When I was making the itinerary for today, I got pretty stressed because I wanted to start at the Garden of Morning Calm (let’s just call it Sumokwon), and then continue to Petite France and Nami Island. I chose the orange route in descending order. Finding directions to Sumokwon had me scouring Google until I was stressed out. Why was I so insistent on going there first? Because it opens early at 08:30, giving me more time to explore the Garden of Morning Calm. My plan was to catch the shuttle to Petite France at 11 a.m., and the last bus from Nami Island leaves at 18:15. You really have to be careful when planning an itinerary here and stick to the schedule.

Garden of Morning Calm (아침고요수목원 = Achimgoyo Sumokwon) aka Sumokwon

Petunjuk Arah : Naik Subway ke stasiun Cheongpyeong. Jalan kaki ke terminal Cheongpyeong dan naik bis ke Sumokwon

Directions: Take the subway to Cheongpyeong Station. Walk to Cheongpyeong Terminal and take a bus to Sumokwon.

Dari stasiun Hongik university (Hongdae) ke Stasiun Cheongpyeong sekitar 1,5 jam. Belum nyasar-nyasarnya waktu transit. Alhasil lumayan kesiangan mengingat jam 11 saya harus sudah selesai eksplor Sumokwon. Saya nggak menemukan petunjuk arah dari Stasiun Cheongpyeong ke terminal Cheongpyeong di google. Di website Visitkorea hanya disebutkan 10 menit dari Stasiun Cheongpyeong. Oke kelihatannya deket, nggak masalah. Nanti di sana tinggal tanya-tanya orang saja.

From Hongik University Station (Hongdae) to Cheongpyeong Station takes about 1.5 hours—exclude any detours during transfers. As a result, we ended up running a bit late, especially since I wanted to finish exploring Sumokwon by 11 a.m. I couldn’t find clear directions from Cheongpyeong Station to Cheongpyeong Terminal on Google. The VisitKorea website just mentioned it’s a 10-minute walk from the station. Okay, that sounds close enough—no problem. We can just ask around once we get there.

Sesampainya di stasiun Cheongpyeong, kita langsung jajan di convenient store. Lah.... kok jajan? Soalnya kita masih trauma kelaparan di Banpo Bridge (baca lengkapnya di kisah sedih di Banpo Bridge), jadi sekarang kita komit kalau mau pergi kemana gitu harus bawa camilan + minum biar nggak kelaperan karena kita nggak tahu di tempat tujuan kita ada yang jual makan/minum apa nggak. Begitu keluar dari Stasiun langsung krik-krik gitu. Di sana bener-bener masih pedesaan bila dibandingkan Seoul. Ya iyalaaah...

When we arrived at Cheongpyeong Station, we immediately grabbed some snacks at the convenience store. Wait… snacks? Well, we were still traumatized from being starving at Banpo Bridge (read the full sad story at Banpo Bridge), so now we’re committed to always bringing snacks and drinks wherever we go—just in case, since we never know if there’ll be food or drinks at our destination. As soon as we stepped out of the station, it felt so quiet and rural compared to Seoul. Well, of course…

Kita jalan aja menuju jalan raya. Kebetulan ada anak-anak sekolah lewat langsung aja kita cegat. Saya langsung tanya aja Cheongpyeong terminal odieyo? Ngomong terminalnya jangan dengan aksen Inggris nanti mereka malah nggak ngerti. Katakan saja 터미널 (Teomineol) pelafalannya Tominol. Insya Allah mereka ngerti. Saya sekali ngomong langsung ngerti mereka. Alhamdulillah ada satu dari mereka yang bisa bahasa Inggris dikit-dikit dan bisa ngasih petunjuk arah ke kita. 

We just started walking toward the main road. By chance, a group of school kids passed by, so we stopped them. I immediately asked, “Cheongpyeong terminal odieyo?” When saying “terminal,” don’t use an English accent—they might not understand. Just say 터미널 (Teomineol), pronounced Tominol. Inshallah, they’ll get it. I said it once, and they understood right away. Thankfully, one of them spoke a little English and was able to give us directions.

Dengan mengikuti petunjuk anak sekolah tadi kita melewati sawah. Hahaha... Sebenarnya ada jalan aspal yang bisa dilewati tapi agak jauh, biar deket kita potong jalan lewat sawah. Temen saya sempet kepleset, untung dia nggak sampe jatuh ke sawahnya. Kan nggak lucu. Setelah melewati sawah, mulai ada papan petunjuk terminal Cheongpyeong. Tapi setelah 3 papan petunjuk kita nggak ketemu papan lagi, entah emang nggak ada atau terlewatkan. Udah mulai panik sedangkan hari sudah semakin siang.

Following the school kiddo’s directions, we ended up walking through rice fields. Hahaha… Actually, there was an asphalt road we could’ve taken, but it was a bit far, so we cut through the fields to save time. My friend slipped a bit, but thankfully didn’t fall into the rice field—that would’ve been awful. After passing the fields, we started seeing signs for Cheongpyeong Terminal. But after three signs, there weren’t any more—either they didn’t exist or we missed them. We were starting to panic as the day was getting later.

Kemudian kita papasan dengan Ahjusshi dan kita langsung nanya arah ke Terminal Cheongpyeong. Dan inilah awal pengalaman nggak enak kita di Korea TT__TT. Awalnya nggak ada yang aneh dengan Ahjusshi ini. Kita haha-hihi aja jalan sambil ngobrol. Sesekali kita dipegangi waktu mau nyebrang atau dibilang 'pelan-pelan, jangan lari'. Tapi makin lama kok tangannya makin gak sopan dan mulai pegang tangan atau pundak kita. Saya mulai feeling gak enak.

Then we ran into an ahjusshi and asked him for directions to Cheongpyeong Terminal. And this is where our uncomfortable experience in Korea began TT__TT. At first, there was nothing strange about him. We were chatting and laughing while walking. Occasionally, he would hold us when crossing the street or say “slowly, don’t run.” But as time went on, his hands started getting inappropriate, touching our hands or shoulders. I started getting a really bad feeling.

My friend and I walked ahead of the ahjusshi and whispered in our native language. 

Kitapun langsung lari sekenceng-kencengnya. Saya nyaris jatuh karena lupa kalau lagi pakai rok. Hahaha... Namanya juga panik. Tuh Ahjusshi mulai neriakin kita dalam hati saya mikir saya dosa apa digangguin om-om mabuk TT__TT. Sampailah kita di Terminal Cheongpyeong, kitapun langsung masuk. Dengan bahasa Korea seadanya dan nafas ngos-ngosan saya berusaha nanya bis menuju Sumokwon yang mana. Saya nanya "Garden of Morning Calm" mereka nggak ada yang ngerti. Mana saya dalam keadaan panik, takut orang tadi nyusul ke sini. Akhirnya berasa main tebak-tebakan sama orang 1 terminal.

We ran as fast as we could. I almost fell because I forgot I was wearing a skirt. Hahaha… panic does that to you. The ahjusshi started shouting after us, and in my head I was thinking, “What did I do to deserve being harassed by a drunk old man TT__TT.” Finally, we made it to Cheongpyeong Terminal and went straight inside. Using my very limited Korean and gasping for breath, I tried asking which bus goes to Sumokwon. When I said “Garden of Morning Calm,” no one understood. Panic mode on—I was scared the guy might follow us. It ended up feeling like playing a guessing game with everyone in the terminal.

Saya cuma ingat bahasa Koreanya Garden of Morning Calm depannya adalah Achim (Achimgoyo Sumokwon). Kelanjutannya saya lupa. Jadi saya berusaha menjelaskan Achim mwo mwo mwo (Achim bla bla bla) yang mereka tebak Achim siksa (Sarapan). Saya udah pengen jerit-jerit frustasi karena mereka nggak ngerti juga apa yang saya maksud, sementara temen saya cuma berdiri pasrah di sebelah saya. Kita berdua bisa bahasa Inggris, tapi hanya saya yang bisa bicara dan baca bahasa Korea sedikit-sedikit. Bahasa Inggris bisa dibilang nyaris nggak berguna di Korea.

I only remembered the Korean for Garden of Morning Calm starts with “Achim” (Achimgoyo Sumokwon). I forgot the rest. So I tried explaining “Achim mwo mwo mwo” (Achim bla bla bla), and they guessed “Achim siksa” (breakfast). I wanted to scream in frustration because they still didn’t understand what I meant, while my friend just stood there helplessly beside me. We both speak English, but only I could speak and read a little Korean. Honestly, English is almost useless in Korea.

Tiba-tiba ada cewek ABG yang bilang Morning Calm dan mata saya langsung berbinar-binar. Dia langsung ngasih tahu ibunya dan menunjuk jadwal di tembok. Saya baca memang benar itu Achim blablabla yang saya maksud.

Suddenly, a teenage girl said “Morning Calm,” and my eyes lit up. She immediately told her mom and pointed to the schedule on the wall. I checked, and yes—it was really the “Achim bla bla bla” I meant.

Bis menuju Sumokwon berangkat pk. 09.20 dari terminal Cheongpyeong / The bus to Sumokwon departs at 09:20 from Cheongpyeong Terminal.

Tulisan Achimgoyo Sumokwon itu langsung saya foto buat kalau perlu nanya ke orang. Saya nggak mau main tebak-tebakan kayak tadi bikin stres. Sambil nunggu bis, kita duduk-duduk dulu. Bulu kuduk langsung berdiri semua waktu lihat ke arah pintu masuk terminal. Ahjusshi yang mabuk tadi datang dengan santainya. Saya langsung menghampiri bapak-bapak yang tinggi besar di sebelah saya. Sengaja saya minta perlindungan yang badannya gede besar biar aman. Hahaha...

I immediately took a photo of the sign “Achimgoyo Sumokwon” in case I needed to ask someone later. I didn’t want to play the stressful guessing game like before. While waiting for the bus, we sat down. My hair stood on end when I looked toward the terminal entrance—the drunk ahjusshi from before casually walked in. I quickly went over to a tall, big man next to me and asked for protection, hoping his size would keep us safe. Hahaha…

Dengan bahasa Korea seadanya saya berusaha bilang kalau Ahjusshi itu mengikuti kita dan kita takut. Tapi malah dijawab Gwenchana (tidak apa-apa). Temen saya sampe udah mau nangis ketika Ahjusshi itu mulai narik-narik tangan temen saya. Baru Ahjusshi yang tinggi besar itu bereaksi dan menyuruh Ahjusshi mabuk itu melepas tangan temen saya. Akhirnya waktu menunjukkan pk. 09.20, bis menuju Sumokwon akan segera berangkat.

Using my very basic Korean, I tried to explain that the ahjusshi had been following us and we were scared. But all I got was “Gwenchana” (it’s okay). My friend was close to tears as the drunk ahjusshi started grabbing her hand. Finally, the tall, big ahjusshi stepped in and told the drunk man to let go. By 09:20, it was time for the bus to Sumokwon to depart.

Sebelum naik ke bis, saya tunjukkan foto tulisan Garden of Morning Calm dalam bahasa Korea ke pak supirnya dan kata pak sopirnya sudah benar. Saya sempet parno, takut Ahjusshi mabuk itu ngikutin kita naik bis. Ternyata nggak. Alhamdulillah.... terlepas dari mara bahaya >.<

Before getting on the bus, I showed the driver a photo of the Garden of Morning Calm sign in Korean, and he confirmed it was correct. I was a bit paranoid, worried the drunk ahjusshi might follow us onto the bus. Luckily, he didn’t. Alhamdulillah… we escaped danger >.<

Tarif bisnya sama kayak bis dalam kota biasanya dan bisa bayar pakai T-Money. Oh iya di hari pertama sampai di Korea saya langsung beli kartu T-Money seharga 3.000 won dan deposit 40.000 won. Saya beli dan deposit di Convenience Store. Waktu saya bilang deposit segitu kasirnya rada bengong. Saya jelaskan kalau saya di Korea 10 hari baru orangnya ngangguk-ngangguk. Deposit segitu saya pakai untuk transport selama 10 hari + jajan, masih saya tambah deposit lagi 10.000 won.

The bus fare was the same as a typical city bus, and you can pay using T-Money. Oh, and on my first day in Korea, I bought a T-Money card for 3,000 won and loaded it with 40,000 won. I got it at a convenience store. When I mentioned the deposit amount, the cashier looked a bit surprised. I explained that I’d be in Korea for 10 days, and then they nodded. That deposit covered transport for 10 days plus snacks, and I even topped it up with another 10,000 won.

Singkatnya sampailah kita di depan Sumokwon. Waktu menunjukkan pk. 10.28.  Belum apa-apa saya dan teman saya udah capek gara-gara lari-larian dan mood kita udah agak kacau gara-gara Ahjusshi tadi. Sebenarnya masih ada waktu setengah jam an kalau mau eksplor Sumokwon, tapi tentu aja nggak bisa menikmati karena saya baca paling nggak butuh 2 jam an untuk eksplor Sumokwon. Daripada entar di sana tergesa-gesa, akhirnya kita terpaksa skip Sumokwon nya. Akhirnya kita duduk-duduk di tempat parkir bis, foto-foto sambil makan cemilan. Untung tadi sempet jajan :D

In short, we finally arrived in front of Sumokwon at 10:28 a.m. My friend and I were already exhausted from running around, and our mood was a bit shaken from the ahjusshi incident. Technically, we still had about half an hour to explore Sumokwon, but there was no way we could really enjoy it since I’d read it takes at least 2 hours to explore properly. Rather than rushing, we had to skip Sumokwon. We ended up sitting in the bus parking area, taking photos and eating our snacks. Good thing we bought them earlier :D

Penasaran snack ini gara-gara nonton VIXX's one fine day. Rasanya kayak snack *ishi / Sm*x / I was curious about this snack because of watching VIXX’s One Fine Day. It tastes kinda like *ishi/Sm*x

Akhirnya bisnya sampai. Belum nanya, supirnya udah bilang Petite France. Kitapun langsung naik. Tiket shuttle bus 5000 won. Oh iya yang naik bis ke Petite France saat itu cuma kita berdua. 

Finally, the bus arrived. Before I even asked, the driver said “Petite France.” We got on right away. The shuttle bus ticket was 5,000 won. Oh, and at that time, we were the only passengers on the bus.

Perjalanan Menuju Petite France / On the way to Petite France

Perjalanan Menuju Petite France / On the way to Petite France

Perjalanan Menuju Petite France / On the way to Petite France

Petite France

Waktu menunjukkan pk. 11.52. Di sini mood kita sudah membaik dan ilang capeknya. Kita langsung masuk dan beli tiket. Harga tiket masuk Petite France 8.000 won. Oh iya, jangan lupa foto di pintu masuknya ya :D 

It was 11:52 a.m. By now, our mood had improved and our fatigue was gone. We went straight in and bought tickets. Entrance to Petite France costs 8,000 won. Oh, and don’t forget to take a photo at the entrance :D

Orgel House

Petite France banyak dikunjungi wisatawan lokal maupun manca / Petite France is visited by both local and international tourists.

Di sini tempat diadakannya pertunjukkan / This is where the performances take place.

Jangan takut kelaperan, di sini ada yang jual camilan dan minuman / Don’t worry about getting hungry—there are snacks and drinks for sale here.

O iya sewaktu di Petite France tadi, kita nggak sempet foto sama patungnya Little Prince yang merupakan salah satu ikonnya Petite France. Gara-garanya ada cewek korea dan cowok Korea yang sok-sokan pemotretan di spot itu. Lama banget mereka nggak pergi-pergi jadi seperti di monopoli. Plis deh mbak/mas, kalian kan masih bisa ke sini lagi besok-besok. Mbok ya kasian sama kita-kita yang turis dari jauh.

Oh yeah, when we were at Petite France, we didn’t get a chance to take a photo with the Little Prince statue, one of Petite France’s icons. Why? There was a Korean girl and guy taking their sweet time for a photoshoot at the spot. They lingered forever, like they owned the place. Please, guys, you can come back another day—have some pity on us tourists coming from far away.

Kita udah ada di halte di seberang Petite France, menanti kedatangan bis menuju Nami Island yang akan datang 15 menit lagi. Tiba - tiba kepengen nyoba es krim yang ada di dalam Petite France tadi. Saya ngomong ke temen eh ternyata dia kepengen juga makan es krim itu. Akhirnya kita nyebrang, balik lagi ke Petite France. Saya menunjukkan tiket yang saya beli tadi dan ngomong ke penjaga loketnya kalau saya mau masuk lagi buat beli es krim. Bahasa Koreanya apa? Yaelah tinggal tunjukkin tiket sambil nunjuk-nunjuk ke toko es krim trus bilang es krim... es krim wkwkwkw. Nah pas beli es krimlewat patungnya Little Prince kok sepi nggak kayak tadi. Langsung deh kita foto-foto, Alhamdulillah kesampaian juga.

We were already at the bus stop across from Petite France, waiting for the bus to Nami Island, which would arrive in 15 minutes. Suddenly, I felt like trying the ice cream inside Petite France. I told my friend, and turns out she wanted it too. So we crossed back and returned to Petite France. I showed the ticket I had bought earlier and told the clerk I wanted to go in again just to get ice cream. How to say that in Korean? Well, just show the ticket, point to the ice cream shop, and say “ice cream… ice cream” wkwkwkw. While buying the ice cream, we passed the Little Prince statue, and this time it was empty—not like before. Finally, we took photos. Alhamdulillah, we made it!

Salah satu foto spot terkenal di Petite France, patung Little Prince / One of the famous photo spots in Petite France—the Little Prince statue.

Selesai beli es krim, kembalilah kita ke halte tadi sambil makan es krim. Saya udah pernah cerita di postingan sebelumnya apa belum ya? Es krim di Korea rasanya nggak semanis di Indonesia. Jadi serasa makan es serut. Kita makan es krimnya buru-buru karena shuttle bisnya akan segera datang dan saya yakin, di dalam bis nggak akan dibolehin makan es krim.

After buying the ice cream, we returned to the bus stop while eating it. I think I mentioned this before—ice cream in Korea isn’t as sweet as in Indonesia. It kind of tastes like plain shaved ice cube. We ate quickly because the shuttle bus was about to arrive, and I was pretty sure eating ice cream wouldn’t be allowed on the bus.

Akhirnya shuttle busnya datang. Dengan kondisi mulut beku gara-gara buru-buru makan es krim, kita naik ke dalam bis. Perjalanan menuju Nami Island benar-benar luar biasa. Jalannya naik-turun-berkelok, alhasil temen saya mabuk darat. Laju bis juga lumayan kencang karena bis harus tiba tepat waktu sesuai yang tercantum di jadwal. Perjalanan Petite France-Nami Island cukup lama yaitu 30 menit.

Finally, the shuttle bus arrived. With our mouths frozen from eating ice cream so fast, we got on. The ride to Nami Island was intense—twisty, hilly roads, and my friend got motion sickness. The bus was also moving pretty fast to stay on schedule. The trip from Petite France to Nami Island took about 30 minutes.

Nami Island (Pulau Nami)

Sesampainya di halte Nami Island, nggak usah panik nggak usah bingung. Ikuti saja kemana orang-orang berjalan. Insya Allah itu menuju loket tiket menuju Nami Island. Kalau tidak salah harga tiket aslinya 10.000 won tapi kalau turis dapat harga 8.000 won dengan menunjukkan paspor. Tiket masuk Nami Island sudah termasuk tiket ferry PP.

When you arrive at the Nami Island bus stop, don’t panic or get confused. Just follow where the crowd is walking. InshaAllah, that leads to the ticket booth for Nami Island. If I’m not mistaken, the regular ticket price is 10,000 won, but foreigners get a discounted price of 8,000 won by showing a passport. The entrance ticket to Nami Island already includes the round-trip ferry ticket.

Tiket menuju Nami Island / Ticket to Nami Island

Waktu mau naik ferry, akan ada petugas yang memeriksa tiket kita. Kita ditanya berasal darimana dan kita jawab Indonesia. Petugasnya langsung menyapa kami dengan bahasa Indonesia : "Selamat datang".

When we were about to board the ferry, an officer checked our tickets. They asked where we were from, and we said Indonesia. The officer immediately greeted us in Indonesian: “Selamat datang.”

Untuk menuju Nami Island memakan waktu sekitar 10 menit dari gerbang 'imigrasi' tadi. Belum sembuh dari mabuk darat, teman saya harus kembali merasakan mabuk. Kali ini mabuk danau laut. Untungnya saya nggak mabuk apa-apa selama di perjalanan, malah saya menikmati sekali naik ferry yang cuma sebentar itu. Anginnya sepoi-sepoi dan pemandangannya juga bagus.

The ferry ride to Nami Island takes about 10 minutes from the “immigration” gate. My friend, still recovering from motion sickness, had to deal with it again—this time from the lake. Luckily, I didn’t get sick at all and actually really enjoyed the short ferry ride. The breeze was gentle, and the scenery was beautiful.

Foto di dalam kapal ferry saat menyebrang menuju Nami Island / Photo inside the ferry while crossing to Nami Island

Tiba di dermaga Nami Island / Arriving at Nami Island pier

Kesan pertama ketika menginjakkan kaki di pulau Nami adalah asriiii.... banget, sejuk segar. Again.... reality hits me... Emak.... anakmu beneran lagi di Koreaaaa >.<

My first impression stepping onto Nami Island was how lush and fresh it felt. Again… reality hits me… Mom, your child is really in Korea >.<

Saya asyik aja jalan, lihat sana lihat sini. Mengagumi keasrian pulau Nami. Baru sadar saya tumben temen saya yang biasanya cerewet kok jadi diem. Ternyata dia masih mabuk gara-gara naik bis tadi. Akhirnya kita duduk-duduk sebentar biar pusing temen saya hilang. Dia sandaran di bahu saya, sayapun makan camilan sambil lihat pemandangan hihihi...Setelah beberapa saat, temen saya udah mulai segeran lagi.

I was happily walking around, looking everywhere, admiring the island’s beauty. Then I noticed my friend, usually chatty, was unusually quiet. Turns out she was still feeling motion sick from the bus ride. We sat down for a bit so she could recover. She leaned on my shoulder while I snacked and enjoyed the view hihihi… After a while, she started feeling better.

Cukup banyak wisatawan lokal mengunjungi Pulau Nami saat saya ke sana. Dari yang rame-rame sama temen, yang pacaran atau yang bersama anggota keluarganya. Tempatnya memang nyaman, cocok untuk sejenak melepas penat dari hiruk-pikuk Ibu kota (hayah ngomong apah)

There were quite a lot of local tourists visiting Nami Island when I went—groups of friends, couples, and families. The place is really comfortable, perfect for taking a break from the hustle and bustle of the city (haha, like I know what that feels like).

Pengunjung Pulau Nami dari berbagai macam kalangan / Visitors to Nami Island come from all kinds of backgrounds.

Pemandangan yang biasa saya lihat melalui googlepun akhirnya benar-benar ada di depan saya. Yang pernah ke Pulau Nami pasti akan foto diantara pepohonan pinus ini. Dan akhirnya saya punya foto ini.

The scenery I usually saw on Google was finally right in front of me. Anyone who’s been to Nami Island would take a photo among these pine trees. And finally, I got my photo too.

Saatnya melanjutkan perjalanan lagi. Mulai haus, kitapun beli minum di vending machine. Sebelum menggunakan vending machine jangan lupa di cek dulu, apa mesinnya rusak apa nggak. Soalnya ada turis juga yang beli sebelum saya, ternyata vending machine yang mereka masuki koin rusak. Sayang kan duitnya. Harga minuman standarlah... standar korea tapi :P. Dari 900-1500 won. Kopi biasa jadi kerasa enak banget karena minumnya di Korea. Hihihi...

Time to continue our journey. Feeling thirsty, we bought drinks from a vending machine. Before using it, make sure to check if it’s working. A tourist before me tried, and the machine’s coin slot was broken—what a waste of money. Prices are standard… typical Korea style :P. 900–1500 won. Even regular coffee tastes amazing when you drink it in Korea. Hihihi…

Saya pernah baca katanya di pulau Nami ada mushola. Sekalian saja saya numpang sholat. Musholla di Pulau Nami letaknya tidak jauh dari area restoran. Letaknya ada di lantai 2. Tanya saja pada pelayan restoran, pasti tahu :D

I once read that there’s a prayer room on Nami Island, so we decided to stop by for prayer. The prayer room isn’t far from the restaurant area, on the second floor. Just ask the restaurant staff—they’ll know :D

Livingstone daisies, atau dikenal juga sebagai Mesembryanthemum atau Ice plants / Livingstone daisies, also known as Mesembryanthemum or Ice plants

Yang membuat Pulau Nami terkenal dan diminati banyak wisatawan salah satunya adalah drama Winter Sonata yang diperankan oleh Choi Jiwoo dan BaeYongjoon. Saya nggak ngerti ceritanya seperti apa, kayaknya saya waktu itu masih SD. Saya cuma ingat di drama itu Choi Jiwoo jadi buta dan banyak sekali adegan nangisnya.

One of the reasons Nami Island is famous and attracts so many tourists is the drama Winter Sonata, starring Choi Jiwoo and Bae Yong Joon. I don’t really know the story—guess I was still in elementary school back then. All I remember is that Choi Jiwoo’s character goes blind and there are a lot of crying scenes.

Kami berniat menyudahi eksplor kami di Pulau Nami. Eiitss.... ada satu yang jangan sampai terlewatkan yaitu patung Bae Yongjoon dan Choi Jiwoo yang merupakan spot foto terpopuler di Pulau Nami. Setelah muter-muter akhirnya ketemu juga patungnya. Harus sabar ngantri ya, karena banyak sekali yang pengen foto di sini. Mau foto sama patungnya aja ngantri, gimana kalau mau foto dengan orangnya yang asli :D

We were about to wrap up our exploration of Nami Island. But wait… there’s one thing you can’t miss: the statue of Bae Yong Joon and Choi Jiwoo, the most popular photo spot on the island. After wandering around, we finally found it. Be prepared to wait in line, because so many people want a photo here. Just taking a pic with the statue needs a queue—imagine with the real people :D

Winter Sonata will remain on Nami Island forever / Winter Sonata will forever live on Nami Island.

Foto dengan patung Bae Yongjoon + Choi Jiwoo sudah terlaksana, saatnya meninggalkan Pulau Nami. Saya beberapa kali melihat tupai loncat-loncat di dahan pohon yang pendek. Kadang malah lari-lari di tanah. Lucu banget sih. Di perjalanan kembali ke dermaga, saya sempet foto tupai unyu-unyunya.

After taking a photo with the Bae Yong Joon + Choi Jiwoo statue, it was time to leave Nami Island. I spotted squirrels jumping around on the low tree branches, and sometimes running on the ground. So cute! On the way back to the dock, I managed to snap some pics of the adorable squirrels.

Hayooo... dimana tupainya / Guess… where is the squirrel?

Kita sampai di dermaga dan mengantri untuk naik ferry. Sambil nunggu ferrynya datang, kita duduk-duduk sambil makan camilan. Tuhkan camilannya berguna. Saya sarankan sebelum berangkat ke objek wisata beli camilan + minum buat ganjal perut daripada nganggur. Tak lama kemudian ferry datang, jadi kita bisa naik shuttle bis menuju stasiun Gapyeong yang berangkat pk. 16.15.

We arrived at the dock and queued up to board the ferry. While waiting, we sat down and snacked a bit. See, those snacks really come in handy! I’d recommend grabbing some snacks and drinks before heading to any attraction—it’s better than starving around. Not long after, the ferry arrived, so we could catch the shuttle bus to Gapyeong Station departing at 16:15.

Ketika berangkat naik ferry tadi, kita pilih tempat berdiri di luar. Karena pengen suasana baru, kita masuk di dalam ferry dimana ada tempat duduknya meskipun terbatas. Pas ada tempat kosong tersedia pula, langsung kita tempati dan ngemil kamipun berlanjut.

Earlier on the ferry, we stood outside to enjoy the view. This time, wanting a change of scenery, we went inside where there were seats—though limited. When a spot opened up, we grabbed it and continued snacking.

Tiba-tiba ada 3 nenek-nenek masuk. Kita reflek berdiri dan ngasih tempat duduk kita ke mereka. Sambil ngelirik kita, mereka bilang yang kira-kita artinya " Ternyata orang asing tau ". Intinya mereka kaget kok orang asing ngerti kalau lebih sopan ngasih tempat duduk kita ke orang yang lebih tua yang menurut saya adalah common sense, bukan sesuatu yang hanya diketahui orang Korea saja. Orang tua saya selalu ngajari saya unggah-ungguh (tatakrama) dan untuk selalu hormat kepada orang yang lebih tua. Ternyata nggak selamanya pengetahuan saya tentang bahasa Korea menguntungkan. Disitu kadang saya merasa sedih.

Suddenly, three elderly ladies came in. Reflexively, we stood up and offered them our seats. They glanced at us and said something that basically meant, “Wow, foreigners actually know.” They were surprised that we understood it’s polite to give up our seats to elders—something I thought was common sense, not just a Korean thing. My parents always taught me manners and to respect older people. Funny enough, not all my Korean knowledge is useful—sometimes it just makes me feel a bit sad.

Tapi ada satu pengalaman berkesan ketika saya ngasih tempat duduk saya di subway pada seorang nenek. Nenek itu berterimakasih sekali pada saya. Kebetulan kami turun di stasiun yang sama. Nenek itu mengajak turun bersama-sama kemudian bahu saya dirangkul. Disitu saya tiba-tiba kangen sama Ibu saya di rumah TT_TT

But there was one memorable moment when I gave up my seat on the subway to an elderly lady. She was so thankful. Coincidentally, we got off at the same station, and she invited me to get off with her, even putting her arm around my shoulder. At that moment, I suddenly missed my mom back home TT_TT

Kita memutuskan untuk menutup perjalanan kita lebih awal. Mengingat hari ini objek wisata yang kita kunjungi letaknya jauuuh. Belum lagi drama akibat ketemu kakek-kakek mabuk yang bikin capek lahir batin.Sekian cerita hari ke-4 di Korea. Postingan selanjutnya akan saya ceritakan pengalaman saya foto gratis menggunakan Hanbok di Korean Tourism Organization di Myeongdong.

We decided to wrap up our trip a bit earlier today. Considering all the attractions we visited were suuuper far apart, plus the drama with the drunk old man that drained us both physically and mentally. That’s it for Day 4 in Korea. In my next post, I’ll share my experience taking free photos in a Hanbok at the Korean Tourism Organization in Myeongdong.