Day 7 : Jongmyeo Shrine - Banpo Bridge - Express Bus Terminal Underground Shopping Mall - Itaewon

Assalamu'alaikum~

Hari Ke-7 di Korea. Nggak kerasa, hari ini adalah hari terakhir di Seoul. Hari ini rencana kita adalah belanja-belanja sekalian mengulang rencana kita yang gagal lihat air mancur di banpo bridge. Rencana kita hari ini nggak pulang malem-malem karena kita mesti packing. Besok kita rencana naik free shuttle bus ke Jeonju.

Day 7 in Korea 🇰🇷✨ Can’t believe it’s our last day in Seoul! Today’s plan: shopping spree and a second try to catch the Banpo Bridge fountain show. We’re not staying out too late this time since we need to pack — tomorrow we’re heading to Jeonju by free shuttle bus!

Tujuan pertama kami hari ini adalah Jongmyeo Shrine. Masih ingat integrated ticket yang saya beli di hari pertama di Korea? Tiket masuk Jongmyeo Shrine sudah termasuk dalam integrated ticket itu dan merupakan satu-satunya tempat yang belum kami kunjungi. Detail tentang harga, dimana membelinya, tempat wisata mana saja yang include dalam integrated ticket bisa dibaca di sini.

Our first stop today was Jongmyo Shrine. Remember the integrated ticket I bought on my first day in Korea? The entrance to Jongmyo Shrine is included in that ticket — and it’s actually the only place we hadn’t visited yet. You can read all the details about the price, where to buy it, and which attractions are included in the integrated ticket here.

Jongmyeo Shrine

Petunjuk Arah :

Naik subway turun di stasium Jongno-3 (sam)-ga Station (Seoul Subway Line 1), Exit 11. Jalan 10 menit dari stasiun

Directions:

Take the subway and get off at Jongno 3 (sam)-ga Station (Seoul Subway Line 1), Exit 11. It’s about a 10-minute walk from the station.

Pintu masuk Jongmyeo Shrine / Entrance of  Jongmyeo Shrine

Jongmyeo Shrine saya baca sekilas merupakan tempat menyembah roh para raja Korea. Mungkin semacam makam keluarga kerajaan gitu ya. Saya juga kurang tau juga. Karena kekurang tahuan saya, makanya saya pengen ke sana. Apalagi tiketnya juga sudah include di integrated ticket. Sayang kalau nggak di pakai.

From what I read, Jongmyeo Shrine is a place to worship the spirits of Korean kings—kind of like a royal family tomb, I guess. I’m not too sure myself, which is exactly why I wanted to visit. Plus, the ticket was already included in the integrated pass, so it’d be a waste not to use it.

Sesampainya di depan pintu masuk Jongmyeo Shrine, betapa terkejutnya saya (lebaaay -__-). Ternyata kalau mau masuk Jongmyeo Shrine harus ditemani oleh guide. Dan jadwal tour yang paling pagi (dengan guide berbahasa inggris) itu jam 10 pagi. Waktu itu sebenarnya masih pk. 9 kurang. Tapi kalau kami mau lihat pertunjukkan air mancur di Banpo Bridge yang siang hari, kita harus sudah di sana sebelum jam 12. Kita nggak ngerti tournya Jongmyeo Shrine bakal lama apa nggak. Takutnya kemepetan. Dengan berat hati akhirnya kami memutuskan untuk skip Jongmyeo Shrine.

When we arrived at the entrance of Jongmyeo Shrine, I was totally shocked (okay, maybe a bit dramatic -__-). Turns out, you can only enter the shrine with a guide. The earliest English tour was at 10 a.m., but it was still a bit before 9. Since we wanted to catch the daytime fountain show at Banpo Bridge, we needed to be there before noon. We had no idea how long the tour would take, so, reluctantly, we decided to skip Jongmyeo Shrine.

Untuk kalian yang mau mengunjungi Jongmyeo Shrine, jasa guide berbahasa inggris tersedia pk. 10, 12, 14, dan 16. Ataaau.... untuk kalian yang lebih suka eksplor sendiri dengan bebas tanpa mesti ngikutin guide (seperti saya), kalian sebaiknya datang hari Sabtu. Ingat, Selasa dan Minggu tutup.

For those planning to visit Jongmyeo Shrine, English guided tours are available at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. Or... if you prefer exploring freely without following a guide (like me), it’s best to come on a Saturday. Just remember — it’s closed on Tuesdays and Sundays.

Biar nggak sia-sia, narsis aja di depan pintu masuk. Bonus photo bomb : Ahjusshi yang jaga loket senyumnya lebar banget *cling* :D / So it wouldn’t be a wasted trip, we took some selfies in front of the entrance instead. Bonus photo bomb: the ticket counter ahjusshi flashing a big bright smile cling :D

Bangunan Jongmyeo Shrine dari Samping / Side view of Jongmyo Shrine

Karena udah sampai sini, kita memutuskan untuk eksplor sekitaran Jongmyeo Shrine. Sekalian cari toilet :D. Kita menemukan taman. Kalo yang namanya turis ya, ke taman biasa aja bisa girang. Hahaha. Di sana banyak orang-orang yang lagi olahraga. Ada yang main badminton, atau cuma goyang-goyang ringan biar keringetan.

Since we were already here, we decided to explore around Jongmyo Shrine—and also look for a restroom :D. We stumbled upon a park. You know how tourists are, even a regular park can make us excited. Haha. There were lots of people exercising—some playing badminton, others just doing light moves to break a sweat.

Taman dekat Jongmyeo Shrine / Park near Jongmyo Shrine

Banpo Bridge

Untuk petunjuk arah menuju Banpo Bridge bisa dicek di sini ya.

You can check the directions to Banpo Bridge here.

Setelah foto-foto dan ketemu toilet, saatnya melanjutkan perjalanan kami menuju Banpo Bridge. Seperti sebelumnya, kami melewati underground shopping mall di stasiun express bus. Toko-tokonya masih banyak yang tutup karena memang masih pagi. Sampai kita melewati sebuah tangga. Di seberang sana, keliahatan kayak mall. Iya mall. Karena penasaran akhirnya kita jalan ke sana. Sayang saya nggak ngerti nama mallnya apa. 

After taking some photos and finding the restroom, it was time to continue our trip to Banpo Bridge. Like before, we passed through the underground shopping mall at the Express Bus Terminal. Most of the stores were still closed since it was still early. Then we came across a staircase. Across from it, there was something that looked like a mall. Yep, a mall. Out of curiosity, we decided to check it out. Too bad I had no idea what the mall’s name was.

Akhirnya kami putuskan untuk beli camilan sambil nunggu pertunjukkan air mancurnya. Saya beli oden sama vanilla latte, temen saya beli roti. Niatnya kopinya diminum sambil nonton air mancur di pinggir hangang..... eh belum sampe sana udah habis duluan kopinya. Haus apa doyan >.<

We decided to grab some snacks while waiting for the fountain show. I got oden and a vanilla latte, while my friend bought some bread. The plan was to enjoy the coffee while watching the fountain by the Han River… but before we even got there, the coffee was already gone. Were we just thirsty or too into it? >.<

Pemandangan Banpo Bridge dan Hangang (Sungai Han) di siang hari, Namsan Tower tampak dari kejauhan / Daytime view of Banpo Bridge and the Han River, with Namsan Tower visible in the distance

Tempatnya nyaman dan asri / The place is cozy and refreshing

Berhubung kita sudah pernah ke sini, jadi nggak usah nyontek petunjuk arah di itinerary atau celingukan lihat petunjuk arah. Hihihi... Sampai sana sekitar stgh 11. Masih ada waktu buat santai-santai dan foto-foto. Tiba-tiba temen saya bilang kalau dia ngantuk dan pengen tidur. Kirain becanda ternyata beneran. Wkwkwkw.. Jadi dia tidur selonjoran di bangku di sebelah saya. Ada sih fotonya, tapi saya bakalan di getok kalau saya uplod. Daripada nganggur, saya foto-foto sendiri sama nyamilin oden.

Since we’ve been here before, we didn’t need to peek at the itinerary or look around for signs. Hehe… We got there around 11:30, still had plenty of time to chill and take photos. Then suddenly my friend said she was sleepy and wanted to take a nap. I thought she was joking—but nope, she really did. LOL. She stretched out and slept on the bench next to me. I actually have a photo of it, but I’d probably get smacked if I posted it. So instead, I just took selfies and snacked on my oden.

Namsan Tower tampak dari kejauhan / Namsan Tower visible in the distance

Biar siang-siang gitu, ternyata banyak juga orang yang olahraga. Ada yang jogging, ada yang naik sepeda. Tiba-tiba ada Ahjusshi naik sepeda berhenti di belakang kami. Pertamanya Ahjusshinya kayak bengong gitu ngelihatin temen saya yang tidurnya lelap banget. Bingung kali ya kita ini gembel darimana. Hahahah.

Even though it was midday, there were still lots of people exercising—some jogging, some cycling. Then suddenly, an ahjusshi on a bike stopped right behind us. At first, he just stared at my friend who was sleeping so soundly. Maybe he was wondering where these two wanderers came from. Hahaha.

Ahjusshi tadi akhirnya ngajak saya ngobrol. Yang kurang lebih "daripada ente bengong nungguin temen molor mending minjem sepeda di sana, gratis". Saya cuma nunjuk rok saya. Kalau saya pakai celana, saya juga mau sepedaan keliling-keliling sini. Seru juga kayaknya. Akhirnya Ahjusshi itu lanjut lagi naik sepeda. Kalo lihat bapak-bapak naik sepeda gitu jadi inget bapak saya. Pasti seneng banget kalo ke korea. Banyak track yang asik buat naik sepeda.

That ahjusshi ended up talking to me. He basically said, “Instead of just sitting there waiting for your friend to wake up, why not borrow a bike over there? It’s free.” I just pointed at my skirt. If I were wearing pants, I’d totally go cycling around here too—it looked fun. Then the ahjusshi rode off again. Seeing him on his bike reminded me of my dad. He’d love it here in Korea—so many nice tracks for cycling.

Jam 12 kurang, temen saya saya bangunin. Mulai terdengarlah lagu dan pertunjukkan air mancurnya dimulai. Bergemalah lagunya Celine Dion - My heart will go on, mengiringi pertunjukkan.  Durasi pertunjukkan sekitar 10 menit, dengan 3 lagu pengiring. Nggak tau yang tiap pertunjukkan lagunya sama atau beda.

A little before noon, I woke my friend up. Then the music started, and the fountain show began. Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” echoed through the air, accompanying the performance. The show lasted about 10 minutes, with three songs in total. Not sure if they play the same songs every time or change them up.

Setelah pertunjukkan air mancurnya selesai, akhirnya lega karena udah kesampaian juga. Sekarang saatnya belanja. Express Bus Terminal Underground Shopping Mall ini bener-bener surga belanja. Mau cari apa aja semuanya ada. Saya nemu toko yang jual coat big size yang harganya murah banget yaitu 17.000 won (kurs 1 KRW = 13 IDR ). Saya sampe nanya ke penjaga tokonya bener nggak harganya segitu. Mengingat pengalaman kita ke pyounghwa market harganya bisa 5x lipatnya itu. Dan ternyata bener harganya segitu. Saya langsung beli 1, titipan kakak saya. Saya juga nemu sweater rajut panjang harganya 19rb won. Bener-bener surga belanja di sini.

After the fountain show ended, I felt so satisfied—finally checked it off the list! Now it was shopping time. The Express Bus Terminal Underground Shopping Mall is truly a shopping paradise. You can find literally anything there. I found a store selling big-size coats for super cheap—only 17,000 won (with 1 KRW = 13 IDR). I even asked the shopkeeper to confirm the price because, compared to our experience at Pyounghwa Market, that’s like five times cheaper! And yep, it was real. I immediately bought one for my sister. I also found a long knitted sweater for 19,000 won. Seriously, this place is a shopper’s heaven.

Sudah selesai belanja, perut mulai kerasa laper. Ketika laper, tujuan kita cuma 1. Itaewon! Saya benernya pengen nyoba makan di Eid halal restaurant. Berhubung saya kemarin lupa nggak nyimpen petunjuk arah ke sana, akhirnya saya memutuskan Muree Halal Restaurant yang kemarin nggak sengaja kita lihat waktu mengunjungi Siti Sarah Restaurant.

After we finished shopping, our stomachs started to growl. When we’re hungry, there’s only one destination—Itaewon! I actually wanted to try Eid Halal Restaurant, but since I forgot to save the directions yesterday, we ended up going to Muree Halal Restaurant instead—the one we accidentally spotted when we visited Siti Sarah Restaurant before.

Ketemu Oppa kece lagi :D / Met another handsome oppa :D

Sampai di Muree Restaurant, suasananya sepi banget. Nggak ada pengunjung sama sekali. Hanya ada 1 cewek yang di kasir yang ternyata merangkap sebagai waitress. Saya pesan galbitang (sup iga) dan lemon tea, sementara temen saya pesen soft drink sama Nasi Briyani. Saya udah pernah cerita kan dia nggak doyan makanan Korea :D

When we got to Muree Restaurant, it was super quiet—no customers at all. There was only one girl at the counter who also doubled as the waitress. I ordered galbitang (beef rib soup) and lemon tea, while my friend got a soft drink and briyani rice. I’ve told you before, right? She’s not a fan of Korean food :D

Makanan Korea halal di restoran Muree, Itaewon / Halal Korean food at Muree Restaurant, Itaewon

Seperti biasa kalau makan di restoran Korea, dapat free side dishes sama air mineral dingin. Side dishesnya ada ikan teri, kimchi sama oden. Berhubung saya udah kebanyakan makan oden waktu di Banpo, perut saya agak eneg dan nggak saya makan oden yang dar Muree Restaurant.

As usual when eating at a Korean restaurant, we got free side dishes and cold mineral water. The side dishes were anchovies, kimchi, and oden. Since I’d already had too much oden back at Banpo, my stomach felt a bit full, so I skipped the oden from Muree Restaurant.

Kalau sudah di Itaewon, nggak afdol kalau nggak sholat di masjid Itaewon. Oh iya, saya follow ig seorang muslimah asli Korea. Dapet info dari temen SMA saya. Temen saya sempet becanda, ntar kalo ketemu jangan lupa titip salam sama Bora. Cuman saya iyain aja, soalnya nggak yakin juga bakal ketemu.

When you’re in Itaewon, it doesn’t feel complete without praying at the Itaewon Mosque. Oh, by the way, I follow a Korean Muslim woman on Instagram. I actually got the info from my high school friend. She joked, “If you meet her, say hi to Bora for me!” I just laughed and said okay—though honestly, I wasn’t sure I’d ever run into her.

Dan ternyata dikunjungan kedua saya ke masjid Itaewon, ketemulah beneran sama si Bora. Awalnya galau mau ngajak foto bareng apa nggak. Pertama, mesti ngantri sama rombongan Ahjusshi, Kedua, dia kelihatannya sibuk gitu. Takutnya dia nggak mau. Kan malu saya >.< Tapi untungnya dia mau diajak foto bareng. Nggak jadi malu deh saya. Begitu sampai di guesthouse, fotonya langsung saya kirim ke temen saya *dasar tukang pamer*

And guess what—on my second visit to the Itaewon Mosque, I actually met Bora! At first, I was torn about asking for a photo. First, I had to line up behind a group of ahjussis, and second, she looked kind of busy. I was scared she might say no—that would’ve been embarrassing >.< But luckily, she agreed to take a photo with me! No more embarrassment! As soon as I got back to the guesthouse, I sent the photo to my friend—such a show-off, I know!

With Song Bora

Sepulang dari Itaewon, saatnya packing. Hal yang paling ribet. Tadi belanja udah kayak orang kalap, nggak inget apa kalau nggak beli bagasi. Hahahaha. Kami menyiapkan print tiket untuk ke Jeonju besok, minta uang deposit pinjem handuk. Sekalian pamitan sama Minwook dan minta tolong print tiket ke Jeonju kita. Hehehe.

After coming back from Itaewon, it was packing time—the most troublesome part. We shopped like crazy earlier, totally forgetting that we didn’t buy extra baggage. Hahaha. We printed our tickets for Jeonju tomorrow, asked for our towel deposit back, said goodbye to Minwook, and asked him to help us print our Jeonju tickets. Hehe.