Day 8 : Jeonju Hanok Village - Gamcheon Culture Village - Jagalchi Market - Songdo Haesupia

Assalamualaikum~

Hari ke-8 di Korea. Hari ini seperti biasanya kita bangun pagi. Kali ini karena kita harus mengejar bis kita yang akan bertolak ke Jeonju jam 8 pagi. Jadi ceritanya kita ikut tur gratis. Saya kalau tidak salah dapat info dari grup di facebook yang saya ikuti, namanya Backpacker Dunia tentang free shuttle bus ini.

Day 8 in Korea. As usual, we woke up early—but this time because we had to catch our bus to Jeonju at 8 a.m. So the story is, we joined a free tour. If I’m not mistaken, I found out about this free shuttle bus from a Facebook group I follow called Backpacker Dunia.

Akhirnya saya coba apply. Lumayan kan bisa eksplor kota lain di Korea secara gratis. Jadi ada 2 pilihan. Kita mau ikut turnya PP (Seoul-Jeonju-Seoul) atau cuma one way  saja. Karena tujuan kita selanjutnya adalah Busan, jadi kita ambil tur yang one way. Sempet takut nggak kebagian seat, soalnya konfirmasinya lumayan lama. Belum lagi saya cek status yang apply buat free shuttle bus ini juga lumayan banyak dan melebihi jumlah kursi yang disediakan. Tapi Alhamdulillah akhirnya saya dapat konfirmasi kalo kebagian seat. Applynya melalui web ini

So I decided to apply—pretty nice deal to explore another city in Korea for free, right? There were two options: a round-trip tour (Seoul–Jeonju–Seoul) or a one-way trip. Since our next destination was Busan, we chose the one-way option. I was a bit worried we wouldn’t get a seat because the confirmation took quite a while, and when I checked, there were way more applicants than available seats. But Alhamdulillah, I finally got the confirmation that we got in! I applied through this website.

Seperti yang tertera di web, kami diminta kumpul di tempat parkir Donghwa Duty Free Shop Gwanghwamun jam 8. Kita udah sampe di Gwanghwamun Square jam setengah 8, tapi kita nggak ngerti tempat parkirnya dimana. Kita nanya ke polisi yang jaga di Gwanghwamun Square tapi mereka juga nggak ngerti.

As stated on the website, we were told to gather at the Donghwa Duty Free Shop parking lot in Gwanghwamun at 8 a.m. We arrived at Gwanghwamun Square around 7:30, but we had no idea where the parking lot was. We even asked the police officers on duty there, but they didn’t know either.

Akhirnya kita coba nanya polisi yang lain dan akhirnya ada juga yang ngerti. Sampe lari-larian nggak jelas karena kita takut ketinggalan bis. Mengikuti petunjuk pak polisi tadi ketemu juga tempat parkirnya. Dan benar saja tinggal kita yang belum naik. Alhasil cuma tersisa tempat kosong di belakang sendiri, tempat yang paling nggak pewe di bis >.<

We ended up asking another police officer, and thankfully, one of them knew the place. We ran around like crazy because we were scared we’d miss the bus. Following his directions, we finally found the parking lot—and yep, we were the last ones to get on. The only seats left were at the very back, the least comfortable spot on the bus >.<

Oh iya, sampai sekarang saya masih dapat notifikasi email dari Shuttle Center. Daaaan... banyak sekali penawaran shuttle bus yang bikin ngiler. Sekarang informasi lokasi keberangkatan juga diperjelas nggak cuma ditulis "parkir Donghwa Duty Free Shop Gwanghwamun". Ada informasi tambahan lokasinya berada di exit 6 Gwanghwamun Station. Lebih jelas petunjuknya dan Insya Allah nggak bakal kesulitan nyarinya kayak saya waktu itu :D

Oh, and even now I still get email notifications from the Shuttle Center. Aaaand… there are so many tempting shuttle bus offers! These days, the departure info is also much clearer—it no longer just says “Donghwa Duty Free Shop Gwanghwamun parking lot.” They’ve added details saying it’s near Exit 6 of Gwanghwamun Station. Much clearer directions now, and hopefully no one will get as lost as I did back then :D

Info tur terbaru yang saya dapat dari email / Latest tour info I got from the email

Seperti ketika naik bis dari Busan ke Seoul, bis dari Seoul ke Jeonju ini juga berhenti di rest area. Saya cuma ke kamar mandi sebentar terus beli 2 camilan. Yang satu semacam krupuk yang terbuat dari daging ikan. Bentuknya panjang-panjang gitu kayak cheesestick. Harga dan fotonya lupa nggak saya ambil. Rasanya gurih-manis enak, tapi agak nyeret di tenggorokan. Sensasinya kayak makan krupuk rambak, nyeret tapi bikin nagih. Wkwkwkw. 

Just like the bus ride from Busan to Seoul, the one from Seoul to Jeonju also made a stop at a rest area. I just went to the restroom and bought two snacks. One of them was like a fish-based cracker, shaped like long sticks—kind of like cheesesticks. I forgot to take a photo or note the price, but it tasted sweet and savory, really good, though a bit rough and stuck in the throat—rough but oddly addictive. LOL.

Yang kedua, saya beli kue yang adonannya mirip kue bentuk anak ayam yang saya beli sepulang dari everland. Isiannya terbuat dari kacang walnut. Rasanya enak kok dan cukup mengenyangkan. Saya beli kue ini karena penasaran rasanya kacang walnut kayak apa #ndeso.

The second snack I bought was a cake with batter similar to the chick-shaped ones I got after visiting Everland. The filling was made of walnut. It tasted really good and was quite filling. I bought it mostly because I was curious about what walnut tastes like—#countrygirlvibes. 

2000 won aja tapi lumayan mengenyangkan / Only 2000 won, but quite filling!

Perjalanan dari Seoul ke Jeonju memakan waktu 3 jam. Jam 11an KST kita sampai di Jeonju. Kotanya bener-bener sepi. Mau tiduran di jalan juga nggak akan ketabrak saking jarangnya kendaraan lewat #lebaaaay. Dari tempat berhentinya bis, kita dipandu sama guidenya menuju Jeonju Hanok Village dengan jalan kaki. Sebenarnya nggak terlalu jauh jalannya, tapi mengingat barang bawaan kita yang berat banget jadinya kerasa jauh. Bukan cuma kita yang bawa barang kayak orang mau minggat, ada juga anggota rombongan yang bawa koper :D

The trip from Seoul to Jeonju took about three hours. We arrived around 11 a.m. KST, and the city was super quiet. You could probably lie down in the middle of the street and not get hit, that’s how few cars there were #exaggerating. From the bus drop-off point, our guide led us to Jeonju Hanok Village on foot. It actually wasn’t that far, but with our super heavy bags, it felt like a long walk. And it wasn’t just us carrying luggage like we were moving houses—some people in the group even brought suitcases :D

Memasuki Jeonju Hanok Village / Entering Jeonju Hanok Village

Ketika memasuki Jeonju Hanok Village, kita akan ketemu sebuah bangunan (gambar di atas). Pas saya lewat ada warga yang lagi kumpul-kumpul gitu, ngobrol-ngobrol. Kayaknya seru banget. Sepertinya tempat itu memang untuk kumpul-kumpul warga di sana (sok tahu).

When you enter Jeonju Hanok Village, you’ll see a building like the one in the photo above. When I passed by, some locals were hanging out and chatting there—it looked so fun. I guess that spot is kind of a community gathering place for the locals (just my assumption though).

Saya dan teman saya memutuskan untuk misah dari rombongan. Boleh kok nggak masalah. Tadi malah ada anggota rombongan yang begitu bis berhenti langsung dijemput mobil. Sebelum misah dengan rombongan, kami nanya ke guidenya kalau mau ke terminal arahnya kemana dan bisa nggak ditempuh dengan jalan kaki. Ternyata jarak dari sini ke terminal lumayan jauh dan nggak memungkinkan kalau mau jalan kaki. Okelah dipikir nanti aja, yang penting sekarang jalan-jalan dulu.

My friend and I decided to split from the group—which was totally fine. Some people from the tour were even picked up by car right after the bus stopped. Before we separated, we asked the guide how to get to the terminal and whether it was walkable. Turns out, the terminal was quite far, so walking wasn’t really an option. We figured we’d worry about that later—for now, it was time to explore.

Suasana Jeonju Hanok Village / The atmosphere of Jeonju Hanok Village

Rumah-rumah tradisional di Jeonju, terlihat jalanan menuju Jeonju Hanok Village yang sepi / Traditional houses in Jeonju, with the quiet street leading to Jeonju Hanok Village in view

Penampakan rumah tradisional Korea di Jeonju dari dekat, bonus Ahjumma yang lagi olahraga / Close-up of traditional Korean houses in Jeonju, with a bonus ahjumma exercising

Karena Jeonju terkenal dengan bibimbapnya, makanya saya pengen nyoba. Masuklah saya di sebuah restoran. Pertamanya disambut dengan ramah sama pemiliknya. Si ahjummanya nanya pesen 2 porsi? Saya bilang 1 porsi saja. Ngerti nggak dijawab apa? Sorry, I'm busy. Wkwkwkwkw.... Langsung tepok jidat. Saya lupa kalau di Korea kalau yang masuk 2 orang, ya harus pesen 2 porsi nggak boleh seporsi aja. Tapi masalahnya yang makan cuman saya, temen saya nggak doyan. Saya langsung bete bin illfeel. Perut ini mendadak kenyang, nggak pengen makan bibimbap Jeonju lagi :P (ngambek mode: ON).

Since Jeonju is famous for its bibimbap, I really wanted to try it. I walked into a restaurant and was greeted warmly by the owner. The ahjumma asked, “Two portions?” I said, “Just one, please.” Do you know what she replied? “Sorry, I’m busy.” LOL, I facepalmed immediately. I forgot that in Korea, if two people come in, you’re supposed to order two portions—no sharing. The problem was, I was the only one eating, my friend didn’t like it. I got annoyed and a bit ill-feeling. My stomach suddenly felt full—I didn’t even want to eat Jeonju bibimbap anymore :P (pouting mode: ON).

Akhirnya kita memutuskan untuk eksplor di sekitar Hanok Village kemudian memutuskan untuk cuss dari kota Jeonju.  Udah gitu aja di Jeonju? Ho oh. Kita punya banyak pertimbangan untuk menyudahi perjalanan kita. Kita lihat-lihat peta wisata kota Jeonju yang kita dapat dari guide tadi. Jarak Jeonju Hanok Village dengan objek wisata lainnya lumayan jauh. Bisa gempor kalau jalan kaki. Jadi mau nggak mau mesti naik kendaraan. Nah transportasi umum di sana kurang memadai. Nggak ada bis dan taksipun jarang. Belum lagi itinerary kita di Busan juga padat merayap. Rencana kita kalau bisa  sampai di Busan nggak terlalu sore sehingga bisa mengunjungi beberapa objek wisata sekaligus.

So we decided to explore around Hanok Village a bit and then head out of Jeonju. That’s it for Jeonju? Yep. We had a lot of reasons to wrap up our visit. We checked the city map we got from the guide earlier. The distance from Jeonju Hanok Village to other attractions was quite far—walking would be exhausting. So we had no choice but to take some transport. Public transportation there isn’t great; buses are rare and taxis even rarer. Plus, our Busan itinerary was already super packed. Our plan was to get to Busan early enough to visit several attractions without wasting time.

Ya sudahlah, bye-bye Jeonju. Seneng bisa mampir di sana biar cuma sebentar, gratis lagi :D. Kitapun putar balik, menuju ke arah tempat yang kata saya ada warga pada ngumpul itu lho. Tapi di perjalanan ke sana, kita lihat ada Ahjumma yang jalan ke bawah menuju sungai. Karena penasaran, kita intip. Ternyata di sana ada jalan pintas menuju jalan raya. Akhirnya kita ikut-ikutan ambil jalan itu. Lumayan bisa ngirit tenaga, karena perjalanan kita masih jauh.

Alright then, bye-bye Jeonju. Happy we got to stop by, even if just for a short while—and for free :D. We turned back, heading toward that spot where I saw locals gathering earlier. But on the way, we noticed an ahjumma walking down toward the river. Curious, we peeked and found a shortcut to the main road. We decided to take it too—saved us some energy since we still had a long way to go.

Main di Sungai, di dekat Jeonju Hanok Village. Bonus coat murah yang beli di Underground mall kemarin / Hang out by the river near Jeonju Hanok Village. Bonus: the cheap coat I bought at the underground mall yesterday

Sampai di tepi jalan raya kita berdua langsung krik-krik. Nggak ada taksi lewat sama sekali, yang ada cuma mobil pribadi. Kita nunggu sampai 15 menitan lebih nggak ada taksi yang lewat sama sekali. Dari kejauhan kita lihat ada ABG cowok jalan nyeberang jalan ke arah kita. Langsung deh kita godain cegat dan kita interogasi. Ternyata dia bisa bahasa Inggris !! Adek luar biasa, jadi terharu. Ternyata benar, di sini nggak ada bis. Satu-satunya cara kalau mau ke terminal ya naik taksi. Ya udahlah akhirnya kita mau nggak nunggu taksi lewat. Moga aja ada yang lewat.

Once we reached the edge of the main road, we were both like . . . . No taxis at all, just private cars. We waited for over 15 minutes, still no taxi in sight. From afar, we saw a teenage boy crossing the street toward us. We called him over and grilled him a bit. Turns out, he could speak English!! Amazing kid, I was so touched. He confirmed that there really are no buses here. The only way to get to the terminal is by taxi. So we decided to wait and hope one would pass by soon.

Setelah menunggu beberapa saat, lewatlah taksi wuusss.... tapi sayang udah ada penumpangnya. Wkwkkw.... Akhirnya ngemper lagi, berharap ada taksi lewat lagi. Setelah penantian panjang, akhirnya ada taksi lewat lagi dan KOSONG! Kayaknya ini taksi yang tadi deh. Dia putar balik setelah nganterin penumpang sebelumnya (sok tahu lagi). Pertama buka pintu taksi.....langsung agak keder lihat penampakan supir taksinya. Badannya besar, pake kacamata item terus nggak pakai seragam supir taksi. Jangan-jangan ini taksi abal-abal. Gimana kalau nanti kita dirampok? Bermodalkan bismillah akhirnya kita naik taksi itu.

After waiting a while, a taxi zoomed by… but unfortunately it already had passengers. LOL… So we stayed put, hoping another taxi would come. After a long wait, finally a taxi passed by again—and it was EMPTY! Probably the same one as before, having turned back after dropping off the previous passengers (just my guess). When we first opened the door, I felt a bit uneasy seeing the driver. Big guy, wearing dark sunglasses, and no taxi uniform. Was this a dodgy taxi? What if we get robbed? With a quick “Bismillah,” we decided to get in anyway.

Begitu taksi jalan, Ahjusshi itu nanya kita mau kemana seperti sopir taksi pada umumnya. Kita bilang kalau mau ke terminal soalnya mau ke Busan. Di sepanjang jalan, Ahjusshinya ngajak ngobrol terus tapi saya udah nggak nyambung beliau ngomongin apa. Saya terlalu sibuk berdoa supaya dijauhkan dari marabahaya (lebaaaay). Mana Ahjusshinya sambil ngunyah permen karet, udah kayak preman beneran. Satu lagi yang bikin khawatir, mahal nggak ongkos taksinya.

Once the taxi started moving, the ahjusshi asked where we were going, like any regular taxi driver. We said the terminal, since we were heading to Busan. Along the way, he kept chatting, but I couldn’t follow what he was saying. I was too busy silently praying to be kept safe from any danger (slightly dramatic). To make it worse, he was chewing gum like a real gangster. And of course, I kept worrying about whether the fare would be expensive.

Alhamdulillah kita sampai terminal dengan selamat tanpa ada lecet-lecet ataupun duit raib secara paksa. Maapkan saya yang udah berprasangka buruk ya, pak. Ongkosnya saya lupa-lupa ingat. Kalau nggak salah inget sekitar 4000-6000 won. Termasuk murah bangetkan (daripada jalan kaki).

Alhamdulillah, we arrived at the terminal safely, no scratches or stolen money. Sorry for thinking the worst, sir. I can’t remember the exact fare, but I think it was around 4000–6000 won. Pretty cheap, right? Definitely better than walking.

Sampai di terminal kami langsung beli tiket menuju Busan. Kirain kalau dari Jeonju ke Busan tiketnya bakal lebih murah. Ternyata hampir sama aja kayak pas dari Busan ke Seoul. Hehehehe.

Once we got to the terminal, we immediately bought our tickets to Busan. I thought the fare from Jeonju to Busan would be cheaper, but it was almost the same as from Busan to Seoul. Hehehe.

Tiket Jeonju - Seoul, 23.700 won / Jeonju–Seoul ticket: 23,700 won

Bis yang kami tumpangi akhirnya sampai di terminal di Busan. Saya sempet bingung kami ini turun di terminal mana. Akhirnya saya nanya sama orang yang saya temui di terminal. Ternyata ini adalah terminal Nopo, Busan. Namanya kayak bahasa Jawa ya... wkwkwk (Nopo = Apa). Terminal ini sudah terintegrasi dengan subway station jadi tinggal mengikuti petunjuk arah yang tersedia saja kalau mau naik subway.  Oh iya, T-money yang kita beli di Seoul ini bisa kok digunakan di Busan juga.

The bus we took finally arrived at the terminal in Busan. I was a bit confused about which terminal we were at, so I asked someone there. Turns out it was Nopo Terminal, Busan. The name sounds like Javanese… LOL (Nopo = “What”). This terminal is integrated with the subway station, so you just follow the signs if you want to take the subway. Oh, and the T-money card we bought in Seoul works in Busan too.

 Gamcheon Culture Village

Sebelum berjalan ke stasiun subway, seperti biasa saya cek hape untuk melihat rute yang harus saya tempuh. Selama di Korea saya menggunakan aplikasi android bernama Jihacheol / Subway. Aplikasi ini bisa digunakan tanpa menggunakan koneksi internet (offline). Nah begitu saya buka aplikasi dan pilih peta subway nya menjadi Busan, tiba-tiba ada notifikasi kalau saya harus update peta subway terbaru. Kalau nggak update aplikasinya nggak bisa diakses. Duh kok maksa banget >.<. Untung di sana nemu wifi. Langsung saya update aplikasi saya. Buat yang memakai aplikasi ini, pastikan sudah diupdate yang terbaru.

Before heading to the subway station, as usual, I checked my phone for the route. During my time in Korea, I used an Android app called Jihacheol / Subway. The app works offline, which is super convenient. But when I opened it and switched the subway map to Busan, suddenly a notification popped up saying I needed to update to the latest map—otherwise, the app wouldn’t work. Ugh, so pushy >.<. Luckily, I found free Wi-Fi there and updated the app immediately. If you’re using this app, make sure it’s updated to the latest version.

Foto peta Gamcheon Culture Village di depan Halte / Photo of the Gamcheon Culture Village map in front of the bus stop

Kenapa petunjuk arah ke Gamcheon Culture Village nggak saya share? Karena tempatnya nggak ketemu TT_TT. Udah nyasar nggak karu-karuan pula. Dan ketika kita sudah berada dijalur yang benar, kita udah nggak kuat naik. Capek kesasar. Sempat istirahat sebentar, makan tteokpoki buat ngisi tenaga sebelum melanjutkan perjalanan. Tapi tetep aja loyo, udah bener-bener kecapekan. Hahahaha.

Why didn’t I share the directions to Gamcheon Culture Village? Because we couldn’t find the place TT_TT. We got completely lost. And even when we finally reached the right path, we didn’t have the strength to climb—too exhausted from getting lost. We took a short break and ate some tteokbokki to recharge before continuing, but we were still wiped out. Hahaha.

Akhirnya kita duduk-duduk di halte sambil merenung. Ada kakek-kakek yang duduk di samping kita sambil merhati'in kita. Saya cuma senyum aja sambil buka gulungan perkamen itinerary kita. Baru mau baca, tiba-tiba kakek itu bilang Jagalchi. Wooo sakti banget kakek ini kok tau kita mau ke Jagalchi. Beliau menunjuk ke halte di seberang kita sambil terus bilang Jagalchi. Ternyata kalau mau ke Jagalchi naik bis dari halte yang ada di seberang sana. Setelah capeknya berkurang, kita langsung melanjutkan perjalanan kita ke Jagalchi Market.

We ended up sitting at the bus stop, spacing out a bit. There was an old man sitting next to us, watching us closely. I just smiled and unrolled our parchment-like itinerary. Just as I was about to read it, the man suddenly said, “Jagalchi.” Whoa, this old man was amazing—he somehow knew we were going to Jagalchi! He pointed to the bus stop across from us, repeating “Jagalchi.” Turns out, that’s the stop to catch a bus to Jagalchi Market. Once we felt a bit less tired, we continued our journey to Jagalchi Market.

Jagalchi Market

Petunjuk Arah :

Saya lupa bis yang saya naiki saat itu nomor berapa. Jadi saya lampirkan itinerary yang ada di catatan kami dengan menggunakan subway. Naik subway turun di stasiun Jagalchi (Busan Subway line 1), exit 10. Belok kanan ke jalan Jagalchi 3 (sam)-gil. Jalan sekitar 5 menit kemudian belok kiri

Directions:
I forgot the bus number we took, so I’m attaching the itinerary notes using the subway. Take the subway to Jagalchi Station (Busan Subway Line 1), Exit 10. Turn right onto Jagalchi 3 (sam)-gil. Walk for about 5 minutes, then turn left.

Waktu di depan halte, kebetulan ada mbak-mbak yang mau ke Jagalchi market juga. Jadi kita manut aja sama mbaknya ntar turun dimana. Sampai di Jagalchi Market, matahari udah mau tenggelam. Tujuan utama kita ke Jagalchi adalah untuk makan seafood. Jagalchi Market ini merupakan pasar ikan, surganya makanan buat kita yang gak bisa makan daging-dagingan. Setelah lihat-lihat, kita memutuskan untuk masuk di salah satu kedai yang menyajikan udang goreng tepung alias sewoo twigim.

While waiting at the bus stop, there happened to be a lady heading to Jagalchi Market too, so we just followed her to see where to get off. By the time we arrived, the sun was about to set. Our main goal at Jagalchi was to eat seafood. Jagalchi Market is a fish market—a paradise for those of us who don’t eat non halal meat. After looking around, we decided to go into one of the stalls serving deep-fried shrimp, aka sewoo twigim.

Begitu masuk kita langsung disambut dengan 3 Ahjumma yang ramah. Sebelum mereka menawarkan kita makanan yang aneh-aneh, saya bilang ddak, gogi anmokgo / saya tidak makan ayam dan daging. Pertamanya mereka terdiam sebelum akhirnya mengangguk ngerti sambil bilang Aaaaa kayak ekspresi yang biasa kita lihat di drama-drama korea. Wkwkwkw. Mereka mengangguk-angguk sambil megang kepala mereka. Maksudnya mereka megang kepala kita itu ngomongin hijab kita dan mereka paham kita orang islam yang nggak mau sembarangan makan daging.

As soon as we entered, we were greeted by three friendly ahjummas. Before they offered us any strange dishes, I said, “ddak, gogi anmokgo”—I don’t eat chicken or meat. At first, they went silent, then finally nodded, making an “Aaaaa” expression like the ones you often see in Korean dramas. LOL. They nodded while touching their heads—apparently referring to our hijabs and understanding that we’re Muslim and don’t eat non halal meat.

Mereka menawarkan ikan dan udang. Kitapun pesan udang goreng seporsi. Untuk ikannya, Ahjummanya nawarin dimasak kuah pedas gitu. Saya langsung ngelirik ke temen saya. Saya nggak doyan pedes tapi dia doyan banget. Daripada saya gak bisa makan ikannya, akhirnya dengan licik saya putuskan sepihak. Saya bilang aja saya gak suka makanan pedes *ngikik setan sambil ngelirik temen saya*

They offered us fish and shrimp. We ordered one portion of deep-fried shrimp. For the fish, the ahjumma suggested cooking it in a spicy sauce. I glanced at my friend—she loves spicy food, but I don’t. Rather than not being able to eat the fish at all, I sneakily decided on my own. I just said I don’t like spicy food *evil laugh*.

Waktu duduk, langsung disediakan handuk basah di meja kita. Kita bingung itu dipakai buat apa. Akhirnya saya pake buat lap-lap tangan. Nggak lama kemudian, Banchan atau side dishes disajikan di meja kami. Kitapun langsung diem kaku ngelihat side dishesnya. 

When we sat down, a wet towel was immediately placed on our table. We weren’t sure what it was for, so I used it to wipe my hands. Not long after, banchan—or side dishes—were served. We froze, staring at the side dishes in silence.

Side dishes di salah satu kedai di Jagalchi Market, yang pertama kami santap adalah kacang rebus dan ubi Hahaha / Side dishes at one of the stalls in Jagalchi Market—the first ones we tried were boiled peanuts and sweet potato. Hahaha

Ini nih yang bikin kita membatu, setelah diperbesar / This is what made us freeze, zoomed in

Iiihh.... itu apa sih? Kecoak? Laron? Bukan itu beondaegi atau silworm larva atau larva ulat sutra. Baca namanya aja udah merinding ya. Hihihi. Saya pernah beberapa kali nonton ini disajikan di acara-acara Korea. Dan akhirnya ketika di Busan, saya mengalami juga disuguhi beginian di depan saya. Temen saya langsung berinisiatif untuk nyingkirin beondaegi itu di pinggir meja terus dia tutupi pake kalender yang kebetulan ada di meja. Untungnya kita saat itu dalam keadaan laper banget. Jadi beondaegi itu sama sekali tidak merusak selera makan kita. Wkwkwkwk

Eww… what is that? A cockroach? Termite? Nope—it’s beondaegi, or silkworm larvae. Just reading the name gives chills. Hahaha. I’d seen this served a few times on Korean shows, and finally in Busan, I got to experience it in front of me. My friend immediately took the initiative to move the beondaegi to the edge of the table and cover it with a calendar that happened to be there. Luckily, we were super hungry at the time, so it didn’t ruin our appetite at all. LOL.

Saya ceritakan ke 4 makanan pembuka yang kami coba, tentunya minus beondaegi (karena menurut saya itu bukan makanan). Yang hijau itu semacam sawi hijau tapi dibikin kimchi, rasanya seger kecut dan nggak terlalu pedas; kacang tanah dan ubi rebus, nggak perlu saya ceritain rasanya ya hehehehe; taoge, sepertinya ditumis gitu. Pas dimakan masih kress kress enak; Acorn Jelly. Seperti beondaegi, saya juga sering melihat side dishes ini di tipi-tipi Korea. Rasanya hambar, kalo kata orang jawa anyep. Mungkin itu sebabnya disajikan dengan bumbu merah itu. Nggak lama kemudian menu utamanya datang. Udang goreng tepung dan ikan goreng.

I’ll tell you about the four appetizers we tried—minus the beondaegi (because I don’t consider that food). The green one was like green cabbage made into kimchi—fresh, slightly sour, and not too spicy; boiled peanuts and sweet potato—no need to explain the taste, hehe; bean sprouts, probably stir-fried, still crunchy and tasty; and Acorn Jelly. Like beondaegi, I’ve often seen this side dish on Korean TV. It tastes bland—maybe that’s why it’s served with the red sauce. Not long after, the main dishes arrived: deep-fried shrimp and fried fish.

Udang gorengnya enak banget dan seporsi itu isinya banyak banget. Ikannya dapat 2 ekor. Ikannya digoreng biasa tapi bumbunya merasuk diikannya jadi terasa asin+gurih+enak. Luarnya garing, tapi dalamnya lembut banget. Saya nggak ngerti ikannya jenis apa, jadi jangan nanya ya.

The deep-fried shrimp was super delicious, and the portion was huge. We got two fish. The fish was just  fried and the meat was savory and tasty. Crispy on the outside, yet soft on the inside. I have no idea what kind of fish it was, so don’t ask.

Saya pernah baca katanya orang Korea kalau makan ikan nggak pernah dibalik. Ngerti maksudnya nggak? Kalau kita biasanya makan ikan di salah satu sisi, begitu dagingnya habis biasanya ikan kita balik untuk makan daging di sisi satunya... iya bukan? Nah orang Korea nggak melakukan hal itu. Mereka percaya kalau ikannya kita balik, nanti perahu nelayan yang nyari ikan bisa ikut terbalik. Nggak masuk akal ya, saya juga gak percaya kok. Tetapi karena itu sesuatu yang mereka percaya, saya menghargai mereka dengan ikut tidak membalik ikannya. Terus gimana kalau mau makan daging di sisi satunya? Ambil tulang yang di tengah dan voila... kita bisa makan daging di sisi satunya. Hehehe.

I once read that Koreans never flip their fish when eating. You know what I mean, right? Usually, we eat one side first, and when the meat is gone, we flip the fish to eat the other side… right? Koreans don’t do that. They believe that if you flip the fish, the fishermen’s boats looking for fish will also flip. Sounds ridiculous, right? I don’t really believe it either. But since it’s something they believe in, I respected it and didn’t flip the fish. So how do you eat the other side? Just take the bones in the middle and voila—you can eat the meat from the other side. Hehehe.

Setelah perut mulai terasa agak kenyang, kita baru ingat tadi kita makan nggak sempet nanya harganya berapa per porsi. Berhubung udah laper jadi main pesen aja nggak pake nanya-nanya. Waduh gimana kalau nanti kita dikerjain? Harga makanannya dimahal-mahalin. Ah yaudalah. Kitapun cuma pasrah dan lanjut makan lagi :D

After our stomachs started feeling a bit full, we realized we hadn’t asked the price per portion. Since we were hungry, we just ordered without asking. Oh no, what if we got overcharged? But whatever, we just accepted it and kept eating :D

Akhirnya tiba giliran bayar. Ternyata cuma habis 25ribu won, semuanya. Kalau kita itung-itung termasuk murah lah. Udangnya aja segitu banyak, ikannya juga 2 ekor lumayan besar. Baik banget ya orang Korea. Kalau di Indonesia makan nggak pake nanya harganya ya bisa kena 'rampok'. Apalagi kalau yang beli turis dari luar ya, alamat dimahalin harganya.

Finally, it was time to pay. It only came to 25,000 won for everything. Considering the amount of shrimp and two fairly big fish, that’s pretty cheap. Koreans are really nice. In Indonesia, if you eat without asking the price, you might get “robbed,” especially if you’re a foreign tourist—they’ll likely overcharge you.

Ketika keluar dari kedai, langit sudah gelap. Waktu menunjukkan jam 20.30. Kami memutuskan mengakhiri perjalanan mengingat kita melakukan perjalanan jarak jauh hari itu (Seoul-Jeonju-Busan). Kaki ini juga masih pegel gara-gara nyasar nyariin si Gamcheon.

When we left the stall, the sky was already dark. It was around 8:30 p.m. We decided to end our trip, considering we had traveled a long way that day (Seoul–Jeonju–Busan). Our legs were also sore from getting lost trying to find Gamcheon.

Songdo Haesoopia
Petunjuk Arah :
Naik bis nomor 30 atau 26 ke halte Daelim APT (baca: Delim Apate). Songdo Haesupia ada di seberang halte

Directions:
Take bus number 30 or 26 to Daelim APT bus stop (pronounced “The limp Uh-puh-the”). Songdo Haesupia is right across the stop.

Di depan Songdo Haesoopia / In front of Songdo Haesupia

Bis yang kami tumpangi saat itu dalam keadaan sepi jadi nggak ada yang bisa ditanyain Halte Daelim APT itu masih jauh atau sudah dekat. Tidak seperti di Seoul, di Busan petunjuk arah/tempat menggunakan bahasa Inggris nggak banyak. Kebanyakan tulisan menggunakan hangul. Seperti di dalam bis, nama halte diumumkan dengan bahasa Korea dan running textnya juga menggunakan hangul. Jadi kalau kalian berencana ke Busan, nggak ada salahnya belajar sedikit bahasa Korea dan hurufnya.

The bus we took was nearly empty, so there was no one to ask whether Daelim APT stop was near or far. Unlike Seoul, in Busan, directions and place names aren’t widely in English. Most signs are in Hangul. On the bus, stop names are announced in Korean, and the running text is also in Hangul. So if you plan to go to Busan, it’s not a bad idea to learn a bit of Korean and its alphabet.

Akhirnya kita pilih tempat duduk di dekat supir. Saya bilang ke pak supirnya kalau mau turun di Daelim APT. Kalau bilang sama supirnya sendiri kan aman nggak bakal kebablasan :D. Dan benar saja, nggak beberapa lama kita dikasih tahu kalau sudah sampai di Halte tujuan kita.

We finally chose seats near the driver. I told him we wanted to get off at Daelim APT. Telling the driver directly is safe—you won’t miss your stop :D. Sure enough, not long after, he let us know we had arrived at our stop.

Tujuan terakhir kita adalah Songdo Haesoopia. Hayoo ini tempat apa hayo?? Ini jimjilbang alias sauna :D. Cocok banget kan untuk melepas lelah. Letaknnya dekat pantai Songdo, mungkin itu sebabnya namanya Songdo Haesoopia. Tidak seperti jimjilbang yang kita kunjungi di Seoul waktu itu, ini jimjilbangnya lebih besar dan fasilitasnya juga lebih lengkap. Kita langsung ke meja resepsionis bayar 10rb won perorang, dapat pinjaman baju, sandal dan kunci loker.

Our final destination was Songdo Haesoopia. Guess what this place is? It’s a jimjilbang, a Korean sauna :D. Perfect for relaxing and unwinding. It’s located near Songdo Beach, which is probably why it’s called Songdo Haesoopia. Unlike the jimjilbang we visited in Seoul, this one is bigger with more facilities. We went straight to the reception, paid 10,000 won per person, and got clothes, slippers, and a locker key.

Tempatnya bersih dan bagus banget. Jimjilbang di Ansan kemarin boro-boro ada liftnya, nah di Songdo Haesoopia ini liftnya ada 2. Untuk cowok dan cewek beda. Kira-kira kenapa ya? Setelah buka loker untuk nyimpan sepatu, kita langsung naik lift cewek. Ada beberapa lantai, saya lupa pilihannya apa saja. Pokoknya saya mencet untuk ke saunanya.

The place was really clean and nice. The jimjilbang we went to in Ansan didn’t even have a lift, but Songdo Haesoopia has two lifts—separate for men and women. I wonder why? After unlocking our locker to store our shoes, we took the women’s lift. There were several floors—I forgot all the options—but I just pressed the one for the sauna.

Pintu lift terbuka, langsung ketemu banyak loker. Kita langsung masuk ke ruang loker itu untuk mencari nomor loker kita. Begitu saya nengok ke kiri.... jeng jeng.... itu semuanya pada telanjang di loker. Mereka dengan santainya pake make up / lotion dalam keadaan telanjang bulat. Sekarang saya tahu kenapa lift cowok dan cewek dibedakan. Sempet keder juga, soalnya waktu di Ansan yang telanjang bersauna nggak sebanyak ini. Saya cuma lihat-lihatan sama temen saya sebelum akhirnya buka baju juga. 

When the lift doors opened, we were greeted by rows of lockers. We went in to find our locker numbers. Then I looked to the left… ta-da… everyone was completely naked at the lockers. They were casually applying makeup or lotion in the nude. Now I understood why there are separate lifts for men and women. I was a bit shocked, since the Ansan jimjilbang didn’t have so many nude people. I just peeked at my friend before taking off my clothes too.

Pertama saya masuk tempat mandi, saya bisa merasakan semua mata tertuju pada kita. Untung saya copot kacamata jadi nggak kelihatan ekspresi mereka waktu ngelihatin kita. Pipi udah panas gara-gara malu, tapi saya belagak cuek aja. Kita langsung ngacir ke tempat mandi.

When I first entered the bathing area, I felt all eyes on us. Luckily, I took off my glasses so I couldn’t see their expression while looking at us. My cheeks were burning from embarrassment, but I tried to act nonchalant. We quickly rushed to the showers.

Jadi sebelum nyemplung ke kolam kita diwajibkan mandi. Jangan berharap ada bilik mandi karena semuanya serba terbuk dan tanpa privasi. Wkwkwkw. Ada 2 pilihan untuk mandinya, pake shower sambil berdiri atau yang jongkok sambil ngaca. Oh iya di sini nggak disediakan peralatan mandi kecuali ember kecil jadi silahkan bawa sendiri.

Before getting into the pools, you’re required to wash. Don’t expect any private stalls—everything is open with no privacy. LOL. You have two options: standing showers or squatting while looking in the mirror. Oh, and they don’t provide toiletries, just a small bucket, so bring your own. 

Penampakan dalam sauna / Inside the sauna (credit to: https://www.funliday.com/pois/4459421?hl=en )

Setelah mandi, kita berdua langsung masuk ke kolam. Dari yang dingin, hangat-hangat kuku, sampai yang menurut saya kayak hampir mendidihpun ada. Saking panasnya saya takut rambut saya rontok. Jadi ingat ayam potong yang dicelup air panas buat dibubutin bulunya. Saya lihat ada nenek-anak-cucu lagi asyik duduk di pinggir kolam sambil gosok-gosokan punggung sambil ketawa-ketiwi. Jimjilbang bisa juga dijadikan untuk family time-nya orang-orang Korea selain rekreasi.

After washing, we immediately entered the pools. There were all kinds of temperatures—from cold, lukewarm, to ones that felt almost boiling. It was so hot I was afraid my hair would fall out—reminded me of a chicken being scalded to remove feathers. I saw grandmas, moms, and kids happily sitting by the pool, rubbing each other’s backs and laughing. Jimjilbangs can also be family time for Koreans, not just for relaxation.

Waktu saya masuk ke kolam untuk berendam, berhubung dekat jadi saya bisa ngelihat ekspresi mereka waktu ngelihatin kita. Saya jadi rada risih. Salah satu dari ibu itu menunjuk rambutnya sendiri diikuti gerakan mengikat. Ealaaah. Kita diminta nguncir rambut. Emang sih rambut saya yang panjang sengaja saya urai biar bisa menutupi apa yang bisa ketutup TT_TT. Akhirnya kita nguncir rambut kita, pasrah. Tapi saya nggak kapok kok ke Jimjilbang. Kalau ada kesempatan ke Korea, saya pasti akan coba Jimjilbang yang lainnya.

When I got into the pool, I was close enough to notice their expressions while watching us. It made me a bit uncomfortable. One of the women pointed to her hair and mimed tying it up. Ah, we were supposed to tie our hair! I had purposely left my long hair down to cover what I could TT_TT. But it was a fun experience—if I get the chance to go to Korea again, I’ll definitely try jimjilbang again.

Selesai mandi, kita langsung pakai baju yang sudah dipinjamkan. Saya ambil Hp dan uang beberapa lembar sebelum naik ruangan untuk tidur.

After washing up, we immediately put on the clothes we borrowed. I grabbed my phone and some cash before heading up to the sleeping area.

Area untuk tidur / Sleeping area. Credit to: https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/0e/67/c9/9a/caption.jpg

Seperti yang terlihat, seperti itulah ruang tidurnya :D. Jadi tidurnya ya geletakan sembarangan gitu kayak ikan dijemur. Sebelum tidur, kita nyoba-nyoba berbagai macam fasilitas sauna. Pertama kita masuk di ruangan yang banyak batu-batu kecilnya. Saya lupa suhunya berapa yang jelas 40 ke atas. Temen saya tanpa ragu langsung jalan di atas batu-batu panas itu kemudian tiduran. Emang nggak panas ya? Saya nyoba ngikutin dia, baru selangkah saya udah mundur lagi. Panas banget. Temen saya sakti banget tadi bisa ngelewatin batu-batu ini.

As you can see, that’s what the sleeping area looked like :D. So you just sleep anywhere, like fish drying in the sun. Before sleeping, we tried out various sauna facilities. First, we went into a room with lots of small stones. I forgot the exact temperature, but definitely over 40°C. My friend walked confidently over the hot stones and even lay down. Wasn’t it hot? I tried to follow, but after one step, I stepped back. It was scorching! My friend was amazing, managing to walk over those stones.

Akhirnya saya cuma ngelihatin di depan pintu. Temen saya bilang rasanya anget-anget enak di punggung kayak dipijitin. Akhirnya saya memberanikan diri, percobaan kedua . Saya coba lagi tapi kali ini kaki saya nggak napak ke batunya langsung. Jadi saya berguling-guling nggak jelas gitu kemudian berhenti setelah menemukan tempat yang pewe. Dan bener kata temen saya, sensasinya batu-batu kecil panas di punggung itu enak banget. Berasa dipijitin. Setelah beberapa menit, kita memutuskan ke ruangan lainnya.

So I just watched from the doorway. My friend said it felt pleasantly warm on the back, like a massage. I finally dared to try a second time. This time, I didn’t step directly on the stones with my feet. I rolled around a bit until I found a comfortable spot. And my friend was right—the sensation of the hot small stones on your back feels amazing, like getting a massage. After a few minutes, we decided to move to another room.

Ruangan yang kedua ini sama panasnya. Bedanya isinya garam, bukan batu. Sensasinya sama, bikin badan rileks. Tapi menurut saya yang garam ini waktu saya injak lebih panas dari yang batu tadi. Akhirnya sayapun kembali berguling-guling nggak jelas.

The second room was just as hot, but this time it was filled with salt instead of stones. The sensation was similar, really relaxing. But I felt the salt was hotter under my feet than the stones earlier. So I ended up rolling around a bit again.

Puas berkeringat, kita kembali ke ruang tidur sambil mencari titik strategis. Sebenarnya saya mengincar yang di depan jendela. Karena dari jendela sana terlihat pemandangan lampu jembatan Gwanggali / Gwanggali Bridge yang terkenal itu. Sayangnya tempat itu sudah penuh. Di ujung sana ada tempat jual camilan/minuman. Berhubung kita baru aja makan, jadi kita nggak pengen jajan. Oh iya di sana disediakan air minum gratis, jadi jangan takut kehausan.

After working up a sweat, we returned to the sleeping area, looking for a strategic spot. I had my eye on a spot by the window, since it offered a view of the famous Gwangalli Bridge lights. Unfortunately, that spot was already taken. At the far end, there’s a snack and drink corner, but we had just eaten so we skipped it. Oh, and there’s free drinking water, so don’t worry about getting thirsty.

Tapi saya lagi pengen minum kopi nih. Akhirnya saya ke tempat beli camilan itu. Kopi 1 botol harganya 4000 won. Dan saya melotot waktu disodorin kopinya. Tempatnya gedeee banget kayak botol tupperware yang gede itu. Temen saya ngakak ngelihat botol yang gede itu. Dia gak doyan kopi jadi artinya kopi itu harus saya habisin sendiri kalau nggak mau rugi >.<. Oh iya di deket tempat jual camilan itu ada toilet. Jadi kalau kebelet nggak usah bingung naik turun lift lagi. Selain tempat jual camilan, air minum gratis, ruang sauna, toilet ada juga tempat karaoke.

But I was craving for coffee, so I went to the snack corner. One bottle of coffee cost 4,000 won. I stared at it when they handed it over—the bottle was huge, like a giant Tupperware. My friend laughed seeing the massive bottle. Since she doesn’t like coffee, that meant I had to finish it myself if I didn’t want it to go to waste >.<. Oh, and there’s a toilet near the snack area, so no need to go up and down the lift if you need it. Besides the snack corner, free water, sauna rooms, and toilets, there’s also a karaoke area.

Ada juga playground buat anak-anak. Jangan salah, bukan hanya ibu-ibu dan orang lanjut usia aja yang ke sauna. Anak kecil juga ada, banyak malah. Di sana juga disediakan beberapa TV. Jadi teringat adegan ibu-ibu ke sauna terus nonton drama dan ini benar-benar terjadi. Ada ibu-ibu yang mbajak TV yang lagi ditonton bapak-bapak buat nonton drama. Kasian tuh ahjussi. Wkwkwkw. Saya nggak ngerti drama apa yang ditonton, nggak pernah tau. Karena sudah mulai ngantuk, akhirnya kita berdua tidur.

There’s also a playground for kids. Don’t get me wrong—saunas aren’t just for moms and the elderly. There are plenty of kids too. They also have several TVs, so those scenes of moms watching dramas in the sauna? Totally real. Some moms even “hijack” the TV that dads were watching just to catch their drama. Poor ahjussis. LOL. I had no idea what drama they were watching. Since we were getting sleepy, we both finally went to sleep.

Malam-malam saya kebangun gara-gara denger suara anak kecil berisik. Saya lihat jam ternyata udah jam 11 malem. Buset nih bocah-bocah apa nggak ngantuk. Akhirnya lampu dimatikan, entah sama siapa. Mungkin biar anak-anak itu tidur kali ya. Saya lihat spot tidur di dekat jendela yang saya incer tadi, kali aja sudah ada yang kosong. Ternyata bener aja ada yang kosong. Saya ngelirik temen saya yang tidurnya pules banget. Nggak tega mau bangunin akhirnya saya pindah sendiri di dekat jendela. Saya menikmati pemandangan jembatan itu sampai ketiduran.

Late at night, I woke up to the noise of some rowdy kids. I checked the time—it was already 11 PM. Seriously, aren’t these kids sleepy? Eventually, the lights were turned off, maybe to help the kids sleep. I glanced at the window spot I had my eye on earlier, and luckily, it was free. I peeked at my friend, who was fast asleep, and didn’t want to wake her, so I moved by myself to the window. I enjoyed the view of the bridge until I fell asleep.

Sekian tulisan saya tentang hari ke-8 ke Korea. Postingan selanjutnya akan membahas tentan Pantai Songdo - Taejongdae - Guesthouse Busan Kyungsung - Yonggungsa Temple - Pantai Haeundae

That’s it for my Day 8 in Korea. The next post will cover Songdo Beach, Taejongdae, Busan Kyungsung Guesthouse, Yonggungsa Temple, and Haeundae Beach.