Day 9 : Songdo Beach - Taejongdae - Busan Kyungsung Hostel - Yonggungsa Temple - Haeundae

Assalamualaikum~

Hari ke-9 di Korea. Seperti biasa hari ini kita berdua bangun pagi, malah lebih pagi dari biasanya. Saya pernah baca kalau di Songdo Haesupia kita harus keluar sebelum jam 4 pagi. Dan entah mengapa saya baru menyadari kalau hal itu nggak masuk akal. Soalnya ketika kita pergi banyak yang masih asik tidur bahkan ada yang baru datang. Alhasil karena takut kena charge tambahan (biasa backpacker kere) kitapun gerak cepat. Setelah menyempatkan mandi tentunya, kitapun cuss.

Day 9 in Korea. As usual, we woke up early—actually earlier than usual. I once read that at Songdo Haesupia, you have to leave before 4 AM. For some reason, I just realized that doesn’t make sense, because when we left, plenty of people were still sleeping, and some were just arriving. Anyway, afraid of extra charges (typical broke backpacker), we hurried. After a quick shower, we were off.

Setelah mengambil barang-barang dan sepatu dari loker sepatu kitapun menuju resepsionis. Kami mengembalikan kunci loker, kemudian petugasnya nyecan gantungan kunci loker untuk ngecek kita semalam beli apa aja. Biaya sauna berdua 20 ribu won (untuk 2 orang) + es kopi 4000 won jadi total 24 ribu won.

After grabbing our stuff and shoes from the locker, we headed to the reception. We returned the locker keys, and the staff scanned them to check what we bought overnight. The sauna fee for two was 20,000 won, plus a iced coffee for 4,000 won, totaling 24,000 won.

Songdo Beach

 

Saya lihat langit di luar masih gelap. Saya sempet nanya ke petugasnya pake bahasa Korea ala-ala saya i sigan beose isseoyo, jam segini ada bis? Yang kemudian dijawab obseo, tidak ada. Ya sudahlah. Pengalaman di Korea mengandalkan jalan kaki, kita jadi tegar meskipun nggak nemu angkutan umum dan harus jalan jauh. Kamipun berjalan menuju pantai Songdo.

I noticed the sky outside was still dark. I asked the staff in my broken Korean, “i sigan beose isseoyo?” (Is there a bus at this time?), and they replied, “obseo” (no). Oh well. Thanks to our Korea experience relying on walking, we stayed tough even without public transport and had to walk a long way. So we started walking toward Songdo Beach.

Untuk menuju Pantai Songdo, kalian bisa naik bis nomor 7/30/96 (pilih salah satu) dan berhenti di halte pantai Songdo. Kelihatan kok pantainya dari halte jadi nggak akan kelewatan. Sebenarnya pantai ini lebih cocok untuk melihat sunset, padahal ngarepnya lihat sunrise. Dan saya baru tahu itu waktu nulis postingan ini. Nggak apalah biarlah pengalaman saya ini, jadi pelajaran buat kalian wkwkwkw

To get to Songdo Beach, you can take bus 7, 30, or 96 and get off at the Songdo Beach stop. You can see the beach from the stop, so you won’t miss it. Actually, this beach is better for watching the sunset, even though we hoped to catch the sunrise. I only realized this while writing this post. Oh well, let my experience be a lesson for you lol.

Oh iya sebelum mencapai Pantai Songdo, kita berhenti sebentar di convenient store buat sarapan. Convenient store udah kayak sahabat kita selama di Korea. Hahaha. Saya beli mie cup + nasi. Kitapun sarapan di depan convenient store sambil dilihatin ngelihatin orang lewat. Setelah perut kenyang dan badan agak angetan. Kita lanjut jalan kaki menuju Pantai Songdo.

Oh yeah, before reaching Songdo Beach, we stopped at a convenience store for breakfast. Convenience stores had basically become our BFFs in Korea lol. I grabbed a cup of noodles and some rice. We had breakfast in front of the store, people-watching as we ate. Once our stomachs were full and we felt a bit warmed up, we continued walking toward Songdo Beach.

Welcome to Songdo Beach

Pantai Songdo, langit masih gelap / Songdo Beach, with the sky still dark.

Bangku yang disediakan di tepi pantai Songdo / Benches provided along the edge of Songdo Beach.

Seperti yang terlihat, pantai ini sepi. Iyalah... siapa subuh-subuh gini ke pantai. Hihihi... Selain pengen lihat sunrise yang ternyata zonk, pertimbangan kami mengunjungi Pantai Songdo karena dekat dengan sauna tempat kita menginap. Jadi sekalian jalan gitu maksudnya. Coba kalau kita keluar dari sauna agak siang mungkin bisa lebih menikmati Pantai Songdo ini. Karena tempatnya nyaman, seperti yang terlihat disediakan bangku-bangku buat pengunjung untuk sekedar duduk dan menikmati pemandangan Pantai Songdo.

As you can see, the beach is quiet. Well, who goes to the beach this early in the morning lol… Besides hoping to catch the sunrise—which didn’t happen—another reason we visited Songdo Beach was that it’s close to the sauna where we stayed. So it was a convenient walk. If we had left the sauna a bit later, maybe we could’ve enjoyed Songdo Beach more. The place is cozy, with benches provided for visitors to sit and enjoy the view.

Tapi... ada tapinya. Di bangku-bangku yang saya foto ini banyak sekali sampah sisa makanan dan minuman. Sepertinya semalem ada yang nongki-nongki di sini. Tapi sayangnya sampahnya tidak dibuang di tempatnya dan dibiarin gitu aja. Sayang banget jadi kotor tempat duduknya.

But… there’s a “but.” The benches I took photos of were covered with leftover food and drink trash. It looked like some people had hung out here the night before. Unfortunately, they didn’t bother to clean up afterward, leaving the area messy. Such a shame—the benches would’ve been nice spots to sit if only they were clean.

Taejongdae

Petunjuk Arah : Bisa ditempuh dengan bis no 8/30/113 (dari Stasiun Nampo) atau bis no 88/101 (dari Stasiun Busan).

Directions: You can take bus no. 8, 30, or 113 from Nampo Station, or bus no. 88 or 101 from Busan Station.

Untuk menuju Taejongdae, kalian tinggal pilih salah 1 no bis yang saya sebutkan di atas. Dari halte Pantai Songdo saya naik bis no. 30. Saya sangat sarankan sekali kalian belajar hangul sedikit-sedikit atau paling tidak kalian simpan nama lokasi tujuan kalian dalam bahasa Korea. Kemampuan baca hangul saya yang pas-pasan terbukti sangat berguna sekali waktu di Busan. Karena sistem transportasinya berbeda dengan di Seoul dimana hampir semua objek wisata bisa dicapai dengan subway. Sementara di Busan kebanyakan objek wisata harus dicapai dengan bis dan petunjuk/nama halte semuanya kebanyakan masih ditulis dengan hangul. Jadi ketika saya di halte, saya bisa membaca rute bis yang tersedia. Jadi saya bisa memastikan bis yang akan saya naiki sudah benar apa belum. Saya juga bisa memilih alternatif bis nomer lain yang ternyata juga melewati objek wisata tujuan saya.

To get to Taejongdae, just take one of the bus numbers I mentioned above. From Songdo Beach bus stop, I took bus no. 30. I really recommend learning a bit of Hangul—or at least saving your destination name in Korean. My limited Hangul reading skills turned out to be super helpful in Busan, since the transport system is quite different from Seoul. In Seoul, most tourist spots are reachable by subway, but in Busan, you usually need to take the bus, and most signs or bus stop names are written only in Hangul. So when I was waiting at the bus stop, I could read the routes and make sure I was getting on the right bus—or even find another bus number that went to the same destination.

Papan petunjuk nomor bis di Halte Yeongdo Bridge di Busan, full hangul. cr to : http://1.bp.blogspot.com

Seperti contoh papan di atas. Saya nggak bohong kan tulisannya full hangul :D. Kalau kalian bisa baca hangul, kalian akan tau selain bis no 8 dan 30 ternyata Taejongdae juga bisa ditempuh dengan bis no 66. Taejongdae merupakan pemberhentian terakhir jadi nggak usah khawatir kebablasan.

Just like the signboard above—see, I wasn’t kidding, it’s all written in Hangul! :D If you can read Hangul, you’ll notice that besides bus no. 8 and 30, you can also reach Taejongdae by taking bus no. 66. Taejongdae is the last stop, so no need to worry about missing your stop.

Kami sampai di Taejongdae sekitar pk. 6.26 KST.  Kami kebarengan sama bapak-bapak yang mau mancing. Ada bapak yang sempet nanya ke kita ancuwo?, nggak dingin? cuwo lah pak. Hahaha...Itu di Taejongdae brr.... bener-bener dingin. Setelah masuk area Taejongdae, setelah tanjakan saya lihat kereta semacam kereta kelinci kayak yang di pasar minggu itu.

We arrived at Taejongdae around 6:26 AM KST, along with a few ajusshis who were heading out to fish. One of them asked us, “An chuwo?” — not cold? Of course it’s cold, ajusshi! Hahaha. It was freezing up there! After entering the Taejongdae area and walking up a slope, I spotted a little train—kind of like the cute ones you see at weekend markets.

Ternyata untuk keliling Taejongdae kita bisa naik kereta itu dengan sistem hop-on-hop-off sama seperti shuttle bis yang saya naiki waktu ke Garden of Morning Calm - Petite France - Nami Island . Namanya kereta Danubi. Dengan tarif 2000 won saja, kalian sudah bisa mengelilingi Taejongdae tanpa perlu capek-capek. Sayangnya kereta ini baru beroperasi pk. 09.30 KST sehingga kami mau nggak mau menelusuri Taejongdae dengan jalan kaki.

Turns out, you can explore Taejongdae using that little train with a hop-on-hop-off system—just like the shuttle bus I took to Garden of Morning Calm, Petite France, and Nami Island. It’s called the Danubi Train, and for only 2,000 won, you can go around Taejongdae without breaking a sweat. Unfortunately, it only starts operating at 9:30 AM KST, so we had no choice but to explore Taejongdae on foot.

Taejongdae Commemorative Stone

Suasana di Taejongdae yang asri / The lush and peaceful atmosphere of Taejongdae

Tiang lampu bukan tiang lampu biasa, ini tiang lampu korea :D

Pemandangan yang indah dari atas / Beautiful view from the top

South Port Viewing Point

Taejongsa Temple

Setelah  sampai di Taejongsa temple, temen saya bilang udah nggak kuat lanjut lagi. Emang sih jalannya lumayan jauh, menanjak dan belum lagi hawa dingin dan angin yang super kenceng. Akhirnya temen saya milih kembali dan nunggu di bawah sementara saya lanjut ke atas sendirian.

After reaching Taejongsa Temple, my friend said she couldn’t go any further. Honestly, the walk was pretty far, uphill, and the freezing wind didn’t help either. So she decided to head back and wait at the bottom while I continued the climb alone. 

Kettle Island alias Pulau Teko/Poci

Saya memutuskan untuk mengakhiri perjalanan saya di Observatory. Selain capek, kasian temen saya entar masuk angin di bawah. Hihihi.... Kalau naik kereta Danubi, rute yang dilalui adalah : Platform→ Taejongsa Temple → Yeongdo Lighthouse → Observatory → Gumyeongsa Temple → Taewon Jagal Madang → Platform. Next time kalau ada rejeki ke Korea lagi dan ke Busan, pengen nyoba naik kereta ini mengelilingi Taejongdae sampai selesai.

I decided to end my journey at the Observatory. Besides being tired, I felt bad for my friend waiting below—she might catch a cold, haha. If you take the Danubi Train, the route goes like this: Platform → Taejongsa Temple → Yeongdo Lighthouse → Observatory → Gumyeongsa Temple → Taewon Jagal Madang → Platform. Next time, if I get the chance to visit Korea and Busan again, I’d love to ride this train all the way around Taejongdae.

Masih ingat bapak-bapak yang kita temui di Taejongdae yang mau mancing itu? Dari observatory saya lihat bapak-bapak lagi mancing di batu-batuan di bawah situ. Nggak takut apa ya? Padahal ombaknya gede banget.

Remember the guys we met at Taejongdae who were going fishing? From the observatory, I could see them fishing down on the rocks. Weren’t they scared? The waves were huge! 

Kelihatan nggak? / Can you see them?

The Statue of Mother and Children

Ada kisah sedih di Taejongdae. Pertama saya melihat patung di atas, tidak ada yang aneh. Hanya patung ibu dan anak-anaknya. Tidak ada yang istimewa. Tapi setelah saya baca tulisan di bawahnya saya langsung mewek. Seperti yang terlihat, Taejongdae merupakan tebing dan di bawahnya itu merupakan laut dengan ombak yang cukup ganas dan banyak batu-batunya. Ternyata banyak yang lompat bunuh diri dari sini. Patung ini di buat agar mereka yang mau bunuh diri teringat pada ibu yang mengasihi mereka yang pasti bakal sedih kalau mereka bunuh diri sehingga mereka mengurungkan niat mereka.

There’s actually a sad story behind Taejongdae. At first, when I saw the statue above, I didn’t think much of it — just a mother and her children, nothing special. But after reading the inscription below, I almost cried. As you can see, Taejongdae is a cliff facing the rough sea, with strong waves and sharp rocks below. It turns out many people have jumped from here to end their lives. This statue was made to remind them of their mothers’ love — of how heartbroken their mothers would be — so they might change their minds and choose to live instead.

Setelah rada mewek dan merenung (tiba-tiba kangen ibuk di rumah) akhirnya saya putar balik dan turun menemui teman saya. Sepanjang perjalanan balik, saya ketemu dengan bapak-bapak/ibu-ibu/muda-mudi yang jogging di sini. Di sinilah saya baru mengerti kenapa orang luar negeri bilang kalau Indonesia itu orangnya ramah.

After getting a bit teary and emotional (suddenly missing my mom back home), I decided to turn around and head back down to meet my friend. On the way, I passed by some uncles, aunties, and young people jogging around here. That’s when I finally understood why foreigners often say Indonesians are friendly.

Di Indonesia, kita kalo lagi jalan terus papasan sama orang, mau kenal apa nggak kan biasanya senyum ya atau paling nggak ngangguk dikit. Ini nggak berlaku sama mereka gaess... Saya terpaksa berkali-kali pura-pura senam mulut gara-gara orang yang saya senyumin cuman ngeliatin aja tanpa senyum balik. Wkwkwkwkw.

In Indonesia, when we pass someone on the street—whether we know them or not—we usually smile or at least give a little nod, right? Well, that manner doesn’t apply here, guys... I ended up pretending to do some “mouth exercise” several times because the people I smiled at just stared back without smiling. Hahaha!

Perpaduan pepohonan, warna laut yang indah dan kabut, Masya Allah buagus banget / The combination of the trees, the beautiful color of the sea, and the mist—Masya Allah, it’s so gorgeous!

Jalanan Sepanjang Taejongdae yang sepi / The quiet road along Taejongdae.

Sepanjang jalan banyak pita seperti ini yang diikat di pohon, entah apa artinya / Along the way, I saw many ribbons like this tied to the trees — not sure what they mean though.

Di Taejongdae ini fasilitasnya lumayan lengkap. Dari kamar mandi sampai tap water semuanya ada. Bahkan di dekat Taejongsa temple ada toko yang jual makanan. Sayangnya pas saya ke sana masih tutup. Bayangkan betapa nikmatnya duduk-duduk menikmati pemandangan yang luar biasa ditemani kopi panas. Mantap! Ada juga teropong buat lihat pemandangan atau bahkan pulau kecil dari kejauhan itu. Tapi waktu saya coba yang teropong di observatory malah nggak kelihatan apa-apa. Saya bingung teropongnya yang rusak atau saya yang nggak ngerti cara pakainya :D

The facilities in Taejongdae are pretty complete — from restrooms to tap water, everything’s available. There’s even a small shop near Taejongsa Temple that sells food, though it was still closed when I went. Just imagine how nice it would be to sit there, enjoy the breathtaking view, and sip some hot coffee. Perfect! There are also binoculars to see the scenery or the small islands in the distance. But when I tried the one at the observatory, I couldn’t see anything. Not sure if it was broken or if I just didn’t know how to use it :D

Saya ketemu 3 ABG cewek melewati jalan menurun di arah kiri saya. Karena penasaran sayapun ikut turun. Yaaa... buat sekedar numpang foto aja.

I ran into three teenage girls walking down a slope on my left, and out of curiosity, I decided to follow them. Well... just to take a few photos, of course.

Kalau mau turun ke bawah bisa langsung ke pantai / If you go further down, you can reach the beach directly.

 

Busan Kyungsung Hostel

Saatnya untuk check in ke guesthouse dan melepas beban tas yang berat ini. Karena saya cuma tau Hostel ini dekat dengan stasiun Subway Kyungsung, maka saya harus menemukan cara agar bisa ketemu subway station. Berhubung di dekat Taejongdae nggak ada stasiun jadi pilihannya hanya bis. Untuk menuju stasiun busan / nampo, kita bisa naik bis 8/30/88/101 (pilih salah satu). Ingat untuk naik dari halte yang berlawanan dengan halte kedatangan tadi. Kalo naik dari halte yang salah, saya nggak ngerti kalian bakal terdampar dimana ini serius, suwer nggak becanda.

Time to check in to the guesthouse and finally unload this heavy backpack. Since I only knew the hostel was near Kyungsung Subway Station, I had to figure out how to get there. Because there’s no subway station near Taejongdae, the only option was to take a bus. To get to Busan or Nampo Station, you can take bus no. 8, 30, 88, or 101 (just pick one). Remember to board from the bus stop on the opposite side of where you arrived earlier. If you take the wrong one... honestly, I have no idea where you’ll end up—seriously, not kidding.

Sampai di Stasiun Kyungsung kita langsung ke bagian informasi buat nanya Busan Kyungsung Hostel ini letaknya dimana. Kita cuma tau hostel ini dekat dengan stasiun Kyungsung cuman posisi tepatnya dimana kita nggak tahu. Udah browsing juga nggak ketemu petunjuk arahnya yang detail. Kami langsung ke bagian informasi di stasiun Kyungsung. Berbekal alamat dalam hangul kami akhirnya digambarkan peta menuju guesthouse tujuan kami.

When we arrived at Kyungsung Station, we went straight to the information desk to ask where Busan Kyungsung Hostel was. We only knew it was near Kyungsung Station, but had no idea about the exact location. Even after browsing online, we couldn’t find any detailed directions. Luckily, with the hostel address written in Hangul, the staff kindly drew us a little map to help us find our way there.

Tips buat kalian yang nanya petunjuk arah kayak kita. Jangan mau dikasih CU sebagai patokan. Sumpah itu CU bertebaran dimana-mana. Semacam Alfamart begitulah kalo di sini. Kita sempet bingung waktu belok. Di sini CU, agak sana dikit ada CU juga. Jadi yang bener belok di CU yang sini apa yang sana? Hahaha... Setelah dibingungkan oleh CU tadi akhirnya kita sampailah dipersimpangan jalan dimana kita yakin udah mengikuti jalan yang benar.

Here’s a tip if you ever ask for directions like we did — don’t let anyone use CU as a landmark. Seriously, those CU stores are everywhere! It’s like the Korean version of Alfamart. We got confused when we had to turn because there was a CU right here, and another just a few steps away. So which CU were we supposed to turn at? Hahaha... After getting totally thrown off by the endless CUs, we finally reached an intersection where we were pretty sure we were on the right track.

Kita udah mentok banget dan nyaris putus asa untuk nyari dimana posisi guesthousenya. Ketemulah 2 ABG cowok-cewek yang akhirnya ditanyain sama temen saya. Mereka niat banget bantuin sampe pakai Naver Maps. Dan ekspresi mereka agak gimana gitu sambil lihat bangunan di kanan kita. Ternyata tempat yang kita cari tak lain dan tak bukan mengarah pada bar. BAR...B-A-R.

We were totally stuck and almost gave up trying to find where the guesthouse was. Then we ran into two teenagers—a guy and a girl—so my friend asked them for help. They were super nice and even used Naver Maps to check. But their expressions got a little... weird while looking at the building on our right. Turns out, the place we were looking for was none other than a bar. Yep, a B-A-R.

Penampakan depan sesuai alamat / The front view matched the address perfectly. Original source: https://dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/06/c5/0e/d9/look-for-this-building.jpg?w=800&h=-1&s=1

Seketika saya sama temen saya langsung  lemes. Masa' iya kita mau nginep di bar. Akhirnya kami memutuskan untuk ke mini market. Lah kok ke mini market? Wkwkwkw. Pertama, kita lapar. Kalau lapar kita nggak akan bisa berpikir jernih untuk mengambil langkah selanjutnya. Sambil makan mie cup, kita memutuskan untuk mencoba cari penginapan lain. Kebetulan di mini marketnya ada wifi gratis.

We instantly went weak. Seriously, are we staying in a bar? So, we decided to head to a convenience store instead. Why? Hahaha. First, we were hungry — and you can’t think straight on an empty stomach. While enjoying our cup noodles, we used the free Wi-Fi there to look for another place to stay.

Setelah perut kenyang, barulah kita bisa berpikir lebih tenang dan tidak gegabah. Kita memutuskan untuk mengecek ke bar tadi. Kalau kita gak sreg sama tempatnya baru kita batalkan dan cari guesthouse lain. Kalau nggak dapetpun kita masih bisa tidur di sauna. Akhirnya kita masuk ke bangunan tadi terus naik lift ke lantai 4 ke bar namanya L-zone. Kita langsung disambut sama cowok Korea tinggi nan ganteng. Kegalauan kita tadi seketika menghilang. Hahahaha...

Once our stomachs were full, we could finally think clearly and calmly. We decided to check out that bar first — if it didn’t feel right, we’d cancel and find another guesthouse. Worst case, we could always crash at a sauna. So, we went into the building, took the elevator to the 4th floor, and there it was — a bar called L-Zone. We were greeted by a tall, handsome Korean guy, and just like that, all our doubts disappeared. Hahaha…

Jadi si ganteng ini namanya Mike Kim, yang punya bar sekaligus Busan Kyungsung Hostel. Jadi bar ini hanya merupakan meeting point baru nanti diantar ke tempat nginepnya. Kenapa diminta ketemu di sini? Selain bar ini lebih mudah dicari, ternyata hostel yang disewakan itu berupa 1 unit apartemen yang dia sewakan. Jadi kalau kita dikasih langsung alamat apartemennya pasti bakalan bingung.

So, the handsome guy turned out to be Mike Kim — the owner of both the bar and Busan Kyungsung Hostel. Apparently, the bar was just a meeting point, and guests would be escorted to the actual place later. The reason? The bar was easier to find, while the “hostel” itself was actually an apartment unit he rented out. If we had gone straight to the apartment address, we probably would’ve been totally lost.

Mike ngajak kita ngobrol udah kemana aja selama di Busan. Kita juga bilang berencana ke Haeundae dan Gwanggali. Kata Mike deket banget dari sini kalau mau ke 2 pantai itu. Mike juga menjelaskan daerah ini cocok untuk yang penyuka dunia malam, alkohol, pesta. Dia langsung ngelihat jilbab kita dan bilang but you probably won't enjoy it. Bingo Mike >.<

Mike started chatting with us, asking where we’d been in Busan so far. We told him we planned to visit Haeundae and Gwangalli, and he said both beaches were really close from here. He also mentioned that this area was perfect for people who love nightlife, alcohol, and parties. Then he looked at our hijabs and said, “But you probably won’t enjoy it.” Bingo, Mike >.<

Bagian dalam L-zone / Inside the L-zone bar

Setelah memberikan print out bukti booking, kami diminta nunggu karena kamarnya masih dibersihkan. Ternyata waktu kita makan mie cup di mini market tadi, si Mike itu lewat dan ngelihat kita. Katanya kita kelihatan lahap banget pas makan. Iya oppa... setengahnya laper, setengahnya galau. wkwkwkw. Karena waktu check in masih agak lama dan sayang kalau nggak dimanfaatkan, akhirnya kita memutuskan untuk lanjut jalan-jalan. Tas-tas kita titipin ke Mike. Kita sempet dikasih permen katanya buat bekal di jalan >.<

After showing our booking printout, we were told to wait since the room was still being cleaned. Turns out, when we were eating instant noodles at the convenience store earlier, Mike had actually passed by and saw us. He said we looked like we were really enjoying our food. Yes, oppa… half hunger, half heartbreak. LOL. Since check-in was still a bit later and we didn’t want to waste time, we decided to go out and explore again. We left our bags with Mike, and he even gave us some candy to enjoy on the road >.<

Yonggungsa Temple
Petunjuk Arah : Naik bus 181 turun di halte Yonggungsa

Directions: Take bus no. 181 and get off at Yonggungsa stop.

Karena sudah pengalaman kelaperan di jalan, akhirnya kita bawa ransum sebelum naik bis. Karena menurut yang saya baca, perjalanan menuju Yonggungsa Temple ini lumayan jauh (1 jam an lebih). Saya inget temen saya beli donat. Tapi saya lupa beli apa. wkwkwkw. Di perjalanan temen saya sempet  nanya Yonggungsa itu apa.

Since we’d learned our lesson from getting hungry on the road, we brought some snacks before getting on the bus. From what I read, the trip to Yonggungsa Temple takes about an hour. I remember my friend bought a donut—but I totally forgot what I bought. Haha. On the way, my friend asked me, “What exactly is Yonggungsa?”

Temen saya : Yonggungsa itu tempat apa?
Saya : Temple
Temen saya : Ngapain ke temple lagi? Kita kan udah ke temple waktu di Seoul (Bongeunsa)

My friend: “What kind of place is Yonggungsa?”
Me: “A temple.”
My friend: “Why are we going to another temple? We already went to one in Seoul (Bongeunsa)!”

Percayalah meskipun Bongeunsa dan Yonggungsa sama-sama temple, tapi pemandangan yang disajikan berbeda. Yonggungsa merupakan temple yang berada di tepi pantai. Saya pernah googling gambar Yonggungsa, pemandangannya bagus banget. Yonggungsa adalah objek wisata yang paling saya antisipasi di Busan selain Taejongdae dan Gamcheon village (Hiks).

Trust me, even though Bongeunsa and Yonggungsa are both temples, the scenery is totally different. Yonggungsa is a seaside temple, and from what I’d seen on Google, the view is absolutely stunning. It’s one of the places I was most excited to visit in Busan—right after Taejongdae and Gamcheon Village (sniff).

Bis 181 ini super duper crowded banget jadi kita terpaksa berdiri. Setelah sekitar 20 menitan mungkin, akhirnya ada bangku kosong 1. Saya yang disuruh duduk sama temen saya. Tak lama kemudian naiklah sepasang abg. Itu asli cowoknya guanteng banget. Padahal dia cuma pake kemeja putih sama celana putih.

Bus 181 was super crowded, so we had to stand. After about 20 minutes, finally there is an empty seat and my friend told me to sit. Not long after, a teenage couple got on—and oh my gosh, the guy was seriously handsome. He was just wearing a plain white shirt and white pants, but still... wow.

Meskipun baru sehari di Busan, saya sudah bisa membandingkan antara cowok Seoul dan cowok Busan. Cowok Seoul itu cenderung lebih stylish bahkan kelewat stylish  menurut saya sampai kadang saya bingung itu baju yang dipakai model apa. Hahaha... Mereka juga cenderung lebih kemayu. Ngerti kemayu nggak sih? Pokoknya rada gemulai tapi nggak sampai kayak banci gitu. Gimana ya, susah njelasinnya. Saya bahkan ketemu beberapa yang pakai lipstick meskipun tipis-tipis.

Even though it’s only been a day in Busan, I can already tell the difference between Seoul guys and Busan guys. Seoul guys are way more stylish—sometimes too stylish that I honestly can’t even figure out what kind of outfit they’re wearing. Haha. They also tend to be a bit… metrosexual?I even saw a few who wore lipstick—just a thin layer though.

Kalau cowok Busan....Gayanya masih dibatas wajarlah. Masih bisa diterima oleh saya yang nggak paham fashion. Dari cari ngomong dan gesturnya itu cowok banget nggak kemayu. Kalau ada yang nanya saya lebih suka cowok Seoul atau cowok Busan, saya lebih pilih cowok Busan. Tapi sayangnya nggak ada yang nanya. Hahahaha.... Seperti yang saya baca, ternyata perjalanan menuju Yonggungsa itu bener-bener jauuuh banget. Saya sampai ketiduran dan kebangun gara-gara kotak donat temen yang dititipin ke saya jatuh.

As for Busan guys… their style is more “normal,” still acceptable for someone like me who doesn’t know much about fashion. From the way they talk and gesture, they’re definitely masculine, not soft like the Seoul guys. If anyone asked me whether I prefer Seoul guys or Busan guys, I’d choose Busan guys—but nobody asked. Hahaha… As I read before, the ride to Yonggungsa is really, really long. I even fell asleep and woke up because my friend’s box of donuts, which I was holding, fell.

Bis akhirnya sampai juga di Yonggungsa. Akhirnya... Cowok kece tadi ternyata turun di sini juga. Seperti sebelumnya, kalau kita nggak tau jalan ikut aja kemana orang-orang berjalan. Hahahaha... Jalan dari Halte ke Yonggungsa cukup jauh. Tapi karena selama di Korea kita sudah terbiasa jalan kaki jadi udah nggak ngeluh lagi. Cuman jalan segini aja kecil. wkwkwkw.

The bus finally arrived at Yonggungsa. Finally… the handsome guy from before got off here too. As usual, if you don’t know the way, just follow where the crowd going. Hahaha… The walk from the bus stop to Yonggungsa is quite far. But since we’ve gotten used to walking a lot in Korea, we didn’t complain. It’s just a short walk, really. Wkwkwkw.

Pagoda kayak yang di bungkus permen / The pagoda looks like the one on old candy can

Di dalam Yonggungsa ini ada semacam gua gitu. Untuk masuk ke sana kita harus menuruni tangga. Di dalamnya ada semacam sumber air. Pengunjung yang masuk ke gua itu minum air kemudian berdoa. Karena takut syirik saya nggak mau ikut-ikutan. Sayang saya nggak foto tempatnya.

Inside Yonggungsa, there’s a sort of cave. To enter, you have to go down some stairs. Inside, there’s a water spring. Visitors drink the water and pray. I didn’t join because I was worried about committing shirk. Sadly, I didn’t take any photos of the place.

Siap-siap ya kalau ke Yonggungsa, saya sarankan pakai sepatu yang enak dipakai. Pertama dari halte menuju Yonggungsa sendiri jalan kaki cukup lumayan jauh (nggak ada opsi lain kecuali bawa kendaraan pribadi). Kedua Yonggungsa, ini jalannya naik turun jadi siap-siap untuk menapaki ratusan anak tangga.

Heads up if you’re going to Yonggungsa: I recommend wearing comfortable shoes. First, it’s quite a walk from the bus stop to the temple (no other option unless you have a private ride). Second, Yonggungsa itself has lots of ups and downs, so be ready to climb hundreds of steps.

Menempuh perjalanan jauh dengan bis, jalan kaki dari halte yang lumayan jauh dan belum lagi anak tangga naik turun yang cukup menguras keringat.... semuanya terbayarkan dengan pemandangan ini. Pemandangan yang disajikan nggak tipu-tipu, sama indahnya seperti yang di google.

After a long bus ride, a decent walk from the stop, and climbing all those sweaty steps… it’s all worth it for this view. The scenery doesn’t lie—it’s just as stunning as the pictures you see on Google. 

When the temple meets sea

Pemandangan temple yang langsung berbatasan dengan laut ini berada di sisi kiri saya. Sementara di sisi kanan saya ada semacam kendi, patung dan kolam. Di patung yang berada di tengah itu... banyak yang melemparkan uang receh ke dalam sana. Ada yang sekedar iseng, ada juga yang melemparkan koin dengan harapan apa yang mereka inginkan bisa dicapai kalau koinnya bisa masuk ke tengah. 

To my left, the temple sits right by the sea. On my right, there are jars, statues, and a small pond. At the central statue, lots of people toss coins—some just for fun, others hoping their wishes will come true if the coin lands in the middle. 

Oh iya di Yonggungsa ini kalian bisa turun juga lho ke batu-batuan yang berbatasan langsung dengan laut. Tapi jangan khawatir ada pagar pembatasnya jadi kalo kalian apes-apesnya kepleset nggak akan nyemplung ke laut kok. Hehehe... Di sana juga banyak kios yang jual camilan semacam oden, tteokpoki, dll. Jadi dijamin nggak akan kelaparan.

Oh, and at Yonggungsa, you can also go down to the rocks right by the sea. Don’t worry, there’s a safety railing, so even if you slip, you won’t fall into the water. Hehe… There are also plenty of snack stalls selling things like oden, tteokbokki, and more, so you won’t go hungry.

Sama seperti di Bongeunsa, saya banyak menemukan boneka biksu unyu-imut yang ditaruh disudut temple. Kadang ada di sela-sela bebatuan, kadang ada di bawah pohon. Lucuu... banget

Just like at Bongeunsa, I found lots of cute little monk dolls tucked around the temple. Sometimes between rocks, sometimes under trees. So adorable!

Unyu-unyu.. wkwkwkw / super cute

Kiyeoptaaaa >.<

Ada yang beribadah sekalian jalan-jalan / Some people are praying and strolling around the temple.

Di sepanjang jalan keluar Yonggungsa, banyak sekali kios pinggir jalan yang menjual berbagai macam barang. Mulai dari pernak-pernik, jajanan, bahkan boneka biksu yang kecil tadi juga ada. Kami sempat berhenti sebentar karena teman saya mau beli hotteok, semacam roti goreng bulat pipih yang isinya kacang, gula merah dan kayu manis. Ada camilan yang menarik perhatian saya yaitu cumi-cumi besar yang digoreng tepung kemudian ditusuk pakai lidi. Saya pengen beli tapi membayangkan ribetnya makan cumi segede itu sementara perjalanan kita masih jauh, akhirnya saya mengurungkan niat saya. Tapi sebelum pulang ke Indonesia, saya pengen beli cumi-cumi itu.

Along the way out of Yonggungsa, there were lots of street stalls selling all sorts of things—trinkets, snacks, even the little monk dolls I mentioned earlier. We stopped briefly because my friend wanted to buy hotteok, a flat round fried pastry filled with nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon. One snack that caught my eye was a large deep-fried squid on a skewer. I wanted to buy it, but thinking about how tricky it would be to eat such a huge squid while we still had a long journey ahead, I gave up. But before going back to Indonesia, I definitely want to get that squid.

Pantai Haeundae

Petunjuk Arah : Naik bis 181 lagi tapi di halte yang berlawanan dari kita datang tadi

Directions: Take bus 181 again, but from the opposite-side bus stop from where we got off earlier.

Haeundae merupakan pantai yang terkenal di Busan, Korea Selatan. Mengunjungi Busan sepertinya kurang greget kalau belum ke pantai ini. Saya ingat pernah nonton film korea dengan judul Haeundae yang dimainkan oleh aktris favorit saya Ha Ji Won.  Ini membuat saya sangat excited mengunjungi pantai ini. Seperti biasanya kami mengikuti kemana rombongan orang-orang berjalan untuk menuju tempat tujuan kami.

Haeundae is a famous beach in Busan, South Korea. Visiting Busan wouldn’t feel complete without coming here. I remember watching a Korean movie called “Haeundae” starring my favorite actress Ha Ji Won, which made me super excited to visit this beach. As usual, we just followed the crowd to get to our destination.

Sepanjang perjalanan menuju pantai Haeundae, banyak sekali restauran di kanan dan kiri jalan. Tak jarang juga kami menemukan penginapan. Tapi dengan letaknya yang strategis, dekat dengan objek wisata pantai Haeundae... kami bisa membayangkan harga sewanya yang bisa dipastikan mahal.

On the way to Haeundae Beach, there were tons of restaurants lining both sides of the street. We also spotted some guesthouses here and there. Given their prime location near the beach, we could only imagine that the rent must be pretty pricey.

Tidak banyak yang bisa saya ceritakan dari Pantai Haeundae. Terus terang pantainya biasa saja menurut saya. Kalau wisata pantai, masih bagus yang di Indonesia lah ya menurut saya. Tidak banyak yang bisa kita lakukan juga di sana. Kita cuma duduk-duduk di pinggir pantai sama lihat orang pacaran. wkwkwkkw. Oh iya, saya pernah baca katanya di Pantai Haeundae banyak burung camar. Tapi saat itu saya nggak lihat satu ekorpun.

Honestly, I don’t have much to say about Haeundae Beach. To me, the beach itself was pretty average—Indonesia still has better beaches, in my opinion. There wasn’t much to do there either; we just sat by the shore and watched couples strolling around. Haha. Oh, I read that there are usually lots of seagulls at Haeundae, but we didn’t see a single one that day.

Akhirnya kita memutuskan untuk menyudahi perjalanan kami di pantai Haeundae, Ketika berangkat tadi kita menyusuri pertokoan di kanan jalan, sekarang kita menyusuri sisi kiri jalan biar beda pemandangannya. Kamipun berhenti sebentar karena mupeng banget lihat ice cream bungeoppang. Harganya kalau tidak salah antara 3000 won - 4000 won. Setelah es krimnya habis, kita memutuskan kembali ke L-zone untuk cek in.

We finally decided to wrap up our trip at Haeundae Beach. On the way there, we had walked along the shops on the right side of the street, so now we strolled down the left side for a change of scenery. We made a quick stop because we were craving bungeoppang ice cream—it cost around 3,000–4,000 won. Once our ice cream was finished, we headed back to L-zone to check in.

Kurang lebih seperti ini penampakannya. Credit to : english.visitkorea.or.kr

Ketika kembali ke L-zone, Mike sudah menunggu kita. Kamipun diantar ke hostel. Seperti yang saya ceritakan sebelumnya, Busan Kyungsung Hostel ini merupakan apartemen 1 lantai, tidak seperti Kimchee Guesthouse yang sampai berlantai-lantai. Kita juga tahunya waktu udah di sana.

When we got back to L-zone, Mike was already waiting for us. He escorted us to the hostel. As I mentioned earlier, Busan Kyungsung Hostel is just a one-floor apartment, unlike Kimchee Guesthouse which has multiple floors. We only realized this once we arrived.

Ini asli pengalaman baru banget buat saya yang tentunya menyenangkan. Fantasi saya ketika nonton drama Korea seolah terwujud waktu nginep di sini. Warning : Norak inside. Wkwkwkw.

This was a totally new and exciting experience for me. My little fantasies from watching Korean dramas kinda came true while staying here. Warning: Cheesy vibes ahead. Hahaha.

Jadi untuk masuk ke apartemennya kita harus nekan password 4 kombinasi angka. Baru mau masuk saya udah senyam-senyum sendiri. Ini nih di drama korea biasanya artisnya kalo mau masuk rumah pencet-pencet beginian dulu.

To enter the apartment, we had to punch in a 4-digit code. Even before stepping inside, I was already grinning. This is exactly like in Korean dramas where the actors tap in a code before entering their home.

Setelah masuk ke dalam, di sana di sediakan rak sepatu. Jadi ada ruangan khusus kecil gitu untuk melepas dan menyimpan sepatu di depan pintu. Di tempat melepas sepatu ini, lampunya akan otomatis menyala kalau ada orang. Kalau orangnya pergi, lampunya akan mati sendiri. Ini.... ini... Di drama-drama korea lampunya juga otomatis nyala/mati sendiri.

Once inside, there’s a small shoe rack area right by the door to take off and store shoes. The light there automatically turns on when someone enters and turns off when they leave. This… this… is exactly like in Korean dramas where the lights switch on and off by themselves.

Mike ngasih tur singkat di dalam apartemen. Dibandingkan dengan penginapan kami di Seoul, yang di Busan ini sedikit lebih mahal. Itu karena di sini udah include sarapan. Kita juga dibolehkan pakai mesin cuci secara cuma-cuma. Tapi Mike bilang hati-hati pakai mesin cucinya, kalau rusak kita bakal diminta ganti rugi.

Mike gave us a quick tour of the apartment. Compared to our stay in Seoul, this one in Busan was a bit pricier, but that’s because breakfast was included. We were also allowed to use the washing machine for free, though Mike warned us to be careful—if it breaks, we’d have to pay for it. 

Common room, di luar jendela itu bisa dipakai untuk menjemur baju /The common room has a window area that can be used for drying clothes. Credit : Hostelworld.com

Ruang makan / Dining Area Credit : Hostelworld.com

Kamar / bedroom. Credit : Hostelworld.com

Tersedia loker juga dengan membayar uang deposit / Lockers are also available with a deposit payment. Credit : https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com

Dapur / kitchen. Credit : https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com

Gimana penampakannya. Not bad kan? Hostel ini merupakan yang termurah yang kita temukan di booking.com. Sayangnya entah karena alasan apa, kita sudah tidak bisa menyewa Busan Kyungsung Hostel ini melalui booking.com lagi. Tapi kalian masih bisa menyewa melalui hostelworld.com.

What does it look like? Not bad, right? This hostel was the cheapest we found on booking.com. Unfortunately, for some reason, you can’t book Busan Kyungsung Hostel through booking.com anymore. But you can still book it via hostelworld.com.

Ketika Mike menunjukkan kamar kami, temen saya sempet kaget karena ada laki-laki tidur di sana. Jadi kamar kami terdiri dari 3 ranjang susun. Kemudian ada 1 pintu lagi yang mengubungkan kamar kami dengan kamar yang lebih kecil berisi 1 ranjang susun dan kamar mandi. Mike juga memberikan kami 1 kantong plastik berisi selimut, kopi, teh, gula, selai, mentega, kupon diskon busan aquarium, peta busan dan ear-plug.

When Mike showed us our room, my friend got a bit shocked because there was a guy already sleeping there. So our room had three bunk beds. There was also another door connecting our room to a smaller room with one bunk bed and a bathroom. Mike also gave us a plastic bag containing blankets, coffee, tea, sugar, jam, butter, a discount coupon for Busan Aquarium, a Busan map, and earplugs.

Setelah  Mike pergi, temen saya baru membahas kenapa kita sekamar dengan cowok. Itu kepala saya langsung rasanya kayak mau pecah. Jadi sebelum kami booking Busan Kyungsung Hostel ini, kami sudah memperdebatkan gara-gara semua kamar di hostel ini mix-dorm. Artinya cowok-cewek jadi 1. Itulah yang menyebabkan saya nggak mau nginep di sini. Temen saya ngotot mau nginep di sini karena pertimbangan harganya adalah termurah. Akhirnya saya ngalah. Makanya saya jadi rada emosi waktu dia nanya kenapa kok kita sekamar sama cowok. Kan situ yang milih!! Hahaha

After Mike left, my friend finally brought up why we were sharing a room with a guy. My head almost felt like it was going to explode. Before we booked Busan Kyungsung Hostel, we had argued because all the rooms there are mixed dorms—meaning guys and girls share the same room. That’s why I didn’t want to stay here. My friend insisted because it was the cheapest option. So I gave in. That’s why I got a bit annoyed when he asked why we were in a room with a guy. Dude, you chose this!! Hahaha.

Akhirnya kita mulai bongkar tas sambil sesekali ngelirik cowok yang tidur di kasur bawah. Rada horor waktu lihat cowok itu batuk-batuk terus bangun. Ternyata dia orang Korea. Kita cuma say hi aja tapi nggak kenalan. Makin lama batuknya makin parah. Karena kasihan akhirnya saya kasih obat flu yang saya bawa dari Indonesia sama donat temen saya buat dimakan sebelum minum obat. Setelah bebersih dan ganti baju, kita memutuskan untuk tidur. Ngantuk banget soalnya tadi pagi bangunnya kepagian :D

Finally, we started unpacking our bags while occasionally glancing at the guy sleeping on the lower bunk. It was a bit creepy when he started coughing and waking up. Turns out he’s Korean. We just said hi so we didn’t really get to know each other.. His coughing got worse over time, and I started feeling sorry, I gave him some flu medicine I brought from Indonesia along with my friend’s donut to eat before taking the medicine. After freshening up and changing clothes, we decided to sleep. We were super sleepy since we woke up way too early this morning :D

Saya bangun sekitar jam 7 malam. Itupun dibangunkan temen saya. Kita memutuskan untuk stay di hostel aja soalnya hari ini kita capek banget. Kita ngobrol sama temen sekamar yaitu cowok korea yang sakit tadi, sebut aja Si Om ya... karena umurnya seinget saya 40 tahunan. Wkwkwk. Kemudian ada 2 cowok Jerman yang menempati kamar lebih kecil yang dekat kamar mandi tadi. Si Om tadi cerita ke 2 cowok Jerman tadi kalau dia terharu banget waktu kita kasih obat tadi. You're welcome, Ahjusshi...

I woke up around 7 PM, thanks to my friend waking me up. We decided to just stay in the hostel since we were super tired today. We chatted with our roommate, the sick Korean guy, let’s call him Mr. Om since I think he was in his 40s. Haha. Then there were two German guys in the smaller room near the bathroom. Mr. Om told them how touched he was when we gave him the medicine earlier. You’re welcome, Ahjusshi…

Ternyata 2 cowok Jerman itu brondong banget. Dia bilang ke kita kalau umur dia udah 20-sekian. Terus Si Om itu bilang kalau dia ternyata masih umur belasan dan baru lulus SMA. Dia ngakak waktu saya bilang dia tukang ngibul. Wkwkwkw.. Katanya sih di Jerman udah kayak tradisi gitu. Jadi abg yang baru lulus SMA biasanya traveling ke luar negeri.

Turns out the two German guys were really young. One of them said he was in his early 20s, but Mr. Om pointed out that he was actually still a teen, just graduated from high school. He laughed when I called him a little liar. Haha. Apparently in Germany, it’s kind of a tradition—teens who just graduated usually travel abroad.

Cowok Jerman yang bohong masalah umur ke kita itu tertarik sama programming. Kalau yang satunya saya nggak nanya tapi dia bisa b-boy dan balet! Dia sempet pamer muter-muter gitu ke kita. Wkwkwk.. Si om Korea tadi nanya-nanya umur dan kota asal kita. Dia bilang bahasa saya sama temen saya itu lucu. Saya bilang sama dia kalau kita ini ngomong pakai bahasa daerah bukan bahasa Indonesia.

The German guy who lied about his age told us he’s into programming. I didn’t ask the other one, but he can do b-boy and ballet! He even showed off some spins for us. Haha. Mr. Om, the Korean guy, asked our ages and where we’re from. He said our language sounded funny, and I told him we actually speak a local dialect, not standard Indonesian.

Beberapa kali saya melontarkan kata-kata dalam bahasa Korea dan si om kaget kok saya ngerti ini, ngerti itu. Ini efek kebanyakan nonton drama sama reality show Korea. Si Om nanya Boyband favorit saya siapa dan saya jawab dia nggak bakalan ngerti. Dia ngotot nanya... dia kira saya bakal jawab Suju atau Exo, boyband sejuta umat. Ketika saya jawab VIXX si om cuma gedek-gedek. Udah saya duga Om nggak bakalan tau. Hahaha... Malam itu kita tutup dengan nonton The Producer yang memang sedang diputar di Korea.

Several times I threw out some Korean words, and Mr. Om was surprised that I understood this and that. All those Korean dramas and reality shows finally paid off. He asked who my favorite boyband was, and I told him he wouldn’t get it. He insisted, thinking I’d say Super Junior or EXO, the usual crowd favorites. When I said VIXX, he was just like, “Huh?” As I expected, he had no clue. Haha… That night we ended by watching The Producer, which was airing in Korea at the time.

Karena belum makan malam, akhirnya kita memutuskan keluar sambil cari apalah yang bisa dimakan. Agak kaget lihat pemandangan malam di sekitar hostel ini. Ternyata di sini kawasan ajeb-ajeb seperti kata Mike. Banyak yang bergerombol sambil minum alkohol, musik ajeb-ajeb juga terdengar di berbagai penjuru. Akhirnya ketemu juga orang jual oden dan tteokpoki gak jauh dari sana.

Since we hadn’t had dinner yet, we decided to go out and look for something to eat. I was a bit surprised by the nightlife around the hostel. Turns out this area really is lively, just like Mike said—lots of people hanging out, drinking, with loud music everywhere. Eventually, we found a vendor selling oden and tteokbokki not too far from there.

Late Night Snack

Setelah kenyang kita memutuskan untuk balik ke hostel. Di perjalanan balik, saya lihat ada kakek tua jual dalgona/Bbobgi. Dalgona merupakan campuran dari gula + baking soda yang dicairkan kemudian dicetak. Kasihan lihat kakeknya gak laku. Tapi emang seperti salah tempat gitu, mana laku jualan dalgona di situ. Akhirnya saya beli karena selain kasian juga penasaran. Dan rasanya... gak enak banget. Pahit >.<

Penampakan Dalgona / Here’s a look at Dalgona Credit to : http://www.dreamersradio.com

Sekian postingan saya untuk hari Ke-9 di Korea. Postingan selanjutnya akan membahas pengalaman hari terakhir kita di Korea.

That’s a wrap for Day 9 in Korea. The next post will cover our final day in Korea.