South Korea Day 8: 40 Steps / Jagalchi Market / Gimhae Airport

Assalamualaikum. 안녕.

Our last day di bumi Korea Selatan. Siap² packing supaya senang, balik dari berjalan nanti...pungut beg & boleh check out terus. For our last few hours in Busan, I decided to visit the 40 Steps Culture & Tourism Theme Street first thing in the morning.  

Kasih ibu membawa ke syurga.

History is my kinda thing. 

Part of the landasan yang lalu kawasan ni masih dikekalkan. 

Apart from the Ahjussi who played the accordion, that shop is among the thing that attract me. Keluar dari kedai tu sila berhati² else akan jatuh tergolek dog. Up to this moment I still wondered, apalah dalam kepala orang yang bina benda alah tu. Unik? Maybelah kan.

Ada speaker at the Ahjussi's back. Bila ada orang duduk tepi dia, akan ada lagu dimainkan as if betul lah Ahjussi tengah entertain kita. 

"In 1950, when South Korea was swiftly overwhelmed by the North’s surprise attack. During the war, hundreds of thousands of refugees crammed into Busan, especially in the areas of Yongdusan Hill and the port. Among such a desperate crush of humanity, many families found themselves separated, lost among the crowds disembarking the overly-packed trains and ships.

Getting separated from family in war-time Korea wasn’t the minor inconvenience it would be today. There were no phones, no possibility of communication. You lose your mommy, and she’s going to stay lost. But among the newcomers, word spread of a spot in Busan where families could reunite. Anyone looking for a missing child or wife should head to the 40 Steps. This is where people could find each other again"

source here.

How the stairs looked like back in the day.

Aku yang seketul di tangga penuh sejarah suka duka itu.

Habis menghayati sejarah, we made our move to Jagalchi Market. Saja beli point to point ticket sebab mau merasa tekan mesin beli tiket di Busan. Kesian bah perangai. 

Alley near the hostel we stayed at...also sangat dekat sama market.

View macam di kampung tumpah darahku. Kalau jalan di pasar KK pun gini juga, nampak ikan bergantungan. Cuma di KK pasar adalah busuk bau hanyir ikan. And yes, kotor. Matilah perangai lupa diri sudah mari. But, that's the plain truth. Titik.

Sebelum isi perut, mari naik observation deck di Jagalchi Market ni. Cuci mata tengok keadaan keliling Busan dari rooftop. Cari damai di pagi hari as my cousin said. Ayat ndak menahan.

Yongdusan Tower. Dari 40 Steps boleh jak menapak naik pigi tower ni tapi kami memang ndak plan untuk jejak tower ni.

Sudah puas layan jiwang at the observation deck, we went down. Kali ni layan view air laut dari belakang market pula. Tu boleh nampak Gamcheon Village from afar. Sekali pandang, macam padat pula penempatan di Busan ni.

Sukanya tengok laut! Pastu ada seagulls pula. Damainya rasa. Kalau suruh duduk depan laut, dengar bunyi laut & burung berkicau; confirm aku sanggup! 

Seriously, aku memang masuk pasar basah. And cuci mata tengok bermacam jenis hidupan laut. Bersihnya pasar di Busan ni...kalau suruh aku duduk atas lantai tu pun aku sanggup. Cuba pasar di KK, air terpercik di sandals pun aku sudah membebel macam radio rosak. Sombong betul kau kan Bie. Dasar!

Nampak signage restaurant, terus lah both melompat girang. Sengaja ndak breakfast (aku just alas perut minum nescafe) semata mau membalun makan di sini sebenarnya. Orang bilang, kalau sudah datang Busan...silalah datang menjamu perut di Jagalchi Market.

Ronda 2-3 round before we decided to have our lunch here. The owner yang pakai baju biru tu, bersungguh explain menu dia sama kami. Siap tunjuk magazine dari Hong Kong yang ada mention restoran dia. Gitu kan.

"Hahaha tu magazine, siap dia sudah tanda which page. Senang buka untuk show to this customer" hmm cousin aku kalau bab ni memang laju jak dia tangkap. 

Malas buka kasut (yang sudah half-arwah! Koyak belakang boots aku memang ndak da ampun) so we opted untuk duduk area yang ada kerusi. 

15 minutes of waiting for the main course to arrived, we were served with these banchans. In which aku tambah 2x. Including the rice. Cousin aku ndak berapa makan benda pelik (to quote her), so memang akulah vakum habis banchans ni semua. Paling best makan sambal sotong (raw) tu with hot rice. Ok, terliur sudah!

Ikan yang kami order. Oppa tu suggest ikan ni paling best makan time winter. Surprisingly, ni antara ikan yang paling murah in the menu. Nampak cara diorang bisnes macam mana? Bukan semata mau kaut untung tau. Jujur! 

Dapat kim (seaweed wrap) as service. Aku pun buatlah wrap sendiri. Isi ikan, kimchi & sayur...wrapped with kim & sumbat masuk mulut. Yumms!! Cost kami mentekedarah ni around 75,000₩. 

Sudah kenyang. Its time to make our move. Mandi manda dulu before kami checked-out from the hotel at 1p. Sebab ndak da orang check-in bilik kami haritu, so Ahjumma tu bagi kami keluar lewat sikit. Without additional cost gitu. Although flight jam 5p, kami kena gerak awal. Naik train memang ndak jammed tapi takut sesak beratur check-in di airport.  

Also kami kena return wifi modem. And ada orang suddenly

"Better awal sampai, boleh lepak ngopi lagi kan".

Hmm I thought masa di market tadi ada oarng tu cakap perut penuh gila ndak tau mana mau store makanan kalau makan lagi...? Eh? 

Its time to go back to reality. Ada budak tu mentang lah kan baru habis PMR, terus ponteng sekolah dekat seminggu! Daftar lambat ok. Sudahlah sekolah baru. Bakal dapat rekod busuk lah di awal tahun.

Near the arrival hall ada changing room ni. Aku tumpang jama' dalam ni. Toilet pun sebelah jak. Sungguh convenient.

No check-in luggage masa dari Malaysia hari tu tapi sebiji telah di checked-in kan untuk flight back from Busan. Berat batu ndak larat aku hangkut ke hulu ke hilir sudah. Padahal bukan shopping apa pun, ntah macam mana suddenly jadi berat.

As requested, sudah masuk boarding hall. One hour before departure, kami pun lepaklah ngopi. Tetaplah Dunkin Donuts tapi balik Malaysia jak, terus lah ndak pandang langsung kedai ni. Kami lepak buang masa sambil reminisce kenangan selama seminggu di Korea. Gitu! Belum sampai Malaysia pun, sudah reminiscing bagai kan.

Ada orang habiskan saki baki kWon di duty free shop. Ntah apa jak dibeli. 

Flight was delayed for 30 minutes. Ndak apalah, janji kami sampai bumi Malaysia dengan selamat. Alhamdulillah. Seminggu berwinter with one of my closest sepupu. Kakak dia sungguh berdarah hati sebab ndak dapat join. Padahal aku beli ticket untuk kami bertiga but her college changed the exam schedule in the very last minute. Hence terpaksalah aku cancel ticket & request for refund. Thanks Azra & Aza sebab share info pasal how to refund with AirAsia. 

I'm a happy 'big sister' for making my cousin's dream to set foot upon South Korea land came true. Nasiblah dia berjiwa Kpop juga. So despite the 16-years gap of age, we can somehow connect dengan utuhnya. Thanks sudi jadi mangsa bulian kakak throughout the trip. Kira balasan-dendam sebab dulu kau selalu buli kakak untuk dukung kau & hantar pigi taska. And sebab kau cerewet jadi kakak selalu jak jadi mangsa untuk goreng telur-mata. 

Because u said "Kakak Bibie masak telur; cantik. Ndak pecah kuning". 

Twit! Baru aku perasan, sepanjang trip ni aku actually kena buli dalam diam. Bukan kah aku yang beraksi jadi masterchef preparing our breakfast(s) & dinner(s)?! Aigoo.

eryantierdabdulkarim 

South Korea Day 1: Gimhae Airport / Cappodocia Restaurant / Busan Station / Nampo-dong

Assalamualaikum. 안녕.

Alhamdulillah, our winter trip went well. Ada few places ndak sempat pigi; definitely reason to repeat, yes?! Baru jak balik, sudah terus berangan lagi. Parah!

Fortunately, uni sedang dalam minggu exam. Jadinya suasana di cafe adalah a bit lengang. Memang something yang sangat² melapangkan minda. Balik dari cuti sangat heaven & sistem pun ndak berapa terkejut. And aku ada free time untuk select & edit gambar taken during the last trip. Proses paling bikin kepala pusing. 

Ok, back to my previous trip. Bertabah jaklah jadi warga Borneo. Sigh. Regardless how cheap I got my return ticket to Busan, it is still useless if I didn't buy the return ticket to Kolumpor. Nasiblah sempat rembat tiket masa promotion MAS hari tu. It's been a while since I last fly with them. 

Flight dari KK to Kolumpor was re-timed so plan untuk visit a friend's cafe in Putrajaya adalah ke laut. Sampai pun sudah lewat petang; took the bus from KLIA to KL Sentral then headed to Cheras. Mandi manda bersiap bagai & departed to the airport around 9p. Had dinner at the airport. Lepak buang masa lama sikit sebab malas mau masuk boarding hall awal², furthermore we had no luggage to check-in. 

Unlike my previous trips, bekalan makanan adalah super banyak this time. Bawa orang yang memang Kaki Lapar 24-jam jadi kenalah prepare semua ni. Tapi Maggi & 3-in-1 drink tu memang benda harus ada kalau aku berjalan jauh. 

Me & our bags.

Aku memang sengaja ndak suruh si Kazen bawa beg AF. Biarlah backpacks jak. Sebab sudah sedia maklum sama keadaan tangga di subway station di Korea. Not all stations but mostly pun memang akan ada aktiviti memanjat.

Waiting to board the plane. 

Memang perfect timing kalau terbang tengah malam. Boleh pulun tidur dalam flight. Sudah penat turun naik kapal since petang. Cakap macam 3-4 kali turun naik, padahal 2 flights jak pun kan Bie!

After six hours on board, we finally landed at Gimhae International Airport. 

Flight was delayed but we arrived on time. No picture of sunrise from the plane sebab kami dapat seat di middle row. And orang²an yang duduk window seats pulled down the shade. Sajalah tu kan ndak mau kami menikmati sunrise. Ok sila sangka baik, mereka adalah penat & perlu keadaan gelap lagi tenang untuk tidur. 

Picked up our modem wifi here.

Keluar dari arrival hall, first destinasi adalah 7-Eleven untuk reload T-Money. Thanks Ms G for lending the card to my Kazen. Jimat duit ndak payah beli new card. Settle urusan, we headed to the Olleh booth to pick up our reserved wifi modem. Just like last time, aku sewa wifi juga kali ni. Rental adalah cheaper; it was only 5,000₩/day. 

Outside the airport. Perlu walkertapaki untuk pi train station.

Lepas make sure modem tu berfungsi baik, marilah kita teruskan perjalanan. Aku opted untuk naik Light Rail train sebab hotel kami stay dekat gila sama subway station. Plus, aku memang ndak study pasal route airport limousine bus di Busan. Sebelum kejadian sesat di hari pertama jadi, baguslah ikut jak itinerary yang memang confirm accurate. Insha Allah.

The hotel is situated near the Jagalchi Market area. From the airport, kena transit twice to reach the hotel.

Gimhae Airport (LRT) ---> Sasang Station (Line 2)---> Jagalchi Station (Line 1).  

Although it was my first time in Busan, alhamdulillah senang jak mau faham transportation system diorang. Janji tau station mana mau turun & also tau exit yang betul. Very the petik jari. Riak, kan

Tadaaa! Annyeong! 

Belum pun panas enjin sudah jumpa Encik Tangga-s. Turun naik tangga subway ntah berapa kali sepanjang trip ni, tapi bila balik Malaysia berat bukan kurang, increase lagi ada. Hancur!

View we first saw upon exiting Jagalchi Station.

Lebih kurang an hour later, kami sampai Jagalchi Station. Exit via #10. Pastu baru perasan, rupanya memang dekat gila hotel ni sama market. And seberang jalan tu BIFF Square. Strategik juga hotel ni ah, kunun aku canang² dalam hati. Kalau cakap sama Kazen aku memang confirm dia jawab 

"Nan molla (I don't know!). Kau kan yang urus semua, orang ikut jak." 

Annoying gila tau nasib kazen. Tett.

In front of the hotel.

Sam Won Jang Motel ni located di lorong² belakang tapi selamat jak aku rasa. Kiri kanan ada restoran & noraebang (bilik karaoke). Langsung ndak da perasaan yang takut or risau. Suruhlah aku jalan lorong gini di KK, memang ndak akan aku buat. Tempah bala!

Alkisah, si Err salah buat booking untuk hotel ni. Instead of 27 Dec; I booked a room for 27 Jan. Sejak bila pula kau akan stay sebulan di South Korea, Bie oii!! Bijak kan bijak?! Aku pun teruslah laju log in booking.com & started cari any hotel yang ada available room for the night. Aku sudah ready untuk book hotel lain when the manager told me they have 1 vacant room. Tapi bukan ondol type macam yang aku booked earlier. Standard room pun standard lah janji ndak payah menapak & mengangkut beg super gajah ke hotel lain. Cuma kena tambah extra 5,000₩. Pejam mata jaklah bayar. 

Habis drama check-in, kami tinggal beg di storage room sebab masa tu awal lagi bilik pun belum ready. Destinasi seterusnya adalah untuk isi perut yang sudah berdangdut since touch down pagi tu. Kami ndak makan while on board sebab sudah lunch-cum-supper super berat di airport before tu. 

Dusil Station

Yang mahu dituju adalah Cappodocia Restaurant; a Turkish restaurant situated in front of the Al-Fatah Mosque. 

Jagalchi Station ---> Dusil Station Exit 8 

Ndak payah tukar tren as Dusil is on the same line as Jagalchi. 

Picture taken on our way to the restaurant. 

Ni view soon after keluar dari Exit 8. Walk straight until the end of the road, turn right at the junction. Walk pass the bridge & Cappocodia will be on the right side. Tengok dalam map macam jauh, sekali jalan ndak sampai pun 5 minit sudah terpacak depan restoran. Thanks Azra for the direction. Banyak dapat info dari blog minah 'sekampung' ni.

Our lunch.

Sumpah sedap! Lamb yang kena bungkus with cheese tu memang sangat² yumms! Worth the price! For the two dishes, we spent 22,000₩ here. Bila makan² di oversea ni, mau lagi currency diorang lagi tinggi dari kita...idea untuk directly convert the price to RM haruslah disimpan ketat.

Lepas sudah perut kenyang, kami proceed to Al Fatah Mosque untuk jama'. Punyalah sejuk tahap gaban air paip masa ambil wudhu' tu. Rasa mau lari pijak bara api. Beku tapak kaki, beku tapak tangan. Mau sangat winter, kan Bie!

Entrance to Al Fatah Mosque, Busan

From Dusil, kami balik hotel. Beg kami manager tu sudah hangkut masuk bilik. Kunci memang sudah dapat lepas bayar. Perlu mandi sebab aku sudah naik rimas. Dari awal pagi sampai, berjalan sana sini turun naik tangga subway...aku rasa badan akulah paling basi di Busan masa tu. Siap mandi manda, wangi wangi baru segar balik. Kami pakai baju tebal sikit sebab according to the weather forecast temperature akan drop malam tu.

Off to Busan Station (KTX) right after that. Mau tukar printed e-ticket aku di sini. Demi save masa, berkorbanlah lebih sikit RM naik bullet train to Seoul. At first aku mau naik Mugunghwa train jak, tapi arrival time tu jauh tersasar. Tengahari baru sampai Seoul. Rugi masa. Hence I decided to go for KTX. Tapi aku bijak (lagi sekali, yeah!!!) sebab beli yang open ticket. Langsung ndak reserved any seat. Maka dapatlah kami standing ticket sebab semua reserved seat for Saturday sold out. Ramai sangatkah warga yang mahu ke Seoul oii?! 

Busan Station

Arirang Hotel on the left side of the station, sana tempat tunggu bus untuk yang mau join Busan City Tour. 

KTX ticketing counter at Busan Station

All in Hangul. Janji tau nombor train & time of departure...very the kacang untuk purchase ticket. Staffs diorang pun speak quite good English. I bought a month prior the journey mainly sebab takut tiket habis; still ndak dapat seat. Hmmm tapi yang tu bukan sebab bingai sendiri ka Bie. Ok, bye! 

For more info on how to purchase the KTX train ticket, please refer here. PLEASE REMEMBER to reserve a seat. Purchase ur ticket by clicking the Booking (Book Online tab) NOT the KRPASS Reservation at the left side of the main page. 

Gwangbok-ro

We wandered around Gwangbok-ro lepas exchange e-ticket. Naik subway & alighted at Nampo Station. Nampo-dong, BIFF & Jagalchi ni memang dekat² jak. Pusing macam mana pun, tetap dalam area tu juga. Aku memang plan ndak mau berjalan extreme sangat on the first day. The body needs to adjust with the coldness; tu paling penting. Sakit nanti, ke laut harapan mau bercuti sakan. So kami jalan area ni until dusk. Mau tengok Christmas & New Year light decorations sepanjang street ni. 

One of the many statues along the street. 

View malam memang super lawa. Lampu warna warni decorated the street. When it comes to cuteness & pretty decorations; just leave it to the Koreans & Japanese. They sure know best how to 'overdo' this kinda thing. 

Next entry baru cerita pasal "Night at Gwangbok-ro". Aku yang pening tengok banyak betul gambar; banyak betul yang mau dicerita. 

eryantierdabdulkarim