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 6: Mango Six (The Heirs) / Ice Museum & Trick Eye Museum, Hongdae

Assalamualaikum. 안녕!

Last night in Seoul. Esok pagi gerak to Singyeongju seawal pagi. Planned untuk lepak Mango Six tercapai; alhamdulillah. This time, tea time adalah ditaja oleh sepupu terchenta! Bukan senang dapat pau budak sekolah kan. 

Initially, aku memang mau sangat pigi Mango Six (Dosan Outlet) because of the A Gentleman's Dignity drama. My JongHyun-ssi was as one of the supporting actor. Yet we ended up at the Daechi-dong outlet instead. Due to the famous melodrama The Heirs; my cousin insisted to go to this branch. Peminat MinHyuk-ssi katanya. Layankan jak lah sebab tea time was on her.

Siapa tengok drama tu memang confirm akan cam this particular spot as many of the scenes at the cafe were filmed here. Punyalah kami gembira bila berdiri depan cafe ni. E'eh macam kenal. Ndak dapat jumpa retis, berdiri di tempat yang diorang pernah jejak pun jadilah. 

Pun famous spot juga. 

That particular spot near the pokok kelapa was where the main actors & actresses sat. In the drama, bukan kerusi meja tu yang diorang guna. When I showed this picture to my friend, she jokingly said maybe the owner took the tables & chairs used for the drama. And keep them at home. 

Kenapa perlu buat fan-signing time aku belum sampai? Sampai hati. 

Again. Ndak dapat jumpa retis, mari order the same drink yang berkali²; promoted in the drama. Sedap gila! Mango + coconut milk. And aku pun bertrip juga mau makan waffle topped with banana slices & sepenumbuk of whipped cream. Padahal baru mencekik di Insadong! Jalan di kala sejuk, perut cepat bergurindam.

Tutup mata jaklah tengok harga. Reminded myself to not convert the amount we spent. Nanti ada orang nangis darah. Mau sangat ngopi kan. Do it the local way kan, ha silalah telan kenyataan spent the way they do as well. Sob.

Direction to Mango Six Daechi-dong Outlet (The Heirs). 

Alight at Seolleung Station (선릉역) Line 2; Exit 1. 
1. Walk straight from Exit 1. Turn right after the Dunkin Donut store.
2. Take the first left.
3. Turn right after the GS25 Mart.
4. At the junction, turn left after the 7-Eleven store. Walk straight.
5. Mango Six cafe will be on the left side. 

U can also refer to Azra's blog for different direction. I got mine from a blog in Naver.

Next; Trick Eye Museum in Hongdae. Tiket adalah discounted sebab aku bawa printed voucher. Instead of 15,000₩, we only paid 12,000₩ each. Penjimatan best! Tempat yang tourist attractions memang selalu ada discount for entrance. Maka silalah rajin check website for more info pasal discount voucher. Aku selalu terjah sini. Macam² info boleh dapat. Current promotions, latest updates regarding what's happening in South Korea etc etc. Aku kadang tu sengaja web-walking sana. Melayan rindu, eh? Ok, over.

Entrance to Ice Museum is free of charge. Ni kira, beli ticket for Trick Eye Museum & akan boleh masuk tempat ni sekali. Bukan besar mana pun, kami dalam ni pun in less than 20 minutes. Yang lama tu pun sebab sibuk posing atas ais.

Di luar sejuk beku, inside this room pun sejuk...yet dia ada hati main sliding gitu. Walau pun ada kotak provided to alas the bontot, still!

Konsep Ice Museum ni ala² rumah or igloo. Siap ada kereta santa outside kunun.

The gross-ness. That poo is made from ice. Pastu cousin aku ada hati mau hidu benda alah tu. Aigo, kenapalah bingai tahap dewa kan. 

Konsep sangat. Siap ada living area. Nonton Oprah yuk!

Out from bilik serba beku, mari kita tunaikan hajat sebenar. 

Sila ignore muka over posing tu. 

Woops!

The fairy is resting. 

Remind me of Narnia!

Ambil feel ala view di Venice...bilakah bakal menjejak ke situ. 

Benda gini memang selalu amazed aku. Yes, I am easily amused. It took only tiny things to pump up my adrenaline rush. Memang kacang pis jak mau buat aku ketawa. Walau dalam mood ke laut, kening kerut macam mau melekat, muncung boleh buat gantung hanger 10 biji...ceh elaborate sangat tu Bie!

Sambil snap gambar ni, sambil verangan akan sampai Santorinni or Mykonos one day! Insha Allah, amin amin.

Towards the last arts dalam museum tu, both batteries handphone aku & cousin aku flat! Awal pagi keluar, battery masing² full lagi. Snap sana, snap sini. Haruslah kong. Bawa power bank pun macam ndak da fungsi sebab penyakitan betul aku charge semalaman but only 60% penuh. Memang lepas snap each gambar, ndak wujud sudah kejadian "tengok ngam ka ndak & kalau ndak lawa boleh snap lagi sekali". 

Kami keluar from the museum 10 minutes before its close time. Jalan kaki jak balik hostel. Ikut underground passage semata mau lari dari kesejukan. Kalau jalan secara santai, macam dekat jak hostel tu. Aman jak area tu di kala malam. 

On the way back to the hostel, kami singgah kedai runcit. Beli mushroom & telur. Also those drinks sebab aku kehabisan stok nescafe 3in1!

Sungguh comfy bilik kami malam tu. Walaupun terpaksa jalan lebih sikit dari hostel before ni. Lepas makan, kami start packing. Esok pagi, kena bangun paling awal. Kena bangun awal else tertinggal train memang ndak da ampun. Nangis darah tepi railway. 

Aku stop sini dulu...cerita esok harinya kita sambung next entry. Till then, annyeong.

eryantierdabdulkarim