Maybe I should took my “ANTIMO” yups it’s sleeping pills to make you sleep when you feeling dizzy or want thrown up, but I’m not feeling dizzy , I just couldn’t sleep because I had too much sleep, it’s almost about 9 hours, from Kuala Lumpur to Busan, so when I’m in the bus sometimes I wake up looking around and sleep again, until the bus stop in rest area. After 3 hours, the bus stop at someplace, the driver told us something maybe about how long this bus will rest here, but since we didn’t understand what he said, so I thought we just arrived at Busan, but when I’m looking at an ahjussi who sat behind me he still sleep tightly, so I realized we just arrived in rest area. It would seems like a dumb if I told the driver to pull out our baggage when we hadn’t arrived yet huahahahaha. Ohh, suddenly I felt had to use toilet, so I’m going out from bus and try to find the toilet, but the rest area too big and I still couldn’t find it, because it’s urgent I ask an ahjumma whose sat at the bench, I just saying “toilet” then she told me the direction with Korean language, of course I didn’t get it, but her hand show me that I had to going to the left, so I running to the left side, and I found it the very very quite and clean toilet, then straight to chamber and it’s end hehehehehehe. When I washed my hand and face I just realized, hellooooooo I’m alone here, no passenger in this toilet, damn!!!! Suddenly I felt really worried, when I realized my watch showed 1 AM and very afraid would met something creepy, so I decided run to outside and trying to find my bus. Because I’m in hurry outside from the bus before, I didn’t remember bus color and the plat number. Trying hard to find the bus, then I heard announcer said something, I didn’t understood either. It’s already 10 minutes struggling find the bus, then I found the bus that exactly same, but when I get in, I couldn’t find my friends, so I out of bus and looking to the front side, there was no “Busan” words in the direction poster. So, I move to the left side and saw the poster, there was “Busan” attached in surface. When I get in, I saw Sonia and Dinda still slept, but Dinda suddenly woke up, so I told her that I almost lost my way here and I couldn’t find the bus, but Dinda only nod, then sleep again. Ckckckckckckck how pity I am huhhhh???
When I’m turned on my Ipod, the driver get in, announce something again, but I didn’t care what he talked about, I’m still scared when thought if I lost here, I couldn’t back to Seoul, I couldn’t back to Indonesia, I’ll became beggar, ohhhh it’s scary thing. Then I’ll fall sleep again until we reached Busan at 02.30 AM. It’s already midnight, so there was no public transportation, June already told me that I had took cab to his place, if it cost more than KRW20.000, he said that I should called him, and he would negotiate for me to the driver, but I wouldn’t gave him more problem, so I’ll tried my best communicated with the driver cab. They approached us, and asked us with hanguk , most of them said “oeddi ga?cniowyrndfbvjhdsfrt*&#@#$)%@@#$%^^&”, I gave them June’s address and his cell phone number. An ahjussi straight made a call to June for convince his place. Let’s called him “Melow ahjussi”. He persuaded us to follow him, from his gesture it seems like he knew June’s apartment, so before get in his cab I asked him how much the fares for 3 of us. Maybe, because when I asked about the fares with sign “3” with my finger for 3 of us, he thought that I would pay KRW30.000, because he still didn’t get what I tried to say, so I write on my ipod KRW20.000, but he refused it, and he still write 30.000, then I write again KRW25.000, but he still want 30.000.
We tried another driver but all driver avoided us, mean while a man with so much tattoo in his hand who looked so strong and seems like mafia approached us, asked us our destination, and straight carried out our luggage, then we started panic, because we hadn’t made some offer but this crazy man straight took our luggage and this man looked so scary, he even tried to fight with another driver. Of course we didn’t want got in dangerous situation there, so I told this crazy man that I had agreed with mellow ahjussi. Then we took back our luggage and told mellow ahjussi that we would ride his cab. Mellow ahjussi helped us brought our belonging, then he started up the cab, and then we leave that place. Even though the cab fares very very very expensive, but we thought it was better used mellow ahjussi cab’s, because mellow ahjussi more friendly than that crazy man.
Mean while, mellow ahjussi asked me if it’s ok if he turned on CD player, then Korean music accompanied us through long road in Busan at midnight. When I’m tried to listen the song, I knew this song, it was one of OST Endless Love, very sad K-Drama starring with Song Hye Kyo, Won Bin, and Song Seung Heon, it’s very old K-Drama, although I couldn’t remember the lyric but it’s very familiar in my ear, then another ballad song is “bogoshipda”one of OST Stairways to Heaven, another sad story starring with Choi Ji Woo, Kwon Sang Woo, Kim Tae Hee and Shin Hyun Joon, yeah, I’m a Korean Drama addicted, hihihihihi. Then ahjussi tried his best to make conversation with me, he asked me did I knew a bit Korean language, because he used to talked with his language, I still didn’t get it until he told me “annyeonghaseyo for saying hi or hello, and gamsahamnida for saying thankyou”. So I replied him, “ohh, arasso ahjussi, I just knew alittle word in hangeul, mianhae, annyeong, gamsahamnida, saranghaeyo, jinjja, jeonmal,igeo, ireum, eodi, that’s all, I learned it from K-drama”. The ahjussi smiled to me, then he asked permission to smoke because he felt sleepy, then we allowed him. He asked my name, then I told him my name and my nationality, he thought us came from Pakistan, ckckckckckck maybe it just because I used the scarf, he told me “ ippeoyo”, the meaning is beautiful huahahahahahahahaha (trying to seduce me hehhhhh, sorry I’m not interested with old man, that’s what I’m said in my heart honestly).
It already 20 minutes, we haven’t arrive at June place, I’m started worried again. Mean while, the cab stopped not far from police car that parked in the right side. The ahjussi told us to out of the cabs, and told me “Neo Spa”, but June place wasn’t Neo Spa, it was NEOSPOT, but ahjussi convinced me, it was the right place. I told him to call June for picked us if it’s the right place, then he talked with June, I just heard “Ne,Ne,Ne”. After paid him, we walked crossing the entrance tried to find gate D, right in front of the gate June appeared . It so happy to see him, June was the owner of Forjuneteller’s Zen Backpackers. He told me why I wasn’t called him, he thought I wouldn’t came to his place. I just told him “It so long long long story, I’ll tell you later, ok?”. Then June guided us to his apartment at 15th floor, teach us how to use key for open the gate, using elevator, and told us password to enter the room. It’s already early morning exactly at 03.20 AM, June gave us Busan maps then told us some stuff in his place, such as bathroom, kitchen, direction to subway station, and seafood restaurant near Hyundae beach, and the famous bakery shop in Asia named OPS.
It’s time to rest but I remembered that I haven’t pray maghrib and isya’, then started searched timetable prayers schedule in my bag, according to Korea Muslim Federation, isya should be done from 09.44PM-03.18 AM, it’s already passed isya time, but I had to pray no matter what, I thought Allah would know my mistaken, and would forgive me, because I didn’t intend to forgot, I just wondered I could pray more focus when I reached Busan. After prayed it’s time to sleep for recharge our energy, although it’s already morning.
I couldn’t sleep well, I woke up at 7AM, then showered and breakfast with free toast. As told by June last night, we could leave our luggage in his place but should put it at balcony, because we already check out. According to my detail itinerary, this morning we would visited Haedong Yonggungsa Temple at east Busan, it may take 1,5 hours to get there, but the show must go on, I don’t care how long it would take, if it worth to visit. During our breakfast, we met Shinae, a Korean girl who stayed at June’s apartment too, 3 foreigners from German, and a boy from Pakistan who traveled alone. While waiting the elevator, Shinae already in front of elevator, she was also going to Seomyeon station. Shinae traveled alone to Busan but she would meet her friends in Seomyeon station before heading back to Seoul. Shinae guided us to Seomyeon station. She was a bit surprised how came we knew about June’s place, because it wasn’t well known in this area, so I told her that I knew it from Claudia Kaunang’s Book.
Arrived at Seomyeon station, I had to purchase 3 one day pass tickets at vending machine. When I insert my money KRW10.000, the machine didn’t accept it, and keep refused my money. Shinae also thought maybe it because my money came from Indonesia. Although it’s not a good reason, we tried it 5 times, until Shinae realized something, this machine only accepted currency under KRW5000, so this is reason it couldn’t accepted my KRW10.000.huahahahaha, after purchased 3 one day pass tickets(1 tickets = KRW 3.500), it’s time to separate, Shinae headed opposite direction with us.
We move to line 2 (green line) heading to Haeundae Station it would take 40-50 minutes because metro would through 16 stations. Reached Heundae station via exit no. 7 , and find bus stop to take bus no. 181 which heading to Haedong Yonggung Temple. The bus only accepted small currency, so make sure you prepared KRW 1000 and some coins. Just because Dinda and Sonia haven’t small currency so we going to GS25 near gas station to buy soft drinks. Me & Sonia picked Pocari Sweat, while Dinda pick local soft drink, I don’t know what the named of it, but I saw Hyun Bin Picture as ambassador. So I asked Dinda, did she ever tasted it before, and without hesitation she answered me “NEVER”, then she told me she picked it only because there was Hyun Bin oppa picture. huahahahaahahaha what a lame??? Then we heading back to bus stop.
At the bus stop there was digital board which notifying bus numbers and time arriving. Mean while bus no 181 stopped in front of us, enter the bus and insert KRW1000 and 2 coins KRW100 into plastic box beside driver. Dinda couldn’t see bus fares that taped in front of the box and she only put KRW1000 into the box, that’s why the driver keep yelling in his language to us and unfortunately we didn’t know it.
Travel time to Haedong Yonggungsa 20-30 minutes, inside the bus we took seat at the back side, this is the best place to exploring people and commenting about their expression. I just thought, some people in the bus maybe would be familiar with this place, and I would followed them if someone talked about Haedong temple, but no one in here press stop button when we reach haedong gate, until the driver told us the road at the right side is the only way to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple. I still remembered, articles in the blog said there was uphill road to the temple, I guided Sonia and Dinda to the uphill road, some passengers took the opposite road from us, but I don’t care bout them, I’m sure the uphill road is the correct one.
I knew about Haedong Yonggungsa when I searched by google, I found it from Malaysian female blogger whose lived in Seoul around 3 months for couch surfing. Haedong Yonggungsa temple is landmark at easternmost Busan. Reached at temple we were greeted by 2 statues with red eye. Those things look like angry to us, but I’m still keep taken picture with them. Straight forward we found another statue, there was shio(China zodiac) character. Entering main gate to the temple, we clearly heard sounds seems like praying to Budha and smell of the sea. To achieve the edge of temple that was closed to the sea we should down the stairs, and turn left at the end of stairs. There was path to piles of stones, and a good place for taking pictures. From this side, we could see the temple like stand at the edge of the piles stones. Everything in this place was perfect, except the toilet, I was going to toilet to check my pants is there any stain of blood, because I felt like had menstruation. But when I’m entering women’s toilet strong smells of iron and sea was made me felt dizzy and gag, so I decided to out of toilet and run away from there.
After finished taking some pictures, while passed by bridge a Korean girl asked me to take her picture, so I help her, then for exchanging she helped us too, and take our picture. She asked our nationality and how come we reached this place, oh sorry this girl was named Hwui Eun Jung. I told her about us and itinerary, then she liked to join our trip back to Heundae area. Hwui was 22 years old and an agricultural student at university in Seoul, she was said it wasn’t famous major in South Korea. Yahhhh, all of us known the famous one is art. Before leaving Haedong temple, we took another picture at bus stop, and we met again with the same passenger as before when we ride bus no 181. At the bus, Hwui gave me her phone number and facebook account, to keep update our position. Hwui would like to meet again when we reached Seoul, because she found interesting to meet a new friends from another country whose love South Korea like us. May be it has became habit, Korean people was too kind to foreigner like us, Hwui couldn’t joined lunch with us, but she willing to guide us to Kumsoo Puffer Fish Soup, a famous Korean fish soup restaurant that recommended by June. From Haedong to Kumsoo, I didn’t paid attention to direction because I trust Hwui will guide us to the right place. So on the way to restaurant we kept talked about K-pop, k-Drama, and K-variety show that very famous for Indonesian netizen, and she kept surprising when I called out all I know about K-pop & k-drama collection, huahahahahaha.
At the Restaurant, we got a bit nervous, don’t know why. We took table at the left side, then an ahjumma greeted us, I gave her a note from June, then she read it, nods, and gave me sign “OK”. Then we ask the menu which one is the fish that hadn’t contain pork and lard, of course with some kind of body language. : D. Then after a while some side dishes already set on the table, there was a tofu, kimchi, a little fish, and mushrooms. We already hungry, so we kept took the side dishes little by little until our yummy fish soup arrived. When the soup arrived, I found it weird, there was no fish, all I can see was a lot stem of vegetables. But I tried testing the soup, it was incredible yummy and fresh, I swear to God this was my first time tested this kind of soup. At Indonesia I could said that “Gulai Kepala kakap” is the best one but today I had another experiences this fish was also very good. If you going to Busan you must try it. This soup cost KRW 10.000, it was appropriate for all services in this place.
It’s time to continue our trip, Heundae beach was near from our position, but we have to visit OPS bakery that also recommended by June. We bought 2 bakeries, with strawberry jam and cheese. Arrived at Heundae beach, Sonia already tired and she decided to wait at the park, me and Dinda tried to step our foot at the sands of this beach. This is the second time visited beach at another country.
It was already afternoon, we decided to keep heading to Taejongdae, although June didn’t recommended this place because today to much fog, so maybe we couldn’t seen anything in there. But the show must go on, I’m really curious about this place, the place where famous to commit suicide.
According to the map, there was bus no 30 and 8 heading to Taejongdae from Nampodong station exit no.6. We waited the bus only 3 or 4 minutes then bus no 8 stop in front of us. There was no empty seat so we had to stand at the bus. Mean while another passenger out of the bus, so I sat on the empty seat at the left side, 3 rows from the back. Then at the next bus stop, an ahjussi enter the bus, I provide him my seat but he refused to sit on my seat and told me “Gwencannayo” it means “it’s ok”. But the bus moving very fast so the ahjussi kept unstable while standing in front of me. Until at the bend of the road, the ahjussi fallen and I help him collected his belonging. I felt guilty, all passengers looking at me and him, so I stand and move to other side, then he sat on my empty seat, luckily another passenger out from the bus so there was another empty seat and I sat there. Before reached Taejongdae, that ahjussi out of the bus, and he told me “Gamsahamnida” and swing his hand. What a weird ahjussi, huhhh?
Arrived at Taejongdae, it’s so many fog around the area, June told me there was a shuttle bus which brought us around Taejongdae area, unfortunately when I asked people around us, they told us the shuttle bus hadn’t operate today due to a lot of fog. We had even thought for going back to Nampodong and looking around Jagalchi fish market, but we already here, why we have to give up. So we decided to walk the uphill road to Taejongdae. According the sign board to reach lighthouse it was 2.3km in front of us, it means there was a long road to heaven. When we walked forward, there was 3 man whose also heading to lighthouse, maybe because we already too tired, so we kept wondering if it still far or not. We asked them, is it still far to reach lighthouse? but they also didn’t know, because this is their first time too. So we still move forward, but when there was a hope that we already near, it’s still far away, but we keep got another motivation when we bump in to another visitor whose still on fire running on the road. How come 3 young ladies could be defeated by an ahjumma that already in her 50. It would be more embarrassing if we couldn’t make it until the light house.
After 30 minutes walk, yattaaaaaaaaa we made it “BANZAIIIIII BANZAIIIII”. The light house is here. I’m in hurry and I couldn’t be more patient to looking around lighthouse, so I going down the stone stairs which wet and slippery. When we made our steps there, an old lady talked to us, she was said something important and keep pointing opposite direction, but we couldn’t understand it. So we kept going down. When we reach a wood bridge we realized there was another way in front of us. Maybe it was something that ahjoemoni wanted told us.
All scenery from this place incredibly wonderful, that’s why I named it a long road to heaven. Yup, we already tired but we got the same price for all our hardship. A white light house, seashore, crags, cruisers, and orange sun are like painting at the blue sky. Subhanallah, thank you Allah, for all that You gave to me, I could seen another Your Greatness in this world. We rest about 30-45 minutes. No other except taking pictures.
It’s already evening, we should heading back to Seomyeon. While we turn down the hill, the fogs also going down, so it became a bit dark. The weather also became really cold. The trees covered by fogs. This forest looks like the forest where Edward Cullen jumped from one to another tree (sorry, a little hallucination came up), But there was really cold scene and spooky. I hope Edward Cullen and his colony not pop up in front of us, or a group of wolf not tried to catch my leg.
When we reach the entry gate it’s already dark, we’re headed to parking lot and found bus number 88. The Driver said we should wait at the bus stop, we couldn’t entry now. With all residual energy, we trudged to the bus stop. On the way, we could see seafood restaurant at the left and right side full of family or group of people. They eating, laughing, chatting, some how I wish my family was in here. Hikssss I miss my family so much. Huaaaaaaa TT^TT. Then my stomach started singing. It’s time to dinner. We planned made noodles at June place. It was the best point to get the fast dinner.
Bus number 88 stopped at the bus stop and we enter it, fortunately the bus still empty. Although we couldn’t doing all in the itinerary but we satisfied what we got today. It’s ok I couldn’t going to Jagalchi fish market, Shinsegae Centum City, Gwangalli beach and Dongnae Foot & Bath Spring. I just keep positive thinking, maybe Allah had another plan and will bring me to here again sometimes. We were so tired, so we fall asleep at the bus and at the metro.
Arrived at guesthouse, While Sonia and Dinda cooked noodles, I straight to shower because my sweat made my clothes really wet and I had menstruation too. So it may take a long time to clean my body. After showered, I cooked my “Indomie Kari Ayam” and turn on my blackberry phone, then a big surprise came into my email.
“Congratz you’ve just won the ticket to the Live ‘Music Bank’
Please fill in this form and send back to me asap
Make sure you come to the building by 2PM
If you miss any of our pre-events, we will cancel your winning
Please be understanding
Emergency Contact Number : 010 5017 9170
This email, sent to me by KBSWorld TV, I couldn’t believe it. I won free ticket to Live Music Bank. I knew, you’ll get curious, how come I won this lucky ticket. I would tell you in my next story, just be more patient.
After received it, I told Dinda & Sonia about it. How lucky am I ? Thank you Allah. There was attachment on it, I had to filled up all data required for registration, but my phone couldn’t edit the attachment, so I turn on June’s computer, and try to open my email from there, but the attachment still couldn’t edited, it’s already 10PM, we should going to Busan Terminal. So, I would send it by phone and without filled up the attachment, just reply it in body message.
Busan Express Bus Terminal (Napo-dong station) connected to metro line 1. Luckily, Neospot apartment which closed to Seomyeon station was at the same line, so we hadn’t transfer to any line, I could sleep until the end of station. Busan Terminal at southernmost metro line 1, we would pass through 15 stations to get there. At the Busan Express Bus Terminal we bought bus ticket KRW 36.000 for each person. We would departure at 11.30 PM and arrive in Gangnam Express Bus Terminal Seoul at 4 AM next day. It’s time to sleep again, after send our luggage to storage baggage, we entered the bus. From there we could saw other passengers waiting their bus. Sonia even told me, “look at that man, he had western face but he could speak Korean fluently, and fortunately he was very good looking”. -__-Ckckckckckckckcck yups, it was natural for young lady like us couldn’t avoid any handsome man.
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