Best Low Cost Airline Terminal

JR Kansai Airport Rapid Service: Shin-imamiya Station to Kansai Airport Station

15 May 20229 May 2022travelingpersecond

The first eight days of the new year, still tightly binding both eyes. Revenge for my frozen body last night during the New Year’s Eve celebration at Dōtonbori Canal by the warmth of Hotel Kaga blanket was something I considered draw. But in the end, only a thing was able to force my eyes not to close anymore, i.e Air Busan BX 123 flight at exactly 11:00 am, because as usual, for international flights, four hours before flight time I will start my journey to the airport.

Almost seven o’clock, I jumped up, grabbed a hotel’s white towel, bathroom amenities and immediately headed out of the room to shared bathroom at the end of corridor. Hotel Kaga’s bathroom is quite spacious for a backpacker. In the form of a two-part space, i.e a partition with glass and a sink and a bath capsule with a warm shower. Long time under a warm shower is my bad habit, because warm water is very effective in expelling fatigued leg muscles which is my main asset in every trip….Yup, especially if it’s not for walking tens of kilometers throughout the adventure.

After taking a shower, I nonchalantly crossed hotel corridor only wrapped in a towel and flip-flops. Making some passing hotel guests look surprised. “Ah, I only met once with them…. Let it go,” I thought, starting to be fun.

In the room I immediately cleaned up, put on a t-shirt with a black long john, cotton trousers to keep my body temperature, a pair of boots and started packing all my things into a blue Eiger 45L backpack which I borrowed from a friend at work (too bad, just borrow a backpack) .

I went down to the lobby using elevator and immediately handed over my room key at reception desk.

“Thank you for staying at our hotel. Have a nice trip, Sir”, a receptionist who was still the same, on duty from last night, smiled as she handed me the deposit money.

“You’re welcome. Very happy to stay at Hotel Kaga …. A good hotel”, I casually answered. “See you, Sir”.

“See you”, he waved his hand and was still smiling.

I headed back down street towards Shin-imamiya Station, the station I first landed on when I entered downtown. That’s the only station closest to my hotel and Nankai-Kuko Line train which goes to Kansai International Airport (KIX).

The five meter wide alleys began to wriggle, leaving the remnants of last night’s New Year celebrations. I quickly walked through several alleys without enjoying the atmosphere, I’ve passed it a few times though. Taking a copy to Abiko-suji Avenue, I arrived at Shin-imamiya Station within five minutes of leaving the hotel.

Entering the station gate, my eyes immediately looking for ticketing vending machine. I got it easily. A ticket worth 1,060 Yen was finally in my hands and I immediately docked at e JR Kansai Airport Rapid Service platform.

The airport service train arrived on time, I entered one of its carriages and shortly after sitting down, the train sped away. I returned to enjoying the trip again like when I first took the same train when I arrived in Osaka. The first sight that be presented was the atmosphere of a densely built urban area in Nishinari, Sumiyoshi and Suminoe City Districts. After crossing Yamoto River, the atmosphere changed to an area of agricultural land in Kishiwada and Izumisano areas. Then the train crossed the ocean in Osaka Bay after a bit of climbing an overpass in Rinku Town. After crossing sea bridge along five kilometers, the train arrived at Kansai-Airport Station.

As soon as the train stopped at platform, I immediately jumped out of the carriage to departure hall of Kansai International Airport, the winner of Skytrax’s Best Low Cost Airline Terminal in the World.

One of the first destinations upon arrival at the airport….Yes, money changer.

Overnight at Kansai International Airport (KIX)

29 April 202223 April 2022travelingpersecond

Arriving at Kansai International Airport (KIX), Osaka.

I descended Peach Aviation with flight number MM6320 via manual ladder. Then I was taken using Narita apron shuttle bus to Terminal 2 building. Finally, I arrived in Osaka and stepped onto airport which had won “The Best Low Cost Airline Terminal in the World” in Skytrax version.

Since this was a domestic flight, of course I didn’t need to be busy dealing with immigration. I stepped on the floor of Terminal 2 building on exactly midnight. I think it would be better if I immediately looked for a place to close my eyes for next five hours. I also felt very tired because from the morning when I checked out until the afternoon I walked around Tokyo carrying a 6 kg backpack. The expensive transportation costs didn’t allow me to put my backpack in hotel first when exploring Tokyo. Because of course it costed a lot of money to just go back and forth to hotel just for taking a backpack in hotel when you want to leave Tokyo. As a result, I had to carry my backpack wherever my feet went until I arrived in Osaka.

My instincts were very quick to find the best seat, I was now in an area on west side of Terminal 2 building which was quite. Four chairs without armrests made the perfect treat for that evening. Not thinking long, I immediately acquired one of them, made my backpack as a pillow and I quickly fell asleep on it.

Zzzzzz…..The remain, I didn’t know what was going on around.

—-****—-

Greekkk…..praakkk…..Buughhh…..Kraackkk.

I gasped and suddenly woke up. Sitting with a headache, I saw clearly a group of tall and beautiful Chinese girls were already sitting in front of me. Two of them noticed me who was in a disheveled condition, then smiled. It was impossible for me to continue sleeping in front of them. Looked like they just landed and out of nowhere.

The clock needle was still perched at number four. That means I’ve slept even four hours. I drank the remaining mineral water. And in an instant, that girls were busy with their respective devices.

I immediately took out my toiletries pack and put my thick jacket into my backpack. I immediately went to the toilet. Entering the airport toilet in the morning was a strategy to enjoy clean toilets because usually the cleaning service just finished cleaning it and no one had used it yet.

Sure enough, I was the first to enter the toilet that morning. Extraordinarily clean, regarding to the cleanliness of public facilities in Japan, no need to ask, they are the experts. That morning, for real, for the first time I used a toilet with a full of button control panel . I put my backpack on clean toilet floor and started my morning activities in it. I guessed, I was too long because of the preoccupation with trying to operate all kinds of button next to the toilet. I pressed no less than ten types of button, from the flushing/sound button to the warm seat button. Not hard, almost 40 minutes I mastered the toilet.

Oh, Donny….All the way to Japan just to try the toilet….Damn

After brushing my teeth in front of the sink. I started to prepare myself to head to the city. I immediately looked for the whereabouts of train station. Following an instructions, I was directed to a free shuttle bus to transfer to Terminal 1, because train to downtown was there.

I boarded to free shuttle bus. Traveling a distance of about 2 km and less than ten minutes I arrived at Terminal 1 at exactly six in the morning. I started hunting for train tickets.

“Which train must I take to get the cheapest price to Shin-Imamiya Station, Ms?”, I asked to female clerk sitting at ticket sales desk.

“JR Kansai Airport Rapid for 1,060 Yen, Sir”

“Okay, I take that”

Not long after, JR Kansai Airport Rapid Train arrived. I immediately entered one of its carriages which was dominantly silver with a blue color, then sat on one of its single seats. Less than five minutes, the train departed. That’s how Japanese trains awere, never late and always on time.

15 minutes later…..

I was so surprised that its carriage passed through a giant iron bridge which straddled the sea. All my life, I just found out that Kansai International Airport (KIX) is located in the middle of the sea, 5 Km from the nearest mainland in Osaka city. Wasn’t this a wonderful experience?……

JR Kansai Airport Rapid Service: Stasiun Shin-imamiya ke Kansai Airport Station

28 January 20211 February 2021travelingpersecond

<—-Kisah Sebelumnya

Lelapan hari pertama tahun baru, masih membalut erat kedua mata. Membalas dendam kebekuan badan tadi malam saat perayaan malam pergantian tahun di Dōtonbori Canal dengan kehangatan selimut Hotel Kaga menjadi sesuatu yang kuanggap impas. Namun akhirnya, hanya satu hal yang mampu memaksa mata untuk tak lagi terpejam, yaitu penerbangan Air Busan BX 123 tepat pukul 11:00, karena seperti biasa, untuk penerbangan internasional, empat jam sebelum waktu terbang aku akan memulai perjalanan menuju bandara.

Hampir pukul tujuh, aku melompat bangun, menyambar handuk putih milik hotel, bathroom amenities dan segera beranjak keluar kamar menuju shared bathroom di ujung lorong. Kamar mandi Hotel Kaga cukuplah luas untuk ukuran backpacker. Berwujud ruang dua sekat, yaitu sekat dengan kaca dan wastafel serta kapsul mandi dengan shower air hangat. Berlama-lama di bawah shower air hangat adalah kebiasaan burukku, karena air hangat sangat efektif mengusir keletihan otot kaki yang merupakan aset utamaku dalam setiap perjalanan….Yups, apalagi kalau bukan untuk berjalan berpuluh-puluh kilometer sepanjang petualangan.

Usai mandi, aku dengan cueknya melintasi koridor hotel hanya dengan berbalut handuk dan sandal jepit. Menjadikan beberapa tamu hotel yang lewat melihat heran. “Ah, ketemu cuma sekali ini….Biarin saja”, batinku mulai iseng.

Di dalam kamar aku segera berbenah, memakai t-shirt berangkap long john hitam, celana panjang katun penyimpan suhu tubuh, sepasang sepatu boots dan mulai mengepak semua barang ke dalam backpack Eiger 45L berwarna biru yang kupinjam dari teman sekantor (parah, backpack aja pinjem).

Aku turun ke lobby menggunakan lift dan segera menyerahkan kunci kamar di meja resepsinonis.

“Thank you for staying at our hotel. Have a nice trip, Sir”, resepsionis yang masih sama, bertugas dari semalam, melempar senyum sembari menyerahkan uang deposit padaku.

“You’re welcome. Very happy to stay at Hotel Kaga …. A good hotel“, Aku menjawab sekenanya. “See you, Sir“”.

“See you”, dia melambaikan tangan dan masih tersenyum.

Aku kembali turun ke jalanan menuju Stasiun Shin-imamiya, stasiun yang menjadi tempat hinggap pertama kali ketika aku memasuki pusat kota Osaka. Hanya stasiun itulah yang terdekat dari hotel dan dilewati kereta Nankai-Kuko Line menuju Kansai International Airport (KIX).

Gang-gang selebar lima meter mulai bergeliat, menyisakan sisa peryaan tahun baru semalam. Aku menyusur beberapa gang dengan cepat tanpa menikmati suasana, toh aku sudah beberapa kali melewatnya. Mengambil tembusan ke Abiko-suji Avenue, aku tiba di Stasiun Shin-imamiya dalam lima menit semenjak meninggalkan hotel.

Memasuki gerbang stasiun, mataku langsung menyisir keberadaan ticketing vending machine. Aku mendapatkannya dengan mudah. Tiket senilai 1.060 Yen (Rp. 145.000) akhirnya berada dalam genggaman dan aku segera merapat ke plafform JR Kansai Airport Rapid Service.

Kereta layanan bandara itu tiba tepat waktu, aku memasuki salah satu gerbongnya dan tak lama setela terduduk, kereta itu melaju. Aku kembali menikmati ulang perjalanan seperti saat pertama menumpang kereta yang sama setiba di Osaka. Pemandangan pertama yang tersaji adalah suasana daerah urban padat bangunan di Distrik Kota Nishinari, Sumiyoshi dan Suminoe. Setalah melintas Yamoto River suasana berganti menjadi daerah lahan pertanian di daerah Kishiwada dan Izumisano. Kemudian kereta melintas lautan di Osaka Bay setelah sedikit mendaki jalur layang di Rinku Town. Setelah melintas jembatan laut sepanjang lima kilometer maka kereta tiba di Kansai-Airport Station.

Begitu kereta merapat di platform, aku segera melompat keluar gerbong menuju departure hall Kansai International Airport, si pemenang Best Low Cost Airline Terminal in the World versi Skytrax.

Satu tujuan pertama setiba di bandara….Yes, money changer.

Kisah Selanjutnya—->

Bermalam di Kansai International Airport (KIX)

25 December 20205 January 2021travelingpersecond

<—-Kisah Sebelumnya

Tiba di Kansai International Airport (KIX), Osaka.

Aku menuruni Peach Aviation bernomor terbang MM6320 melalui tangga manual. Kemudian dibawa menggunakan Narita apron shuttle bus menuju bangunan Terminal 2. Akhirnya, aku tiba di Osaka dan menapaki bandara yang pernah memenangi Best Low Cost Airline Terminal in the World versi Skytrax.

Karena ini adalah penerbangan domestik tentu aku tak perlu sibuk berurusan dengan pihak imigrasi. Aku menginjak lantai bangunan Terminal 2 tepat tengah malam. Kiranya akan lebih baik jika aku segera mencari tempat peraduan untuk memejamkan mata sejenak hingga 5 jam ke depan. Aku juga sudah merasa sangat letih karena sedari pagi saat check-out hingga sore berkeliling Tokyo dengan memanggul backpack seberat 6 Kg. Biaya transportasi yang mahal tak memungkinkanku untuk menaruh backpack di dormitory dahulu. Karena sudah barang tentu membutuhkan biaya yang tak sedikit untuk sekedar bolak-balik ke dormitory hanya untuk kegiatan remeh temeh, yaitu mengambil backpack saat ingin meninggalkan Tokyo. Alhasil, aku harus memanggul backpack kemanapun kaki melangkah higga aku tiba di Osaka.

Instingku sangat cepat untuk menemukan tempat tidur terbaik, aku kini berada di sebuah area di sisi barat bangunan Terminal 2 yang cukup tenang. Empat bangku gandeng tanpa sandaran lengan menjadi hadiah sempurna malam itu. Tak berfikir panjang, aku segera mengakuisisi salah satunya, menjadikan backpack sebagai bantal dan dengan cepat aku terlelap diatasnya.

Zzzzzz…..Selebihnya aku tak tahu apa yang terjadi di sekitar.

—-****—-

Greekkk…..praakkk…..Buughhh…..Kraackkk.

Aku tergelegap dan tersontak bangun. Dalam duduk dengan kepala pening, aku melihat jelas rombongan gadis-gadis tinggi cantik asal Tiongkok sudah duduk di depanku. Dua diantaranya memperhatikanku yang sedang dalam kondisi kusut, kemudian melempar senyum. Sudah tak mungkin aku melanjutkan tidur di depan mereka. Sepertinya mereka baru saja mendarat dan entah dari mana.

Jarum jam masih bertengger di angka empat. Berarti aku sudah terlelap genap empat jam. Aku menenggak air mineral tersisa. Dan dalam sekejap gadis-gadis itu sudah sibuk dengan gawainya masing-masing.

Kukeluarkan segera toiletries pack dan kumasukkan jaket tebalku ke dalam backpack. Aku segera beranjak menuju ke toilet. Masuk ke toilet bandara saat pagi adalah strategi untuk menikmati toilet bersih karena biasanya cleaning service baru usai membersihkannya dan belum ada yang menggunakan.

Benar saja, akulah orang pertama yang memasuki toilet pagi itu. Luar biasa bersih, perihal kebersihan fasilitas umum di Jepang, tidak usah ditanya, mereka jagonya. Pagi itu, sungguh nyata, untuk pertama kalinya aku menggunakan toilet dengan control panel penuh tombol. Aku menaruh backpack di lantai toilet yang bersih dan memulai aktivitas pagi di dalamya. Sepertinya aku kelamaan karena keasyikan mencoba mengoperasikan semua jenis tombol di sebelah kloset toilet. Tak kurang dari sepuluh jenis tombol aku memencet-mencetnya, mulai dari tombol penyamar suara (flushing/sound button) hingga penghangat kloset (warm seat button). Tak kerasa, hampir 40 menit aku menguasai toilet itu.

Oalah, Donny….Jauh-jauh ke Jepang cuman buat nyobain toilet….Kasihan……

Menggunakan free shuttle bus menuju Terminal 1.

Usai menggosok gigi di depan wastafel. Aku mulai mempersiapkan diri untuk menuju kota. Aku segera mencari keberadaan stasiun kereta. Mengikuti petunjuk yang ada aku diarahkan pada sebuah free shuttle bus untuk berpindah ke Terminal 1, karena kereta ke tengah kota berada disana.

Aku menaiki free shuttle bus itu. Menempuh jarak sekitar 2 km dan tak sampai sepuluh menit aku tiba di Terminal 1 tepat pukul enam pagi. Aku mulai berburu tiket kereta.

“Which train must I take to get the cheapest price to Shin-Imamiya Station, Ms?”, aku bertanya kepada petugas wanita yang duduk di bagian penjualan tiket.

“JR Kansai Airport Rapid for 1.060 Yen (Rp. 145.000), Sir”

“Okay, I take that”

Tak lama kemudian, JR Kansai Airport Rapid Train itu tiba. Aku segera memasuki salah satu gerbongnnya yang dominan silver dengan kelir biru, kemudian duduk di salah satu bangku tunggalnya. Tak sampai lima menit, kereta itu berangkat. Begitulah kereta Jepang, tak pernah telat dan selalu tepat waktu.

15 menit kemudian…..

Begitu terkejutnya diriku karena kereta itu melewati jembatan besi raksasa yang gagah mengangkangi laut. Seumur hidup, aku baru tahu kalau Kansai Internatioanl Airport (KIX) berlokasi di tengah laut, berjarak 5 Km dari daratan terdekat di kota Osaka. Bukankah ini pengalaman yang luar biasa?……

Kisah Selanjutnya—->