Towards Busan Central Bus Terminal: Backward Three Stations

My gaze was just doing repetitions. Watches-route board-watches….and repeatly. Anxiety punished me by not being able to enjoying comfortable Humetro carriage. I still didn’t choose to sit down, my legs upright supporting my body at a pole near train door. I prepared to get off at Seomyeon Station to ending my journey at Humetro Line 2 (Green Line) to changing to Humetro Line 1 (Orange Line). I had to reach Beomnaegol Station as quickly as possible to retrieve my backpack which I was entrusted at reception desk of Kimchee Busan Guesthouse.

Finally I arrived. Quickly stepping out of the carriage, stepping on several escalators, I quickly reached the surface. Then started to lightly running down Hwangnyeong-daero Avenue towards guesthouse.

A few minutes later I panted, caught my breath in the front yard of guesthouse, and then headed to reception desk with regular breaths.

Me: “Sir, can I take my backpack which I entrusted to receptionist this morning?”.

Receptionist: “Can you show the label card which give to you?”.

Me: “This, Sir”

Receptionist: “OK, follow me!”

After checking the label card, he got up from his seat and headed out into the courtyard. I followed him from behind until I arrived at the side of large container box. Apparently all backpack which every guest in the guesthouse put was in there. Now I had got my blue backpack.

Me: “Thank you, Sir”

Receptionist: “You are welcome. Be carreful on your way”.

I said goodbye and waved him before turning around to leave the guesthouse.

See you Kimchee Busan Guesthouse!….

I went back down the street to station. It was getting dark. Bus departure time for Seoul was getting closer. 10 minutes of pounding made me arrived at the platform of Beomnaegol Station, waiting for Humetro Line1 (Orange Line). The beam of light was getting brighter and hit the bulkhead which separating the platform and Humetro’s path. The series of carriages I was waiting for had arrived, I entered the back carriage, put my backpack between my legs and stood against carriage’s wall right next to Humtero’s door.

This time I calmed down a bit, because there was no need to change lanes to get to Nopo Station. The train slowly left Busanjin District. Every station I passed made me feel more relieved, brought me closer to my destination.

Forty-five minutes later I arrived at Nopo Station. But something happened to my stomach, suddenly unstoppably twisting. I took an initiative to look for a sign to toilets throughout Nopo Station. But two different toilet which I found were far from ideal…. Urine smell, muddy and full of human traffic. Ah….Too bad.

How could I let this happen, if trip to Seoul would take four hours, then I would be tormented by this stomach ache. I looked back at my watch, there was still forty-five minutes before the bus left. I was thinking a little crazy now….I was going to go back two or three stations, looking for a quieter and ideal toilet. I jumped back into Humetro’s carriage and followed its pace. Then get off at third stop, Dusil Station.

As fast as lightning, I did a search for the toilet and finally I found a clean, fragrant and quiet toilet. Ah….Something just happened on my second day of adventure in Korea.

I now have twenty minutes left. I was already sitting in Humetro carriage again, repeating my way to Nopo Station. Ten minutes later I arrived and immediately ran towards Busan Central Bus Terminal which was integrated with Nopo Station.

“”Yes…”, I arrived at bus platform on ten minutes before departure.

“Puufffttt….”, The journey was tense and tiring.

Bye Busan…Love u.

Menuju Busan Central Bus Terminal: Mundur ke Belakang Tiga Stasiun

<—-Kisah Sebelumnya

Tatapanku hanya melakukan repetisi sedari tadi. Jam tangan-route board-jam tangan….begitu seterusnya. Kecemasan menghukumku dengan tak mampunya diri menikmati gerbong nyaman Humetro. Aku masih tak memilih duduk, kakiku tegak menopang badan di tiang gerbong dekat pintu keluar. Aku bersiap untuk turun di Stasiun Seomyeon untuk mengakhiri perjalanan di Humetro Line 2 (Green Line) demi berpindah ke Humetro Line 1 (Orange Line). Aku harus menggapai Stasiun Beomnaegol secepat mungkin demi mengambil backpack yang tertitip di meja resepsionis Kimchee Busan Guesthouse.

Akhirnya aku tiba. Melangkah cepat keluar gerbong, menaiki beberapa escalator, aku menggapai permukaan dengan cepat. Kemudian mulai berlari ringan menyusuri Hwangnyeong-daero Avenue menuju guesthouse.

Sedasa menit kemudian aku tersengal, mengatur nafas di halaman depan guesthouse, baru kemudian menuju ke meja resepsionis dengan nafas teratur.

Aku: “Sir, can I take my backpack which I entrusted to the receptionist this morning?”.

Resepsionis: “Can you show the label card which give to you?”.

Aku: “This, Sir

Resepsionis: “OK, follow me!

Setelah memeriksa label card itu, dia beranjak dari tempat duduk dan menuju ke halaman luar. Aku menguntitnya dari belakang hingga tiba di sisi container box besar. Rupanya backpack yang dititip setiap tamu guesthouse ditaruh di sini. Kini aku telah mendapatkan backpack biru ku.

Aku: “Thank you, Sir

Resepsionis: “You are welcome. Be carrefull on your way”.

Aku berpamitan dan melambaikan tangan sebelum balik badan meninggalkan guesthouse.

See you Kimchee Busan Guesthouse!….

Aku kembali turun di jalanan, menuju stasiun. Hari sudah mulai gelap. Waktu keberangkatan bus menuju Seoul semakin dekat. Berderap langkah selama 10 menit membuatku tiba di platform Stasiun Beomnaegol, menunggu Humetro Line1 (Orange Line). Pancaran cahaya itu semakin menerang menghantam sekat pembatas platform dan jalur Humetro. Rangkaian gerbong yang kutunggu telah tiba, aku memasuki gerbong belakang, menaruh backpack di sela kedua kaki dan berdiri menempel dinding gerbong persis disebelah pintu Humtero.

Kali ini aku sedikit tenang, karena tak perlu berpindah jalur untuk menuju Stasiun Nopo. Kereta perlahan meninggalkan Distrik Busanjin. Setiap stasiun yang terlewat membuatku semakin lega, membuatku semakin dekat dengan tujuan.

Empat puluh lima menit kemudian aku tiba di Stasiun Nopo. Tetapi sesuatu terjadi dengan perutku, tetiba melilit tak terbendung. Aku berinisiatif untuk mencari tengara menuju toilet di seantero Stasiun Nopo. Tapi dua titik toilet berbeda yang kutemukan ternyata jauh dari kata ideal….Pesing, becek dan penuh lalu lalang manusia. Ah….Parah.

Bagaimana bisa aku membiarkan keadaan ini, jika perjalanan ke Seoul akan memakan waktu empat jam, maka aku akan tersiksa dalam kondisi sakit perut seperti ini. Kulihat kembali jam tangan, masih ada waktu empat puluh lima menit sebelum bus berangkat. Aku kini berfikir sedikit gila….Aku akan mundur ke belakang sejauh dua atau tiga stasiun, mencari toilet yang lebih sepi dan ideal. Aku kembali melompat ke gerbong Humetro dan mengikuti lajunya. Kemudian turun di pemberhentian ketiga, Stasun Dusil.

Secepat kilat melangkah, aku melakukan pencarian toilet dan akhirnya aku menemukan toilet yang bersih, harum dan sepi. Ah….Ada-ada saja yang terjadi pada petualangan hari keduaaku di Korea.

Waktuku kini tersisa dua puluh menit. Aku sudah duduk lagi di gerbong Humetro, mengulang jalan menuju Stasiun Nopo. Sepuluh menit kemudian aku tiba dan segera berlari menuju Busan Central Bus Terminal yang terintegrasi dengan Stasiun Nopo.

Yes…”, aku tiba di di platform bus yang dimaksud sepuluh menit sebelum keberangkatan.

Puufffttt….”, Perjalanan menegangkan dan melelahkan.

Bye BusanLove u.

Clean and Modern.…Style of Kimchee Busan Guesthouse

Surely I never knew why this guesthouse was named Kimchee. All I know, kimchee or kimchi are Korean food made from fermented vegetables with various kinds of seasoning and ultimately its taste are spicy and sour. Perhaps this guesthouse will be a gathering place for travelers from various nations with same goal i.e enjoying uniqueness of South Korea.…It only my personal statement….hahaha

Dorm or dormitory have became general choice of backpackers in their journey. Apart offering minimum budget, dorm also offers an option to build network among backpackers who diverse in citizenship. This is very possible because in every dorm room will be filled 12-16 backpackers to sleep together.

This time, my choice was Kimchee Busan Guesthouse as my dorm during my adventure in Busan. The three things that be important concerns in choosing it are price, location and a good feedback rate.

I ordered it 4 months before departure, so I surely got best price. Guesthouse for USD 12,5 per night is located on Hwangnyeong-daero street. It’s about 270 meters from Beomnaegol MRT Station, so guesthouse can be reached by walk.

My arrival at guesthouse was warmly welcomed by a beautiful receptionist. After submitting passport and Won, I get access card to dorm room .

Beautiful receptionist
Receptionist room

For general guesthouse, it’s certainly an extraordinary thing because of elevator availability in it. As I know, a lot of dormes that I have stayed in required me to prepare my leg muscles to climb dozens of stair before reach the room.

Lift access to dorm room

Entering room, my fatigue paid off with spacious dorm room which consisting 10 beds with each locker provided near bed.

Dorm room

In this guesthouse, I firstly breathed fresh aroma of sojuoriginally Korean drink-. Even though I didn’t drink it, at least I knew its aroma, its form and how to drink it from my roommates.

My other funny activity was using hair dryer which provided in shared bathroom to dried my wet socks. It’s become a habit, I only carry 2 pairs of socks, no matter how long is my trip. Every two days, I will wash my socks which I use and dry them in any way.

Another good thing about this guesthouse is providing container to store guests backpacks and their other things. Usually, guests will save their backpack when they arrive earlier than check-in time or when their departure time to leave city is still far from check out time.

I left my backpack because my departure to Seoul was on a scheduled bus on 8pm while I checked out on 12pm.

Guesthouse also provides shelves and refrigerators to store guests foods…. Don’t take people’s food !….hahaha. Usually guests who stay a little longer in guesthouse will store their food here. Surely, I never use this facility because I just stay 2 nights in Busan.

Kimchee snack and Bar

Of course, you have your own taste in choosing hotel.…the important thing is our goals are same, guys.…i.e traveling. That’s it.