myBAS Kuala Terenganu

Impressed in The Space Inn

25 July 202227 July 2022travelingpersecond

Adventure to neighboring country is easy and fun. In addition to culinary which is familiar with Indonesian tongue, their tourism also provides a lot of super cheap lodging which gives possibility for anyone to explore the country.

That morning, I had just jumped off myBAS which had brought me from Sultan Mahmud Airport, now I had just turned around when I had just moved north leaving Hentian Bas Majlis Bandaraya Kuala Terengganu. For a moment, I stared at it from a distance, enjoying the simplicity of that mainstay bus terminal of “Keropok Lekor” Country.

A moment later I headed to WIN DOTCOM Telecommunications Equipment Store, the busiest shop in Syed Hussein Street to hunt for local SIM cards and internet services which I would use for my four-day adventure in Malaysia.

Inside the shop, I was offered various types of SIM cards by shop owner who was of Chinese descent. Meanwhile, a young girl wearing a black headscarf with an authentic Malay face patiently explained my ignorance from shop owner’s quick explanation. At the end of that transaction, I got a SIM Card with a 2 GB quota for 25 Ringgit. The price was very affordable, at least I had been guaranteed by Hotlink for 10 days to have access to internet surfing.

Now I was starting to head south, entering a road inside the block, crossing Twin Towers of PB (Paya Bunga) Square, owned by Perbadanan Memajukan Iktisad Negeri Terengganu (PMINT) which became Pusat Transformasi Bandar Terengganu or public better known as UTC (The Urban Transformation Centre) . The atmosphere began to get excited that morning, the routine activities of Terengganu residents had just begun.

The intersection at Abidin Mosque Street.

Seeing the architecture of Twin Towers of PB Square, I began to understand that Kuala Terengganu carvings were always embodied in every city building. Nice and elegant.

Leaving Twin Towers of PB Square, I now head south through Masjid Abidin Street until I arrived at a large intersection decorated with a slogan Sign Board “Visit Beautiful Terengganu”. The PMINT tower which functions as Majlis Bandaraya Kuala Terengganu looked solid, occupying a corner of intersection and exhibiting city’s main slogan “Bandaraya Warisan Pesisir Air”.

Finished waiting for the turn of green traffic light, I crossed intersection, continued heading south. Entering Air Jernih Street, a hundred meters ahead, I turned right at a fork. Location of The Space Inn wasn’t far from T-junction. The inn I chose was a dormitory which utilized a shophouse complex along Engku Pengiran Anom 2 Street.

My steps finally arrived at the door of inn, but I was enveloped in confusion because the door was tightly locked. For a while I just silently stood in front of inn’s door without any idea. Even the sidewalks around seemed deserted, it was impossible for me to ask anyone. Luckily, ten minutes later, an inn guest came down the stairs and was about to leave the inn. It was this moment that I then used to sneak in.

I climbed the stairs and finally arrived at 2nd floor reception desk which was guarded by inn’s owner, a middle-aged man of Chinese descent. He friendly greeted me and of course asked how I could get in because I didn’t have an access card. I told him my “cheating technique” and he burst out laughing.

As a result he gave me an access card to go in and out of inn after handing over my passport to be scanned and the staying cost was 41 Ringgit per night. Finishing all administration, I went up to 3rd floor to look for a bunk bed according to a number listed in back of access card.

Taking off my shoes in front outside, I started to enter a quiet room with cool air conditioning. Not all bunk beds were filled so that it was possible for me to move to other mattress I liked, next to bulkhead with travelers from Iran and Japan.

Mr Okamoto

The traveler from “the Land of Rising Sun” worked as an English teacher in the capital city, his name was Okamoto. I met him when he was busy fiddling with the small padlock which was attached to a locker handle of inn.

“There’s no key in my locker, did you get that padlock from the reception desk?”, I ventured to ask.

“Oh, of course not. I bought it by myself”, he answered with a smile.

“Oh, okay. I’ll better put my backpack in bunk bed”, I replied with a frown.

From that conversation, the two of us became acquainted and became best friends at inn.

Eventually it became a habit, when morning and evening, before and after adventures, Mr. Okamoto was always the first to greet me at shared-khitchen table. It made me powerless to refuse his invitation to just talk about anything while sipping coffee together. Mr. Okamoto’s brewed coffee mix always had a special taste. I didn’t know what kind of coffee he brought from Tokyo.

Mr. Okamoto whose English was good….But he still had a Japanese accent.

His friendship made me know more about Japanese culture and some interesting locations in Japan which he suggested to I visited, Okinawa being one of them. He was also honored because I had visited his country three years before our meeting. Likewise, I felt honored because he had traveled to Aceh just to enjoy original coffee from that area at the western tip of Indonesia.

Washing

The advantage of this tiny inn iss the availability of a space which connects share-bathroom and bedroom. In that small room, the inn manager provides a hanger and a fan. During my stay, I noticed that none of visitors used the connecting room.

Except for me, who casually used that room to dry t-shirts which I washed every afternoon in shared-bathroom. Washing wasn’t a complicated thing for me when I get acquainted, just rub t-shirt, trousers and socks using bath soap, then rinse it under faucet, wring it hard and then hang it in hanger in connecting room, just wait until tomorrow morning until it dried.. OK? That was why five t-shirts were enough for my long journey which could even last three weeks.

Faucet Water

It was output of a light conversation with The Space Inn staff on duty that afternoon, I finally got information that the tap water in Kuala Terengganu is very safe for direct consumption. He even demonstrated in front of me how he put the glass under kitchen faucet, streamed the tap water and then drank it casually. “Of course it’s safe…. You’ll see, every day I drink this water,” he lightly joked with a faint smile.

Three days in Kuala Terengganu, I didn’t even spend a single bite money to buy drinking water. The price of 1.5 litre drinking water in Kuala Terengganu is around 3 Ringgit, if you are only three days in the city, it means you have to budget 18 Ringgit just to buy for drinking water.

How?….Is Kuala Terengganu tap water useful?

So, if you go to Kuala Terengganu, where do you want to stay???….

Next Story—->

myBAS from Sultan Mahmud Airport to Downtown Kuala Terengganu

24 July 202225 July 2022travelingpersecond

<—-Previous Story

Similar to my experience when visiting Ipoh a year earlier. In several cities in Malaysia, finding a bus to downtown from the city’s entrance gate was something that sometimes was rare to find in internet. The consequence was, I had to try my best to find it on the spot when I arrived in my destination. Calmness and mental strength were really tested to find that public bus.

Exploring the entire Sultan Mahmud Airport, I took time to ask a cleaning service who was pushing his trolley. Through simple conversation, he informed that there was a bus service to downtown every hour. myBAS, the name of that bus and that public transportation would drop passengers in the top floor of airport.

Armed with that important information, I decided to immediately go up to Departure Hall to hunt it down. But I wasn’t lucky, just as I exited Departure Hall’s front gate, the bus was already puffing a thin layer of smoke, started its engine and leaving the airport.

“Well, in next a hour, I must wait”, I lightly thought.

The waiting moment which was actually boring, I used to enjoy an atmosphere around the airport from top floor. After that, I sat in the edge of Departure Hall terrace waiting for myBAS to arrive.

Filling the waiting time, I decided to record all expenses I had spent since leaving my home on yesterday afternoon. I really paid attention to the passing of private cars which dropped off prospective flight passengers, until I realized that many people had been paying attention to my presence when passing by. It might seem a little strange, there was someone sitting in the edge of terrace waiting for a bus. I myself was a little surprised, why not provided a seat in that wide terrace. Of course not, I had to stand for an hour waiting for bus to come. That was similar to my experience in Manila when I was reprimanded by an MRT officer when I sat on the floor waiting for MRT to arrive.

Exactly a hour, the sound of a slight engine growl came from the far right of Departure Hall, the airport bus slowly crawled up to top floor. I immediately stood up and waved as a sign I would use its services. The bus slowly slowed down and stopped right in front of me.

I jumped up from front door of medium-sized bus with a capacity of 34 seats. Give the driver a fare of 1.8 Ringgit and sat in back seat. The passengers were dominated by women and I was really amazed that all of them were wearing headscarves. “The Islamic nuances in Terengganu are thick,” I quietly thought.

None of passengers got off the bus. “Oh, maybe Terengganu people prefer to use a private car to go to airport, but what do I care, the important thing is that I can go to downtown at a low cost,” I concluded in my heart.

Sitting there, I enjoyed the local dialect which was passed between passengers, the Malay dialect which I always missed when I got home. I was still in the aisle seat when myBAS first out from airport, I had to wait for some passengers to get off to be able to enjoy Kuala Terengganu’s view from seat in window side.

The time I was waiting for arrived when after a few minutes, the bus dropped passengers and left a few empty seats in the side of window, I took the leftmost seat in the middle and started following bus’ pace in showing the original view of Kuala Terengganu.

On a time, the view of Terengganu River and the view of downtown at the far end caught my attention. Meanwhile, rows of passenger ships and mining boats were seen going back and forth on the vast expanse of river, showing that Kuala Terengganu’s economic strength was supported by its waters.

Seen in the distance: Felda Residence Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu Drawbridge, UTC Terengganu and Wisma Darul Iman.

Air Jernih Street. 1.5 kilometers from Hentian Bas Majlis Bandaraya Kuala Terengganu

myBAS at Hentian Bas Majlis Bandaraya Kuala Terengganu.

The next view which appeared were several one-story government buildings which occupied several sides of road leading to downtown. The bus continued to follow road signs which lead to downtown, while other signs pointed to Terengganu State Museum. Also a direction to big road to Kuantan, that was my way out to Kuala Lumpur the day after tomorrow.

Unconsciously, fifteen minutes have passed, myBAS whcih I was riding began to reach to downtown. For ten kilometers, I was exposed to Kuala Terengganu travel spoilers which made me even more curious.

Descending from the tiny myBAS, I immediately walked to The Space Inn where I was staying.

My adventure in Kuala Terengganu began…

Next Story—->

Terkesan pada The Space Inn

19 July 202110 August 2021travelingpersecond

<—-Kisah Sebelumnya

Berpetualang ke Negeri Jiran adalah hal mudah nan menyenangkan. Selain kuliner yang familiar dengan lidah Indonesia, wisata mereka juga jamak menyediakan penginapan super murah yang memberikan kemungkinan bagi siapapun untuk menjelajah negeri itu.

Pagi itu, baru saja aku melompat turun dari myBAS yang telah membawaku dari Bandar Udara Sultan Mahmud, kini aku sudah saja membalikkan badan kembali ketika baru saja menjauh ke utara meninggalkan Hentian Bas Majlis Bandaraya Kuala Terengganu. Sejenak kusempatkan menatap dari kejauhan, menikmati lagi kesederhanaan terminal bus andalan “Negeri Keropok Lekor” itu.

Sebentar kemudian aku menuju Kedai Alat Telekomunikasi WIN DOTCOM, kedai teramai di ruas Jalan Syed Hussein demi berburu SIM Card lokal dan layanan internet yang akan kugunakan selama empat hari berpetualang di Malaysia.

Di dalam kedai, aku ditawarkan berbagai jenis SIM Card oleh si empunya toko yang berketurunan Tionghoa. Sedangkan seorang gadis muda berjilbab hitam berwajah otentik Melayu dengan sabar menjelaskan ketidakfahamanku atas penjelasan cepat si empunya toko. Di akhir perniagaan itu, aku mendapatkan SIM Card dengan kuota 2 GB seharga 25 Ringgit. Harga yang sangat terjangkau, paling tidak aku telah dijamin oleh Hotlink selama 10 hari untuk memiliki akses berselencar di dunia maya.

Kini aku mulai menuju selatan, memasuki jalanan di dalam blok, melintasi Menara Kembar PB (Paya Bunga) Square, milik Perbadanan Memajukan Iktisad Negeri Terengganu (PMINT) yang menjadi Pusat Transformasi Bandar Terengganu atau khalayak lebih mengenalnya dengan nama UTC (The Urban Transformation Centre). Suasana mulai bergairah pagi itu, aktivitas rutin warga Terengganu baru saja dimulai.

Melihat arsitektur Menara Kembar PB Square, aku mulai faham bahwa ukiran khas Kuala Terengganu selalu diejawantahkan ke setiap bangunan kota. Apik dan elegan.

Meninggalkan Menara Kembar PB Square, aku kini mengarah ke selatan melalui Jalan Masjid Abidin hingga tiba di sebuah perempatan besar berhiaskan Slogan Sign Board “Visit Beautiful Terengganu”. Menara PMINT yang difungsikan sebagai Majlis Bandaraya Kuala Terengganu tampak kokoh menempati salah satu pojok perempatan dan memamerkan slogan utama kota “Bandaraya Warisan Pesisir Air”.

Selesai menunggu pergiliran warna hijau traffic light, aku menyeberangi perempatan, melanjutkan menuju ke selatan. Memasuki Jalan Air Jernih, seratus meter di depan, aku berbelok ke kanan pada sebuah pertigaan. Letak The Space Inn tak jauh dari pertigaan itu. Penginapan yang kupilih itu adalah sebuah dormitory yang memanfaatkan kompleks ruko di sepanjang Jalan Engku Pengiran Anom 2.

Langkahku akhirnya sampai di depan pintu penginapan, tetapi aku diselimuti kebingungan karena pintu bertralisnya terkunci rapat. Untuk beberapa saat aku hanya terdiam berdiri di depan pintu penginapan tanpa satu ide apapun. Bahkan trotoar di sekitar tampak sepi, tak memungkinkan bagiku untuk bertanya kepada siapapun. Beruntung, selang sepuluh menit kemudian, ada seorang tamu penginapan menuruni tangga dan hendak keluar dari penginapan. Momen inilah yang kemudian kumanfaatkan untuk menyelinap masuk.

Aku menaiki tangga dan akhirnya tiba di meja resepsionis lantai 2 yang dijaga oleh si empunya penginapan, laki-laki setengah baya keturunan Tionghoa. Dia menyapaku ramah dan tentu menanyakan bagaimana aku bisa masuk karena tak memiliki access card. Aku menceritakan “teknik curang”ku dan dia terbahak mendengarnya.

Walhasil dia memberikanku access card untuk keluar masuk hotel setelah menyerahkan paspor untuk discan dan biaya menginap senilai 41 Ringgit per malam. Ihwal administrasi telah rampung, aku pun naik ke lantai 3 demi mencari bunk bed sesuai dengan nomornya yang tertera pada bagian belakang access card.

Melepas sepatu di bagian depan luar, aku mulai memasuki kamar sepi dengan sejuk pendingin ruangan. Tidak semua bunk bed terisi sehingga memungkinkan bagiku untuk berpindah menempati kasur yang kusuka, bersebelahan sekat dengan pejalan asal Iran dan Jepang.

Tuan Okamoto

Pejalan asal Negeri Matahari Terbit itu berprofesi sebagai guru Bahasa Inggris di ibu kota, Okamoto namanya. Aku berkenalan dengannya ketika dia sibuk mengotak-atik gembok kecil yang disangkutkan pada locker handle penginapan.

“There’s no key in my locker, did you get that padlock from the reception desk?”, aku memberanikan diri bertanya.

“Oh, of course not. I bought it by myself”, dia menjawab penuh senyum.

“Oh, Okay. I’ll better put my backpack on the bunk bed”, aku menimpali dengan mengernyitkan dahi.

Dari percakapan itulah, kami berdua berkenalan dan menjadi teman karib di penginapan.

Akhirnya sudah menjadi kebiasaan, saat pagi dan menjelang malam tiba, sebelum dan sesudah berpetualang, selalu saja Tuan Okamoto menjadi yang pertama menyapaku di meja shared-khitchen. Membuatku tak kuasa menolak ajakannya untuk sekedar berbincang ihwal apa saja sembari menyeruput kopi bersama. Racikan kopi tubruk buatan Tuan Okamoto selalu saja bercitarasa spesial. Entah kopi jenis apa yang dibawanya dari Tokyo.

Tuan Okamoto yang Bahasa Inggrisnya jago….Tetapi tetap saja English aksen Jepang.

Pertemanan dengannya membuatku lebih mengenal budaya Jepang dan beberapa lokasi menarik di Jepang yang disarankannya untuk kukunjungi, Okinawa salah satunya. Dia pun merasa terhormat karena aku pernah mengunjungi negerinya tiga tahun silam. Begitupun aku, merasa terhormat karena dia sudah berpetualang hingga Aceh hanya demi menikmati kopi asli dari daerah di ujung barat Indonesia itu.

Mencuci

Keunggulan penginapan mungil ini adalah tersedianya sebuah ruang yang menghubungkan share-bathroom dan ruang tidur. Di ruangan kecil itulah, pengelola penginapan menyediakan hanger dan kipas angin. Selama menginap, kuperhatikan tak ada satupun pengunjung yang memanfaatkan ruangan penghubung itu.

Kecuali aku yang dengan santainya menggunakan ruangan ini untuk menjemur t-shirt yang setiap sore kucuci di shared-bathroom. Mencuci bukanlah hal yang rumit bagiku ketika berkenala, cukup mengucek t-shirt, celana panjang dan kaos kaki menggunakan sabun mandi, kemudian membilasnya di bawah kran, memerasnya kuat-kuat kemudian menggantungnya dengan hanger di ruang penghubung, tunggu saja esok pagi sampai kering..Beres kan?. Itulah mengapa lima potong t-shirt cukup untuk menemani perjalanan panjangku yang bahkan bisa berlangsung selama tiga minggu.

Air Kran

Adalah buah dari percakapan ringan dengan staff The Space Inn yang bertugas siang itu, akhirnya aku mendapatkan informasi bahwa air kran di Kuala Terengganu sangat aman untuk dikonsumsi secara langsung. Bahkan dia memperagakan di depanku bagaimana dia menadahkan gelas di bawah kran dapur, mengalirkan air kran dan kemudian menenggaknya dengan santai. “Tentulah aman….Lihat sajè, tiap hari sayè minum air nih”, selorohnya ringan sambil tersenyum tipis.

Tiga hari di Kuala Terengganu, bahkan aku tak mengeluarkan seringgit pun untuk berbelanja air minum. Harga air minum ukuran 1,5 liter di Kuala Terengganu berkisar 3 Ringgit, jika kamu berada tiga hari saja di kota itu, berarti kamu harus menganggarkan 18 Ringgit hanya untuk berbelanja air minum.

Bagaimana?….Bermanfaat kan air kran Kuala Terengganu?

Jadi, kalau kamu pergi ke Kuala Terengganu, mau nginep dimana???….

Kisah Selanjutnya—->

myBAS dari Sultan Mahmud Airport ke Pusat Kota Kuala Terengganu

15 July 202110 August 2021travelingpersecond

<—-Kisah Sebelumnya

Serupa dengan pengalaman ketika berkunjung ke Ipoh setahun sebelumnya. Di beberapa kota di Malaysia, mencari keberadaan bus menuju Pusat Bandar dari gerbang masuk kota menjadi sesuatu yang langka di dunia maya, sangat susah ditemukan. Konsekuensinya adalah, aku harus berjibaku mencarinya on the spot ketika tiba di tujuan. Ketenangan dan kekuatan mental sungguh diuji untuk menemukan bus umum itu.

Mengeksplorasi seisi Sultan Mahmud Airport, aku menyempatkan diri untuk bertanya kepada seorang petugas cleaning service yang sedang mendorong janitor trolleynya. Melalui percakapan sederhana, dia memberitahukan bahwa ada layanan bus menuju Pusat Bandar setiap satu jam. myBAS, nama bus itu dan kendaraan umum tersebut akan menurunkan penumpang di lantai atas bandara.

Berbekal informasi penting itu, aku memutuskan segera naik ke Departure Hall untuk memburunya. Tetapi beribu sayang, baru saja aku keluar dari gerbang depan Departure Hall, bus itu sudah mengepulkan asap tipis, menggerungkan mesin dan meninggalkan bandara.

“Well, satu jam lagi”, aku mengeluh ringan.

Momen menunggu yang sebetulnya membosankan itu, kumanfaatkan untuk menikmati suasana sekitar bandara dari lantai atas. Selepasnya, aku terduduk mengampar di ujung teras Departure Hall demi menunggu kedatangan myBAS.

Mengisi waktu menunggu, aku memutuskan mencatat semua pengeluaran yang sudah kubelanjakan semenjak meninggalkan rumah kemarin siang. Lalu lalang kendaraan pribadi yang menurunkan calon penumpang penerbangan benar-benar kuhiraukan, hingga aku sadar bahwa sedari tadi banyak orang memperhatikan keberadaanku ketika berlalu lalang. Mungkin terasa sedikit aneh, ada seorang yang duduk di tepi teras menunggu bus. Aku sendiri sedikit heran, kenapa tak disediakan tempat duduk di teras luas itu. Tentu tak mungkin, aku harus berdiri selama satu jam menunggu bus itu datang. Hal ini mirip dengan pengalamanku di Manila ketika ditegur petugas MRT ketika aku duduk di lantai menunggu MRT datang.

Tepat satu jam, suara mesin yang sediki menggerung menyeruak dari ujung kanan Departure Hall, perlahan bus bandara itu merangkak naik ke lantai atas. Aku segera berdiri dan melambaikan tangan sebagai tanda aku akan menggunakan jasanya. Bus itu perlahan melambat dan berhenti tepat di depanku.

Melaju bersama myBAS menuju *Pusat Bandar*.

Aku melompat naik dari pintu depan bus berukururan sedang dengan kapasitas 34 bangku itu. Memberikan kepada sopir ongkos sebesar 1,8 Ringgit dan duduk di bangku belakang. Penumpang didominasi oleh para wanita dan aku sungguh kagum bahwa semuanya mengenakan jilbab. “Kental nian nuansa Islam di Terengganu”, aku membatin pelan.

Tak ada satupun penumpang yang turun dari bus itu. “Ah, mungkin orang Terengganu lebih suka menggunakan mobil pribadi untuk pergi ke bandara, tapi apa peduliku, yang penting aku bisa ke Pusat Bandar dengan biaya murah”, aku menyimpulkan dalam hati.

Dalam duduk aku menikmati dialek lokal yang dilontarkan antar penumpang, dialek Melayu yang selalu saja kurindukan ketika aku sudah berada di rumah nanti. Aku masih berada di aisle seat ketika myBAS pertama kali berjalan meninggalkan bandara, aku harus menunggu beberapa penumpang turun untuk bisa menikmati pemandangan Kuala Terengganu dari tempat duduk di sisi kaca.

Waktu yang kunantikan tiba ketika setelah beberapa menit, bus menurunkan penumpang dan menyisakan beberapa bangku kosong di sisi kaca, aku mengambil bangku paling kiri di bagian tengah dan mulai mengikuti laju bus yang memamerkan pemandangan orisinil Kuala Terengganu.

Pada suatu waktu, pemandangan Sungai Terengganu dan penampakan pusat kota di ujung jauh sana sangat menarik perhatianku. Sementara barisan kapal penumpang dan Boat Penambang tampak hilir mudik di hamparan sungai nan luas itu, menunjukkan kekuatan ekonomi Kuala Terengganu didukung dari perairan.

Tampak di kejauhan: Felda Residence Kuala Terengganu, *Terengganu Drawbridge*, UTC Terengganu dan Wisma Darul Iman.

Suasana Jalan Air Jernih. 1,5 kilometer dari *Hentian Bas Majlis Bandaraya Kuala Terengganu*

myBAS di *Hentian Bas Majlis Bandaraya Kuala Terengganu.*

Pemandangan berikutnya yang tertampil adalah beberapa bangunan pemerintahan satu lantai yang menempati beberapa sisi jalan menuju pusat kota. Bus terus mengikuti markah jalan yang membimbing menuju Pusat Bandar, sementara markah lain menunjuk arah ke Muzium Negeri Terengganu. Jalan besar menuju Kuantan pun tak lupa diberikan petunjuk arah, itulah jalan keluarku menuju Kuala Lumpur esok lusa.

Tak terasa, lima belas menit sudah berlalu, myBAS yang kutunggangi mulai merapat ke Pusat Bandar. Sepuluh kilometer sudah aku terpapar spoiler wisata Kuala Terengganu yang membuatku kian penasaran.

Turun dari myBAS mungil itu aku segera melangkahkan kaki menuju The Space Inn tempatku menginap.

Petualanganku di Kuala Terengganu pun dimulai…..

Kisah Selanjutnya—->