Ortigas

Like in my first visitation to Manila on 2016, this time my transit visitation would go to the same first place, EDSA LRT Station.

For some reason, EDSA LRT Station was always the first place I pointed to when looking at the city’s transportation map. As if that place is the easiest way to reach from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Then from the station, I can go wherever I want to explore Manila.

EDSA stands for Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, the name of street which passes under the station. While Epifano de los Santos is the name of a famous Filipino historian and journalist.

Alright…Let’s went to EDSA LRT Station and got to know it better.

Outside the terminal building, a white uniformed security guard with high-powered firearms called out to me. They apparently noticed that I was hesitant to choose a direction. As I recall, to ride a Jeepney to downtown, I had to turn left from terminal exit gate liked during my 2016 visitation to Manila. Or maybe I got off at a different terminal.

Security : “Hello Sir, come here, please!”, he said with a firm and fierce expression.

Me: “Yes, Sir”, I approached slowly, rather than causing a bigger problem.

Security : “Show your passport to me!”, he sharply looked at me.

Me: “This”, I handed it over firmly and boldly.

Security : “Where do you go in Manila?”, he asked while handing me my passport

Me : “Can you show me, Where should I stop a bus or a jeepney to Manila Baywalk?”.

Security : “It will be better if you go to EDSA station, then you can go to Manila Baywalk from there”, he pointed to a street to the right of terminal building.

Me: “Thanks, Sir”

Security : “In Manila, if you don’t know Tagalog language, It will be better if you ask to the bus driver about their destination”

Me: “Oh okay I see”.

It was at this small bus stop which I waited for the city bus to go to EDSA LRT Station.

I kept watching every city bus which passed, I kept looking for EDSA writing on every bus windshield. Fifteen minutes without finding it, I ventured to start asking every bus which stopped to picking up passengers.

Me: “EDSA Station, sir?”.

Conductor : “No No No”,

The question and answer kept repeating until some city buses didn’t care about me because I wasn’t the passenger. Until finally, a cream colored bus with a combination of blue arrived with the nameplates for Boni, Ortigas, Cubao and finally EDSA hanging in a row down on its windshield. It seemed that those were the names of LRT/MRT stations which the bus passed through.

Me: “EDSA?”

Conductor: “Come in!”

I entered the bus and sat in the middle seat on the right. On the dashboard above was clearly written Jayross Lucky Seven, the name of bus company. Fairly comfortable city bus, air-conditioned and LCD TV at the front. Shortly after sitting down, liked most buses in Indonesia, the conductor approached me and charged me 30 Peso.

Finally found a bus to EDSA LRT Station.

Sat and got ready to enjoying the streets of Manila.

Ah, I would be skipping the Jeepney trip this time. “It’s okay, I’ll take a Jeepney to NAIA when I get back later,” my mind won over. But somehow, I suddenly got up from my seat when the conductor shouted “EDSA….EDSA….EDSA”. I received information that I had arrived and I had to get off, the conductor certainly didn’t know the destination of the passengers one by one, so he let me walked down from front door.

The bus left me. There was no sign of the existence of LRT line which was clearly memorized in my memory from my first visitation. “It’s not here yet,” I thought with a wry smile, until a Jeepney approached. “EDSA?” I shouted at the driver. “Come on!”, he simply answered. I went up through back door. I didn’t know street’s number of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue when got on to Jeepney. Finally, I got to ride again the most popular mode of transportation among Filipino people. Now I paid less because the distance was close to destination, only 10 Peso. Five minutes later I arrived at EDSA LRT Station.

*Jeepney interior, looks like an angkot (public tranportation in Jakarta), right?*

I was just amazed by tbusy activities of Manila citizens that afternoon. Similar to streets around Pasar Senen, Jakarta. For a long time I stood in an open stall which selling fresh fruit. Paying attention to traffic jams, Jeepneys which the middle and lower class people were scrambling for and LRT Line 1 going back and forth above my head.

Ah, the beautiful and short transit time I have and enjoyed……

This was the EDSA LRT Station….What did it look like? Good or usual?

<—-Kisah Sebelumnya

Seperti pada kunjungan pertamaku di Manila pada 2016 silam, kali ini kunjungan transitku akan menuju tempat pertama yang sama, Stasiun LRT EDSA.

Entah kenapa, Stasiun LRT EDSA selalu menjadi tempat pertama yang kutunjuk ketika memperhatikan peta transportasi kota itu. Seakan tempat itulah yang paling mudah dicapai dari Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Kemudian dari stasiun tersebut, aku bisa menuju kemanapun sesuka hati menjelajah Manila.

EDSA adalah singkatan dari Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, nama jalan yang melintas di bawah stasiun LRT itu. Sedangkan Epifano de los Santos adalah nama sejarawan dan jurnalis terkenal Filipina.

Baiklah…Mari menuju Stasiun LRT EDSA dan mengenalnya lebih dekat.

Di luar bangunan terminal, security berseragam putih dengan high-powered firearms (senjata api bertenaga tinggi) memanggilku. Mereka rupanya memperhatikan aku yang sedang ragu memilih arah. Seingatku untuk menunggang Jeepney ke pusat kota, aku harus berbelok ke kiri dari exit gate terminal seperti saat kunjunganku ke Manila 2016 silam. Atau mungkin dulu turun di terminal yang berbeda kali ya?.

Security : “Hello Sir, come here, please!”, ucapnya dengan mimik tegas dan galak.

Aku : “Yes Sir”, perlahan aku mendekat, daripada menimbulkan masalah yang lebih besar.

Security : “Show your passport to me!”, dia menatapku tajam.

Aku : “This”, kuserahkan dengan tegas dan berani juga.

Security : “Where do you going in Manila?”, jawabnya sambil menyerahkan paspotku

Aku : “Can you show me, Where should I stop a bus or a jeepney to Manila Baywalk?”.

Security : “It will better if you go to EDSA station, then you can go to Manila Baywalk from there”, dia menujuk ke sebuah jalan di kanan bangunan terminal.

Aku : “Thanks Sir”

Security : “In Manila, if you don’t know Tagalog language, It will be better if you ask to the bus driver about their destination”

Aku : “Oh Okay I see”.

Aku keluar dari bangunan Terminal 1 NAIA.

Di halte kecil inilah aku menunggu bus kota menuju Stasiun LRT EDSA.

Aku terus memperhatikan setiap bus kota yang lewat, aku terus mencari tulisan EDSA di setiap kaca depan bus. Lima belas menit tak kunjung menemukannya, kuberanikan diri mulai bertanya pada setiap bus yang berhenti mengambil penumpang.

Aku : “EDSA Station,Sir?”.

Kondektur : “No No No”,

Tanya jawab yang terulang-ulang terus hingga beberapa bus kota tak mempedulikanku karena aku bukanlah penumpangnya. Hingga akhirnya, merapatlah bus berwarnna krem kombinasi biru bertuliskan papan nama tujuan Boni, Ortigas, Cubao dan terakhir EDSA yang digantung berjajar ke bawah di kaca depannya. Tampaknya itu nama-nama stasiun LRT/MRT yang dilewati oleh bus itu.

Aku : “EDSA ?”

Kondektur : “Come in!”

Aku memasuki bus itu dan duduk di bangku tengah sisi kanan. Di dashboard atas tertulis jelas Jayross Lucky Seven, nama perusahaan otobus itu. Bus kota yang lumayan nyaman, ber-AC dan LCD TV di bagian depan. Tak lama setelah duduk, seperti bus-bus umumnya di Indonesia, kondektur itu menghampiriku dan menarik ongkos perjalanan sebesar Rp. 9.000.

Akhirnya ketemu juga bus menuju Stasiun LRT EDSA.

Duduk dan bersiap menikmati jalanan kota Manila.

Ah, aku akan melewatkan untuk naik Jeepney kali ini. “Tak apalah, aku kan naik Jeepney ke NAIA saat pulang nanti”, batin memenangkanku. Tapi entah kenapa, tiba-tiba aku beranjak dari bangku ketika kondektur itu berteriak “EDSA….EDSA….EDSA”. Aku menangkap informasi bahwa aku telah sampai dan aku harus turun, kondektur itu tentu tak hafal satu per satu tujuan penumpangnya, sehingga membiarkanku melenggang turun dari pintu depan.

Bus itu pergi meninggalkanku. Tak tampak pertanda keberadaan jalur LRT yang terhafal jelas bentuknya di memori kepalaku dari kunjungan pertamaku dulu. “Ini belum sampai”, batinku tersenyum kecut, hingga sebuah Jeepney datang mendekat. “EDSA?” teriakku pada sopirnya. “Come on!”, jawabnya singkat. Aku naik dari pintu belakang. Entah aku masih di bilangan ke berapa dari Epifanio de los Santos Avenue. Akhirnya kesampaian lagi menaiki moda transportasi terpopuler di kalangan rakyat Filipina itu. Kini aku membayar lebih murah karena memang jaraknya sudah dekat dengan tujuan, hanya Rp. 3.000. Lima menit kemudian aku tiba di Stasiun LRT EDSA.

Aku hanya takjub dengan kesibukan aktivitas masyarakat Manila siang itu. Mirip jalanan di sekitaran Pasar Senen, Jakarta. Lama aku berdiri di sebuah lapak terbuka penjual buah-buahan segar. Memperhatikan kemacetan, lalu lalang Jeepney yang diperebutkan masyarakat kelas menengah ke bawah serta hilir mudik LRT Line 1 di atas kepalaku.

Ah waktu transit indah dan singkat yang kumiliki dan kunikmati……

Ini dia Stasiun LRT EDSA….Gimana bentuknya? Elok atau biasakah?

Kisah Selanjutnya—->

Tag: Ortigas

Public Transportation from NAIA to Downtown Manila

Transportasi Umum dari NAIA ke Pusat Kota Manila