myBAS from Sultan Mahmud Airport to Downtown Kuala Terengganu

<—-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.

Drove with myBAS to downtown.

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.
The atmosphere in Masjid Abidin Street.
Air Jernih Street. 1.5 kilometers from Hentian Bas Majlis Bandaraya Kuala Terengganu
I arrived.
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—->

myBAS dari Sultan Mahmud Airport ke Pusat Kota Kuala Terengganu

<—-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 di Jalan Masjid Abidin.
Suasana Jalan Air Jernih. 1,5 kilometer dari Hentian Bas Majlis Bandaraya Kuala Terengganu
Aku sampai.
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—->