Our twin-sharing hut!
Prior to this trip, those in my circle would know that my mum had kicked up a big fuss about this, in addition to some other matters at home. It used to be a childish one-sided tug-of-war in the past, and I was known to always give in whenever the matriarch threw a bad case of hissy-fits. But this time, which I deem as one of the many turning points in my life, I chose to fight for the chance to have a say, albeit the cold war which ensued, and lasted, even up to this moment. The red passport, amidst the mess, is finally mine to keep.
And travelling with Jack, as well as the G couple, was totally worth the fight to the end. Parents, being parents, would have definitely been skeptical about boyfriends and girlfriends travelling together, because of the dumb adage "男女授受不親" (single men and women should not come into intimate contact with each other). In other words, parents are afraids that we're going to do stupid things and the woman eventually loses out. Were our parents worried? Yes. Did they trust us? Yes, except my mum. Do mums always have to think that their daughters are naive and easily swayed? For one, I'm not one of those sluts who throw themselves at men. For another, Jack is not one of those assholes who want to throw their girlfriends into bed. And for the simple fact that we respect and cherish each other so much means that we're not going to jump the gun just because of primal needs.
Travelling with the G couple was a whole new experience, because if you think you've seen them squabble enough during boardgames and all, you haven't seen it all yet. Having travelled together overseas umpteen times, they're the best bet for the couple to travel with, especially when I'm always the kan chiong spider in strangerland. Plus, they always know what to buy and what isn't worth the money. And what's them without boardgames?
Agricola - which we didn't get to play in the end because we were missing some pieces.
Early birthday presents from the G couple!
Contrary to what everyone thinks, NOT everything in Indonesia is dirt-cheap. The tourists' watering-holes, for example, charges food court prices for food that tastes unpalatable but you have no choice but to wolf it down because you're cows away from the city. Batam KTM Resort, the one we stayed at, was a good example. Perhaps it was just a psychological influence, but we can't help but agree that the food we had tasted conspicuously like they had been cooked with the water that had been used to wash our feet during the spa session. *Gags* The next thing we knew, our pineapple rice for dinner tasted like that as well. *Gag* We couldn't complain, because we had no other choice. That is, unless we wish to turn into cannibals, or, if we ate the squid the local people caught from the sea, in which the local children had played and bathed in. *Gag* Breakfast buffet was... *speechless* If I said that best course had been the cornflakes, what do you think?
Cocktail
"Urm, can I have green rape?"
Mushroom Omelette loaded with butter - Ultimate food from hell
The spa session. They totally made us believe that changed our slot to 5pm Batam time would guarantee a beautiful sunset view while enjoying the spa.
Beautiful sunset view? Checked.
Getting to see it? How about getting your arse to see it?
Because our arses were facing the sea during the session. Thanks. But the massage on our side were pretty satisfying, and at the final part where they cracked our spines (not literally), it felt as though someone undid all the tight knots in my body. The jacuzzi was alright, perhaps not as great as the one we had in Singapore and not as clean, but the evening sun was a pretty sight to behold. Gordon and Gerlynn were complaining non-stop about theirs, about the masseuses, the dirty foam and water in the jacuzzi, the oil, the sea salt... Oh well. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss. As least we had enjoyed ours. Oh, and Gordon actually tipped them. Haha.
Beautiful post-sunset glow
The rooms were beautiful, we got a hut to share, with 2 rooms and 2 beds each. Thankfully, the air conditioning doesn't switch off even after we leave the room, and the bathrooms were clean. After all, we're 4 clean freaks huddled in a country outside Singapore. And we could watch Singapore channels there! While I got trounced during boardgames again(my best score was finishing one point behind Jack in Vegas Showdown), I had better luck with Hearts, Big2 and poker card games. Plus I love the rustic deco, from the glass panels on the door to the ceiling fan and bedside lights.
The city tour has got to be the better event, because we finally escaped the horrid food at the resort. Apart from visiting several tourist attractions and almost getting conned into buying keropok (fried prawn and whatever fritters) and Polo Ralgh Lauren shirts, Batam City Square's probably the best stop of the tour. We changed S$20 in all, and had trouble spending it. But the food was good, from Kueh Bahalu at 80c for 8 pieces, crepe from S$1, durian roll from S$1, we had it all. The place was burgeoning with fashion stores as well, and the only thing that hindered me from shopping was the time constraint.
Rating for this trip would be 6/10, largely because of the food. Half the marks when to great company and half to everything else combined. If you like to be gastronomically challenged, Batam KTM Resort's the place for you.
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