My 25th Batam Trip on
Chinese Lunar New Year
2016
Reference :
24th Batam Trip Summary
Time for my 25th Batam Trip Summary and this trip due to the fact its a CNY 2016,things were as unpredictable as compare to the last year's
CNY 2015 trip. This CNY,i go to Batam more prepared as i was expecting an equal or more gigantic crowd. And I was WRONG! (hehehehe...which is not a bad thing at all)
I took the night ferry,in fact i booked Horizon last ferry to Batam at 940pm. After i finished my yearly reunion dinner with my family members,i took my time to reach Harbour Front and realized that i was way too early. I walked around Harbour Front and found out that Horizon has insert EXTRA ferry trips to Batam Harbour Bay. I immediately went over to bring forward my trip to 850pm.
There was an early check in to the departure area ,ferry was only 30% full,i had my business class seat and there was only a group of around 8 members of a Malay family and myself in the upper deck. The ride to Batam this time round was a rocky one. Ok,the time to leave for Harbour Front is suppose to be 850pm,but we left 840pm Sillypore time. Sounds like a good start huh? It was a very windy ride,i think due to the previous Batam Fast semi-sinking incident,this captain of the Horizon ferry was driving slower than usual. In a slower than usual rocky boat ride on our way to Batam,some of the members of the Malay family begin to throw out. I nearly puke too,but manage to endure the rough ride there till the ferry touch down Harbour Bay terminal.
Business class being business class,and a family versus me,a solo traveler...very obviously,i got to get off the ferry 1st and for the rest in economic class,they will have to wait till the Malay family in the business class get off the boat 1st before they are allowed out,hehehe...i walked fast. I think i was super fast,hehehe...and by the time i reach the Harbour Bay Arrival Hall to get my passport chopped,there was no sight of anyone in the queue,worse...there was not a soul 200m behind me and i was queried by the custom officer who was checking my passport.
He speaks in bahasa,i didnt understand. He got someone to translate,and his question to me was,"how come i am only one person?" I told him i was alone,he asked again. "where are the rest with me in my ferry?" i told them,behind me and i turned back and tell him they are on their way. He paused and asked me how come i was so fast and which ferry i came from. I told him. We wait for a good 5 min and when they saw the 1st passenger from my ferry within sight coming towards the custom's glass door (not even reaching the queue area) ,they finally chop my passport. In my heart i was like,"Phew!" Scanning my backpack was a bliss,the guy/s manning the scanning machine was not in sight and appears only when i walked out of the Arrival Hall,hehehe...
Walking out of the ferry terminal,i was welcomed by my friends...and the girls,hehehe....who came to pick me up to head to the hotel. There was a relief. And on my way to my hotel,Batam welcomes me with all the fireworks....hehehe....like Sillypore's NDP (National Day Parade),as if the guest of honor that evening was me,hehehe...
At that hour,no money changer was opened for business. Luckily i have changed a million plus rupiah in my last trip to Batam at 9650/SGD. According to my friends,Sillypore was changing for 9650/SGD few days before too.
Original plan for that evening was to go play firecrackers 1st,but my friend's girl wish to continue to "rape" him,so me and my girl head to buy our groceries at Circle K as all provision shops were close at those hours. I settle the basic necessities,make myself comfortable and off to my OTOT before calling 2 girls over for our massage sessions.
After massage,was planning to head down for supper,but the restaurant was closed,so we ordered our food up ,eat up and then shower up a bit before heading to rest (and OTOT of course,hehehe...).
Oh,my friend's girl cost 2 million rupiah,a CSYT (cute and sweet young thing). And my was a GND at 1.2 million rupiah.
My 1st Ang Bao in Batam from the hotel i stayed in....
Hehehe...a 20k rupiah voucher from Formosa expiring on 31st March 2016. Not going to use it as i am keep this as a memorial. And i manage to get 2 of it,enough for a simple meal,hehehe... (1 room only have one of this voucher and only on Lunar New Year Eve)
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