It has been about 5 months since I’ve had to be up before the sun.  (Moving from the USA to Indonesia was tough on the body clock, but once I adjusted, I promptly stayed in bed until the sun was shining brightly!)  However, going away for two days and needing to ensure a nook or cranny on the boat to get there, meant getting up very early to journey to the marina.  Although I love boats, this area of Northern Jakarta is very dirty and smelly.  Plus traffic was so backed up (surprise, surprise) that my cab driver suggested I get out and follow the crowd of walkers to the pier, so I’d get there in time.

After asking about 20 people just to make sure I was getting on the right boat, I made some new friends.  I ended up sitting with them in the prime area of the open deck near the bow.  This wasn’t like taking a ferry in the states.  This was an old wooden boat with people packed in like sardines.  There was no ramp to get on the boat.  We had to get up on the concrete retaining wall (that had no railings or safety structure of any kind), and hop onto the edge of the boat.  At one point no one was moving and I thought my new friends and I would have to hang on to the edge as we departed for our 2.5 hour journey, but luckily we moved up and sat in the front of the windows for a great view and the breeze.  The sun was shining, but luckily it was early and the direct light wasn’t overhead to burn our faces.

I found out later that there were actually four other white people on the boat, which made me number five.  Out of about 1,000 people, we were the only ones.  I’m guessing that I got more attention because I was a white female traveling alone and they happened to all be in a group.

The island looked pretty big from the boat but I quickly found out how small it was.  The dock area was full of beautifully colored boats and marine services.

We walked maybe half a mile to our very rustic but cheap accommodation, which was at one end of the island.  My new friends and I stopped for some street food of cheesy omelets on a stick before checking into our rooms.  Then for about $2 you could have lunch brought to you, and I was shocked at how much food was included!

Street food wheeled card…serving omelets on a stick!

My delicious lunch 🙂

After consuming some calories, we all rented some bicycles and decided to tour the island.  We rode on the brick paths that connect everything on the island.  With the exception of a few motorbikes, everyone traveled by bicycle or on foot…cars don’t exist on the island.  I love that!

We headed to the Virgin Beach to relax for the afternoon.  Not many people were there yet, so we had to share the area with just a few families.  We had coconuts and snacks, drank plenty of water and explored the shallow sea.  Near the equator, the ocean isn’t refreshing.  The water temperature can get pretty hot, so exploring in the afternoon sun was brief, and taking a nap in the shade was the only thing we had enough energy to do.

Feeling a little bit recharged, we rode around the island for another hour or so, taking in all the lookout points we could find.  The island was by no means pristine.  There seems to either be no rules about pollution, or no enforcement.  So there was trash or debris everywhere I went.  However, compared to Jakarta, this island was the cleanest place I’ve seen in Indonesia, so I wanted to capture every beautiful corner that I could find.

And yes, even though seeing the pollution makes me very sad and upset, there are still moments when I can see the beauty in an unattractive situation.  Just like this boy…yep, that’s right…sailing a refrigerator.

Just before sunset everyone performed a mass exodus to the beach at my end of the island.  People arrived in droves to get a seat on the jetty and prepare their cameras to capture the last glimpse of light the sun allows us to see with the naked eye.  Much like “magic hour” in the morning, the time right after sunset is equally beautiful to me.

After a quick shower and a short rest, it was time to get back on the bike for a late night ride through the village.  We ate at one of the many little family eateries.  After putting in our order, we sat at a big wooden table, under a big tree, in front of the moonlit ocean.  A welcome breeze was blowing, bring with it the aroma of campfires while keeping the stickiness at bay.  Plates of rice, tempe, and vegetables satisfied our hungry bellies before returning to the Virgin Beach to experience the island parties and BBQ’s.  The sounds of cooking fish and all kinds music filled the air.  It was a completely different feeling compared to just a few hours before.

On the way back to our rooms the island experienced a blackout which made riding a bicycle almost impossible, but very peaceful at the same time.  It was a fun way to end the evening.

Feeling extremely rested after an amazing nights sleep, I relaxed the next morning at the beach a few yards from my room.  The view was beautiful, which I could enjoy from a hammock as I read on my kindle.  (One of my favorite scenarios of all time…but one I don’t get to enjoy nearly enough!)

By noon it was time to settle my bill, ride the bike to the dock area and pick up my ticket for the fast boat back to the Muara Angke marina in Jakarta.  Compared to one day prior, the return trip only took 45 minutes or so, and the ticket was only about $1.50 more.  An excellent value.

Back at the marina we caught a ride to the fish market area.  As we rode along I saw wheelbarrows full of baby sharks, stingrays and types of fish I couldn’t identify.  The smell was terrible, but I’ve never seen anything like it.  We found a food stall that looked inviting and we quickly ordered kilos of various fresh catches.  There were clams, crab and some common fish that I didn’t get the name of, in addition to salad, rice, shrimp and otak otak, (some kind of fish paste, put into banana leaves and cooked over a fire, and then served with a mild sambal, or hot sauce).

Otak Otak before.

Otak Otak after.

Amazing unidentified flavors washed over my taste buds and made them exercise muscles they didn’t know they had.  Such a delicious meal.

Torrential rains poured as we were busy eating our mouth-watering dinner, so we were in rush to leave.  When the rain finally let up and our bellies were once again very happy, we tried to make our way to the main road but everything was flooded, as usual after a storm.  Luckily we were able to get a pedicab to get us through the streets and up to the bridge where taxi’s could be hailed for the journey home.

It may have been a quick getaway, but I saw and experienced so much in two days, and was lucky enough to make some new friends in the process.  It was a great success on every level!