Bintan, Indonesia

A group of nine of us headed out on Friday morning headed to Bintan (an island accessible by ferry about 1 hr away). Originally we had planned to visit another beach but because of the weather we switched to Bintan. This was also the place where many of the other international students would be going to on Saturday. We found a resort adjacent to the organized group and made reservations via text message (the owner's English was not great). The ferry terminal is on the other side of Singapore so we had to wake up early and catch the MRT so we had enough time before the ferry boarded to check in. After a little wait we headed to the ferry and staked out our spot on the top of the ship. The ride started out very calm but as we picked up speed it turned into a very different ride. I lasted all 55 minutes without throwing up but that wasn't the case for most of the occupants (but I was very close). After finally being on dry land we went through customs and out to the arrival area where a driver waited with a sign for "Mr. William". The driver spot limited English but was very nice. We made a request to stop at a store in the hopes of picking up some beverages for the weekend and he was happy to oblige. We were shocked to find that the beer was just as expensive as back in Singapore and the locals were not willing to negotiate at all (they know they have the tourists right where they want them). After the pit stop it was about a 45 minute drive to Pondok Wisata Susy (the name of the little resort...you can check it out at http://www.pondoksusy.com/index.html) Basically the place was a tiny resort (10 rooms) located on the beach that was run by a family that lived at the place. They cooked for all of the guests and helped with whatever requests they could. We got there in the early afternoon and after a quick lunch it was off to the beach. After a quick swim we decided it was time for a sandcastle (which was destroyed by a tragic tunneling accident). Next we focused out attention on a coconut tree. After many failed climbing attempts we resorted to throwing a large bamboo pole at the prize. Micheal (roommate) was finally victorious so we headed back with our prize to have it opened and enjoyed by all. By the time we headed back to the resort some other international students had arrived at the resort. Mr. Suh, as well called him, prepared dinner for the group. With night falling the group decided to make a fire. After a few drinks (including one mixed inside of a coconut) it was off to bed. The group woke up early to take full advantage of the day (and the tide which changes dramatically) and after a quick breakfast we all headed down to the beach for a swim. The water temperature was amazing and barring some seaweed the water was very clear. The morning swim was a lot of fun despite a near drowning incident that occurred. After that everyone was ready for lunch. The local "mall" (as we called it) down the street stocked assorted snacks and drinks. They had the most delicious peanut butter crackers any of us had ever had. When we came back from the snack run we built a fire to kill some time but the real attraction that afternoon was that Mr. Suh had promised to let us watch him prepare dinner (aka kill the chicken that they would be serving). After convincing Mr. Suh that I had no interest in killing the chicken myself the spectacle finally took place (I will spare you with the pictures). The main group (of about 30) that was staying in the resort over finally made it to Bintan so much of the night was spent on their beach drinking and talking with new people. On Sunday we rented motorbikes from the owners and cruised around the island. I have some pretty cool pictures that I will hopefully upload soon. The ride was cut somewhat short by Brian (roommate) taking a spill while rounding a corner and scraping his knee up pretty bad. The taxi ride back was quite interesting just because I am fairly certain we went airborne and ran a scooter off the road. The ferry back was much larger and therefore not nearly as sickening (I was totally prepared to throw up). After clearing customs we each picked up a Duty Free bottle of liquor because it was much cheaper. The trip would not have been complete without stopping at Burger King for a nice double cheeseburger with turkey bacon.