Singapore to Batam

Upon arrival in Singapore on Thursday evening, I met up with a good friend who moved here a few months ago. She took me out for a delicious local dinner and then we ventured up to a rooftop bar called Altitude. From there we had a good view over the city, and in the photo to the left you can see the F1 racing track, which was host to the grand prix in Singapore on Sunday.

On Saturday I left the comfort of being with a friend, along with the convenient and futuresque Singapore,
to begin a new chapter of my life on the island of Batam, Indonesia. The ferry took about one hour, but since Indonesia is one hour behind Singapore, it really took no time at all ;)

I am not much of a picture taker. I forget to take them, and my camera is also not of the greatest quality (maybe because I haven't read the manual). Nevertheless, here are a few snapshots from my first weekend in Indonesia. Rex, my new boss and office-mate, gave me a fantastic tour, which included three islands, multiple forms of transport, and lots of delicious food.

The boat above holds about 25 people and ferries people to nearby islands. I discovered that the front row is the best place to sit if you want to be able to see anything at all, and it's also great for finding out how salty the sea tastes.

We went to an island about 30 minutes away and then paid about a tenner to rent two of these bike carriages (will fill in actual name once I remember what it is!) with drivers for the afternoon.

They took us to another island connected by a bridge, where I was introduced to some of Rex's friends, one of whom owns a beautiful little cafe overlooking the sea. There I enjoyed a plate of fried banana and admired the view.