My family can't sleep in when they are overseas and you would likely see them in the hotel restaurant for buffet breakfast within one hour of their opening. And they are always on the lookout for places to go right after they fill their tummies!
Even though Travelodge Batam might appear to be in the middle of nowhere, we did notice some commercial activities further down the road and hence, decided to check it out after breakfast on our final day in Batam, without the kids.
Walked past a fruit stall and my parents couldn't resist getting a kilogram of the rambutans which they attested to be from a very good species. I can't remember how much they paid for it; maybe about S$1-S$2?
I would have loved to try the local durians but they were mostly opened (and tied with a rubber band). Most importantly, the cloud of flies all over the discarded durian shells was an absolute turnoff.
Fireworks for sale! My guess is that that day was Hari Raya Haji and it's quite common for most countries to fire some fireworks to celebrate the occasion.
Finally, the start of the market or what we assumed to be the start of the market since we were none the wiser. I wasn't even aware of the name until the assistance from Mr Google; Pasar Pagi Tos 3000.
Picture time with the parents! The three of them have permanent insomnia with the ability to kickstart their day early whereas i am the kind that couldn't sleep early and prefer to languish in bed for hours the next day.
The market was traditional for a simple reason; there's no proper setup and stall owners could literally just market their produce under the hot sun, by the roadside!
And unlike wet markets in Singapore where variety counts, the situation right here at Pasar Pagi Tos 3000 was more on 'specializations'; for example, i only sell yam, he would offer sweet potatoes.
There were mixes but definitely not on a big scale.
You know what this reminded me off? The wet market in the 1980s at Nee Soon, where my kampong (village) stood; the mess on the floor, the makeshift tents to shield the produce etc.
Baskets of live chickens, witnessing the fate of their compatriots less than 20 meters away. I find it disturbing despite knowing it was common even in Singapore back in the late 1990s.
How can there be so many kinds of chilli!?
Dad and Joyce; strangely, we don't get any tourists taking pictures in our wet markets! Wait, maybe because i also seldom patronize the wet markets and hence; the chance of spotting would be greatly reduced.
This has to be one of the most crowded provision stall as the owner had managed to squeeze in so many things! I hope he / she would be mindful of the expiry for the mainly food products.
Frankly, there were a few branch-offs for the market and we just anyhow chose one of them to walk in. It's sometimes good to explore without any concrete route.
Eggs! I was complaining to a friend recently that the use of plastics at supermarkets is excessive as fruits were packaged in plastic containers and eggs were never seen with their plastic casings. However, i wouldn't know how to manage should i have to buy eggs from the box like the above seller.
Quite a number of stalls were found to be empty and i am presuming it was because of the Hari Raya Haji that took place on the same day of our visit to the market.
Anyone knows what these are? The seeds removed from the black shells appeared quite similar to those found in chempedek / jackfruits.
Random photos!
Sachets of shampoo, dry powder recipes, tea bags etc outside a provision shop; it's a prevalent sight in Indonesia where people tend to buy in smaller quantity.
Another branch-off.
Honestly, i lost my bearing on where exactly we were. I noticed a Allium Batam Hotel at the back but in the internet era we are in; Google Map is always a lifesaver, provided you have mobile data.
Seemed like a more crowded section of the market.
Fruit stalls and boy were the grapes tempting! I didn't know we could grow such beautiful grapes in the hot, wet and humid weather typical of areas near the earth's equator.
Secondhand / used goods section where you can find clothes at S$1 apiece, toys, shoes among others. I was most touched by one stall owner who came out and warned me against carrying my bag on my back as there were pickpockets in the market. So kind and sweet right?!
Root vegetables again; while people in lesser-developed countries have them as basic staple given their ability to fill their tummies, those in developed countries are growing to like them due to their rich nutrients.
Initially, we thought this was a bus stop built around a tree but the word "taxi" suggested otherwise. Nevertheless, with its zinc roof and wooden benches, it was a walk down memory lane for my dad when such structures were relatively common when he was young.
Walking back to where we came from. I was worried that mom would buy a few kilograms of Indonesian produce back to Singapore; she has the tendency to do things like that, especially when things are cheaper than back at home. Thankfully, she didn't except for that one kilogram of rambutans which we cleaned up at the kopitiam that served Swees Curry Puff.
Loving the warmth of Indonesians!
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Address
Lubuk Baja Kota, Lubuk Baja,
Batam City, Riau Islands 29444, Indonesia
Map
As above.