The Place We Called Pulau

Today's story began on November 23, 2018. My friend Iwan had an eatery in Jakarta called Kedai 7. He was about to close it and moved to Pangkalpinang, so I organized a movement called Aksi Bela Kedai 7. It was a parody that echoed the political sentiment at that time. The date itself, 2311, could be summed up as 7, a clever reference to Kedai 7. 

I promised Iwan that I would visit him one day, but of course nobody could have seen that life in the time of corona was just around the corner. A few years later, when we exited COVID-19, it was totally a different world. I remember one afternoon when I stood in front of my daughter's primary school. I was going through Google Flights as I waited for her to come out. Much to my dismay, post-pandemic, the flight route from Batam to Pangkalpinang was simply no more.

Aksi Bela Kedai 7 in 2018.

That promise I made could only be fulfilled seven years later. I bought my tickets this year on February 13, fully embracing the fact that I would depart from Batam and fly back to Singapore via Jakarta. Soon it became another trip by Robinson Travel, a micro-travel that brought us to a place I affectionately dubbed Pulau because it was a remote island. Surianto, Endrico and Taty were quickly ticketed, but it would be about eight months later before we had another six people joining us.

But it wouldn't be an Indonesian domestic flight if it didn't throw us a curveball. We received the news that our flight from Batam had been postponed to a later time. Just when we thought it couldn't get any worse, we received another news that the same flight was cancelled. We must now fly to Jakarta before connecting to Pulau! But it was too much effort to make a last-minute change, so we went through the motions.

Half way in Jakarta.

Surianto, myself and Endrico hung out in Batam, enjoying the food ranging from fried kway teow, chai kue, nasi Padang, satay Padang and sweet martabak. The next day, we met Taty at Hang Nadim Airport in Batam while other friends such as Alvin, Parno, Susan, etc. had already made their way to Pulau and spent their afternoon exploring. We arrived just in time for dinner. Iwan, the host, wasted no time in introducing us to the pride of Pulau: saucu, the roasted pork!

Dinner at RM Ali.

The first kilogram of saucu was finished at RM Ali (Chau Bok), a popular local restaurant that also served mei cai kou rou (梅菜扣肉). I personally loved the veggie fried with pork skin. Kinda unique and very delicious. After that, we drove around at night to see the city. It occurred to me that Pangkalpinang was slightly bigger than Sei Pinyuh, the hometown of Hendra Wijaya (a friend who went to Singapore for the first time last year), but clearly less advanced than our hometown Pontianak. It didn't even have a mall!

The first night ended after a quick drink at Bangka. Lingga, an old friend of us that we hadn't seen for God knows how long, surprised us by downing almost three bottles of beer by herself, a feat that she would repeat on the following night. The second surprise came from Parno. Iwan's friend Ah Fung, nicknamed Black, has a wife who looks uncannily like Wiwi and Parno was the first to notice! 

Buying our supply of traditional cakes. 

The next morning, around 8 AM, a Hiace van arrived to pick us up soon after we did our postcard tradition. Then we headed to Anggrek Restaurant to pick up our host. We had breakfast at Bakmi Afui, where Iwan ordered all the menus for us to try. If not for Endrico, he would have ordered 20 plates of noodles for us, too! Good stuff, though. After that, we stopped for traditional cakes before making our way to Sungailiat.

At Pagoda Nusantara.

The first destination was Pagoda Nusantara. It had been closed for a long time, so our host was equally surprised that it was actually open. As a matter of fact, we were the only visitors there. The road that led to the Pagoda was so bad and steep that it was a miracle our Hiace could actually reach the summit. But it was worth it. The view there was quite beautiful, as nice as it could be for a secluded local attraction.

At Pauw's in Sungailiat.

From there, we went to Pauw's, a famous coffee shop in Sungailiat. It reminded me of the similar setup we visited in Chiang Mai. The food was good and cheap. I liked the fish soup that had a tinge of sour taste. It was brilliant. The fish maw soup, wanton soup, beef kway teow and crab porridge were nice, too. The crab meat toast was unusual, but was still all right. 

The crucifixion. 

The next stop right after that was Taman Bintang Samudra. It was a nice surprise, something I didn't expect from Pulau. Its interpretation of Via Dolorosa, also known as the Stations of the Cross, is of international standard. The first station was so artfully done that I was convinced we should continue walking. The Golgotha replica somehow reminded me of the Giant Buddha of Leshan. It carried a similar colossal vibe, though not as old or as historical.

The ladies in Rambak Beach.

Rambak Beach was the final tourist spot we visited for the day. When the rest headed to the sandy beach, I accompanied Alvin while sipping from a fresh coconut. Only when his chiropractic client arrived did I join the other friends to sit on the boulders and munch on our first half a kilogram of saucu for the day. 

The live perfomance. 

We returned to Pangkalpinang before sunset, bought our fair share of Bangka snacks from Godai Sejiwa, then freshened up at our hotel before going out again for dinner, this time at RM Sefo. The place was awfully quiet for a big restaurant, just us and another table, but it featured a stage where everyone could just get up and sing. The pig head skin (豬頭皮) was exquisite! Before the food came, we opened the last half a kilogram of saucu. At the rate I ate, I personally think I had finished up my lifetime quota of saucu!

The last group photo at Kopi Sejati.

But all good things must come to an end. The next morning, we went to Kopi Sejati for breakfast and our time in Pulau was up. We flew back to Jakarta and, since we had enough time, we went to PIK to eat Ou Kie, the famous noodles from our hometown. Mul AW came to meet us while we were at Aming Coffee. After that, we returned to the airport and headed back to Singapore.

With Mul AW.

Overall, it was a fun trip filled with laughter and togetherness. I wouldn't call it short. It was a time well spent, one that neither ran its course nor overstayed its welcome. Iwan did a good job as a host and Lingga was a nice addition to the familiar crowd I know and love. To top it off, it was a long-time promise fulfilled, a chapter closed and a new life event cherished...

The Pulau memories...

Tempat Yang Disebut Pulau... 

Kisah hari ini dimulai pada tanggal 23 November 2018. Teman saya, Iwan, memiliki sebuah kedai makan di Jakarta bernama Kedai 7. Saat itu ia akan menutup usahanya dan pindah ke Pangkalpinang. Maka dari itu, saya pun mengadakan sebuah gerakan bernama Aksi Bela Kedai 7, sebuah parodi yang mencerminkan sentimen politik pada masa itu. Tanggal 23/11 sendiri jika dijumlahkan menjadi 7 — sebuah referensi cerdas yang berhubungan dengan Kedai 7.

Saya berjanji pada Iwan bahwa suatu hari saya akan mengunjunginya. Namun tentu saja tidak ada yang bisa memprediksi bahwa kehidupan di masa corona akan segera datang. Beberapa tahun kemudian, saat kita keluar dari pandemi COVID-19, dunia telah berubah total. Saya masih ingat satu sore saat saya berdiri di depan sekolah dasar anak saya. Sambil menunggu ia keluar, saya membuka Google Flights. Betapa kecewanya saya ketika mengetahui bahwa rute penerbangan dari Batam ke Pangkalpinang tidak lagi ada setelah pandemi.

Aksi Bela Kedai 7 in 2018.

Janji yang saya ucapkan hanya bisa ditepati tujuh tahun kemudian. Saya membeli tiket pada tanggal 13 Februari 2025, sepenuhnya menerima kenyataan bahwa saya bisa berangkat dari Batam namun harus pulang ke Singapura lewat Jakarta. Tak lama kemudian, ini menjadi perjalanan Robinson Travel lainnya — sebuah perjalanan mikro yang membawa kami ke sebuah tempat yang saya juluki Pulau, karena letaknya yang terpencil. Surianto, Endrico, dan Taty lekas membeli tiket, sementara enam orang lainnya baru bergabung sekitar delapan bulan kemudian.

Namun tentu saja, penerbangan domestik Indonesia tidak akan lengkap tanpa kejutan. Kami mendapat kabar bahwa penerbangan dari Batam ditunda dari jam satu ke jam lima sore. Saat saya berpikir bahwa situasinya tidak akan lebih buruk lagi, muncul kabar kedua: penerbangan kami dibatalkan. Kami kini harus terbang ke Jakarta dulu sebelum melanjutkan ke Pulau! Namun karena perubahan mendadak akan terlalu merepotkan, kami tetap mengikuti rencana.

Setengah jalan di Jakarta.

Saya, Surianto, dan Endrico menghabiskan waktu di Batam dengan menikmati berbagai makanan — mulai dari kwetiau goreng, chai kue Pontianak, nasi Padang, sate Padang, hingga martabak manis. Keesokan harinya, kami bertemu Taty di Bandara Hang Nadim, Batam, sementara teman-teman lain seperti Alvin, Parno, Susan, dan lainnya sudah lebih dulu tiba di Pulau dan menghabiskan sore mereka menjelajahi kota. Kami tiba tepat saat makan malam. Iwan sebagai tuan rumah tidak membuang waktu — ia langsung memperkenalkan kami pada kebanggaan Pulau: saucu alias babi panggang!

Makan malam di RM Ali.

Satu kilogram pertama saucu kami habiskan di RM Ali (Chau Bok), restoran lokal populer yang juga menyajikan mei cai kou rou (梅菜扣肉). Saya pribadi sangat suka sayur tumis kulit babi — unik dan lezat. Setelah itu, kami berkeliling kota pada malam hari. Saya menyadari bahwa Pangkalpinang sedikit lebih besar dari Sei Pinyuh — kampung halaman Asun (teman kami yang pertama kali ke Singapura tahun lalu) — tetapi jelas lebih tertinggal dibanding Pontianak. Kecuali Transmart, Pulau tidak memilki mal lainnya.

Malam pertama kami akhiri dengan minum santai di Bangka. Lingga, teman lama yang sudah lama tak bertemu, mengejutkan kami dengan menenggak hampir tiga botol bir sendirian — dan ia mengulang prestasi itu malam berikutnya. Kejutan kedua datang dari Parno: istri teman Iwan, Afung (yang dijuluki Black), mirip sekali dengan Wiwi, dan Parno yang pertama menyadarinya!

Membeli kue. 

Keesokan paginya sekitar pukul delapan, sebuah van Hiace menjemput kami setelah kami melakukan tradisi kartu pos. Kami kemudian menjemput Iwan di Restoran Anggrek dan melanjutkan perjalanan ke Bakmi Afui, di mana Iwan memesan semua menu untuk kami coba. Kalau bukan karena Endrico, ia mungkin akan memesan 20 piring mi sekaligus! Sarapannya enak. Setelah itu, kami mampir untuk membeli kue tradisional sebelum menuju Sungailiat.

Di Pagoda Nusantara.

Tujuan pertama kami adalah Pagoda Nusantara. Tempat ini sudah lama tutup, sehingga Iwan pun terkejut saat mengetahui bahwa pagoda tersebut sudah dibuka kembali. Faktanya, hanya kami satu-satunya pengunjung saat itu. Jalan menuju pagoda sangat rusak dan menanjak, jadi benar-benar sebuah keajaiban van Hiace kami bisa sampai puncak. Namun pemandangannya sepadan — indah untuk ukuran tempat wisata lokal yang sepi.

Makan di Pauw's yang berada di kota Sungailiat.

Dari sana, kami lanjut ke Pauw’s, kedai kopi terkenal di Sungailiat. Tempatnya mengingatkan saya pada kedai serupa yang kami kunjungi di Chiang Mai. Makanannya enak dan murah. Saya suka sup ikan dengan rasa asam segar — luar biasa. Sup perut ikan, sup pangsit, kwetiau sapi, dan bubur kepiting juga enak. Roti panggang isi daging kepiting agak unik, tapi tetap oke.

Di bawah salib Yesus. 

Setelah itu, kami ke Taman Bintang Samudra. Ini kejutan menyenangkan, tidak saya sangka ada di Pulau. Interpretasi Via Dolorosa atau Stations of the Cross-nya setara dengan standar internasional. Stasiun pertama sangat artistik, membuat saya yakin untuk melanjutkan perjalanan sampai Golgota. Replika Golgota-nya mengingatkan saya pada Buddha Raksasa Leshan — sama-sama megah, meski tentu tak setua dan sebersejarah situs di Cina.

Di Pantai Rambak.

Pantai Rambak menjadi tempat wisata terakhir hari itu. Saat teman-teman melangkah ke pantai, saya menemani Alvin sambil menikmati kelapa muda. Ketika klien Alvin datang, barulah saya bergabung dengan teman-teman lainnya, duduk di batu besar dan menyantap setengah kilogram saucu pertama kami hari itu.

CP dan Endrico di atas panggung. 

Kami kembali ke Pangkalpinang sebelum matahari terbenam, membeli camilan Bangka dari Godai Sejiwa, lalu bersih-bersih di hotel sebelum keluar lagi untuk makan malam di RM Sefo. Tempatnya sepi — hanya ada kami dan satu meja lain — tapi ada panggung di mana siapa pun boleh menyanyi. Kulit kepala babi (豬頭皮)-nya memang sedap! Sebelum makanan datang, kami membuka setengah kilogram terakhir saucu. Dengan porsi sebanyak itu, saya yakin saya telah menghabiskan jatah seumur hidup saucu saya!

Foto bersama terakhir di Kopi Sejati.

Namun semua yang indah pasti berakhir. Keesokan paginya kami sarapan di Kopi Sejati dan waktu kami di Pulau pun usai. Kami terbang ke Jakarta, dan karena masih ada waktu, kami mampir ke PIK untuk makan Ou Kie, mi legendaris dari Pontianak. Mul AW datang menyapa saat kami ngopi di Aming Coffee. Setelah itu, kami kembali ke bandara dan pulang ke Singapura.

Bersama Mul AW.

Secara keseluruhan, ini adalah perjalanan yang menyenangkan, penuh tawa dan kebersamaan. Saya tidak akan menyebutnya singkat — ini waktu yang benar-benar dimanfaatkan dengan baik, tidak terlalu cepat berakhir dan tidak pula berlarut-larut. Iwan menjalankan perannya sebagai tuan rumah dengan sangat baik, dan kehadiran Lingga memberi warna tersendiri di antara teman-teman lama. Secara simbolik, sebuah janji lama akhirnya terpenuhi, sebuah babak ditutup dan kini menjadi kenangan berharga dalam hidup…

Kenangan di Pulau...