Tarakan...entering Indonesia.

Indonesia, first stop, Tarakan...

It always amazes me how life has its way of surprising you when you expect it the least.

We, Julia and Federico (a fantastically well travelled and fun Italian couple, 36 and 32 years old who have been on the road for already 8 months and usually spends several months per country), and myself, arrived to Tarakan by speed boat on April 23rd in the mid afternoon.

After a quite boring evening layover in Tawau, I honestly didn't know what to expect from the island across the border.

In any case, the port where we arrived was quite far from the center of the town. So we took a little van (local taxi). Then, after knocking a a few hotel doors to inquire about prices, we got a bit discouraged given the high prices everyone was asking for, $10 and up per person!

So in the burning and crushing humid sun with our big backpack we went wondering the streets of this quite large town to scout for more decent prices. We asked several places and people in the streets, but no concrete lead.
As everyone on the street continuously says Hello (with a huge smile) to us, as if we were rock stars, we stop to ask this young lady sitting on her scooter, if she has any idea of where to find some guesthouse or hostel around that would charge us less that $10 per person per night. To our surprise, she offers to host us at her (actually her sister's) place, which is in the middle of a little very local neighbourhood. OK we say...how could we refuse what seemed like an incredible cultural experience? Home stays is exactly what I want during my trip in order to learn about each local culture.
Her name is Uri. She is 27 yes old, and works as an independent marketing representative for a Swedish brand of cosmetics and lives with he sister and her husband and their four magnificent children.
But the most unbelievable part is that, so Uri tells us, in the whole town, there are actually two active "couch surfers", and lucky us, we randomly asked for direction to one of them in the street. It couldn't have been any better!

Uri's sister is a mid wife while her husband work for the government. Their house is quite big and somewhat modern compared to the usual wooden stilt house, and is made of concrete with tile floors.
So, Julia will sleep with Uri in her room, and Federico and I will split the tiny room that her sister uses for baby deliveries and patients visits. Fede prefers the floor, so I get the small bed. I must mention that there is absolutely no air in that room.

Oh, and Uri and the rest of her family are Muslim. Their house was next to two mosques. Reminded me so much of Morocco is so many ways each time you hear the call the prayer.

The first evening, Uri and her nephew Fandy (the most well spoken 13 yr old life philosopher and musician/artist I have ever met) take us to this little food stall/micro restaurant to eat some delicious yummy local dishes. I believe I had a Nasi Goreng + Ayam. (Nasi means rice, goreng means fried, and ayam means chicken), yummy!

The next day, after Fede and I walked miles and miles in the heat to find where to inquire about boats to Derawan and to Sulawesi, we head back home.
Uri had cooked a delicious lunch for us. Smoked fish with mangoes, grilled fish with tomatoes and onion spicy sauce, pumpkin soup, soy bean cubes. Delicious!

Ha, after lunch, Uri asks us if we want to accompany her to salute one of her friend who just had a baby and whose family organized a big party for that occasion. She totally underdressed, we go off course!
Uri's cousin picks us up in a little Honda Jazz/Fit, the exact same model I had in Miami! Expect that this one has been tuned up, and the entire interior has been redone all in bright and thick red leather, from floor to ceiling, yes, the ceiling as well...it was so surreal to be in such car, driven by two Muslim veiled women, blasting some hip hop and Akon songs, of which they thank God didn't understand the lyrics! Loved it!

The baby party was soooooo fun! A tiny street filled with people, karaoke speakers blasting way to loud, everyone dressed very colorfully, rather modern than traditional. Lots of food on a buffet. Every one wanted to take photos with us, as WE were the stars of the party. So only made a quick appearance and took off after a half hour. The girls wanted to show us the local rainforest park, so we went and saw two big families of probioscis monkeys, with quite a few babies who were training to jump from tree to tree. Was so much fun and at the same time moving to see them filled with fear and stepping back multiple times when reaching the end of a branch because of their fear, and then watching the mother closing up on them so they finally jump.
When the male of the family jumped, it was quite a show of agility and grace. This very big male jumping such large distances between each tree and always landing right on the one solid branch on the other side.
Then, after a quick tour to some traditional yet recently built houses, we went, in the middle of the afternoon, to the main local karaoke place. Hahahahahahaha! First time in my life I went karaoke so early in the day, and to sing songs in Indonesian. We stayed a good hour, was so much fun. We also sang quite a few English songs from the 80s. Was hilarious to watch how into it the girls were and how much they knew each and every song.

Off we go to our next stop, this outdoor food stall place where all the locals go to eat and get some entertainment...and end up in an outdoor karaoke. Lol by then we were so warmed up. Hahahaha...at least I was, and the DJ kept playing recent US songs. Loved it...that, and the avocado and chocolate smoothie we drank.

The evening ended at Uri's house, packing and playing some more with the kids.

Next stop, Derawan island the next day, departure by boat at 9am, then two SUVs, then a boat again...till yet another paradise...

Fantastic first few days in Indonesia, and what a change from Malaysia.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention how much I fell in love with the little 2 yr old Amira. You should see the sunshine that comes out of her face each time she smiles! I just want my kids to be just like her. (Well, whenever I actually have kids, which would first require that I have a girlfriend/wife lol...someday... :0)