The City of Tarakan

Tarakan is a one island city in East Borneo. This island is northward from Berau and close to Malaysia. A regular ferry to Tawau in Malaysia is available.

I went to this city on December 31st to go to Malaysia for celebrating the New Year ’s Eve there. However I didn’t go there with a well plan. Information that I got in Berau was not sufficient. Everybody provided me with different facts especially about the ferry to Malaysia. Funnily, whenever I asked about the trip to Malaysia, the first thing people would ask me is whether I have a passport or I want to go there illegally. Hmmm, it seems that all roads lead to Malaysia…

So there I was, just went to Tarakan without knowing what options that I have. And apparently, it went unsuccessful.

Trip to Tarakan

I started my journey from Tanjung Redeb using a car or taxi (Indonesian term: travel). With this mode of travel, a number of people are sharing a car and a driver to the same destination. The comfortable point from this mode of travel is everybody will be picked up and dropped at the exact point as he or she wants it; just like a taxi. However, the annoying point is the earliest picked-up passenger has to go run around to pick other passengers. The same happens with the last dropped off passenger. He or she has to be patient while the driver drops other passengers. And this is what has happened to me. I was the first to be picked up at 08.00 AM and I have to wait for other passengers to be picked up until 12.00 PM!!!

The good thing is, since I was the first passenger, I can sit where I want; and in this case I sit in front, next to the driver. Then, this became a very good decision because the last three passengers (the total passengers are seven) brought a huge TV!!! The TV was placed at the back seat along with two other passengers. Four people were sitting in the middle seat uncomfortably. Well I was not all comfort actually, because I have to put my bag on my feet; but still this is better than sitting next to huge TV or in crowd of four people.

The trip to Tarakan was a road trip from Tanjung Redeb to Tanjung Selor in District of Bulungan, then continued with a speed boat to Tarakan. The road trip took two hours while the boat trip took 45 minutes. The boats are available everyday in every hour starting from 07.00 AM to 17.00 PM.

New Year’s Eve in Tarakan

Once I got off in Tarakan, I asked a motorcycle driver (Indonesian: ojeg) to take me to a place for buying a ferry ticket to Malaysia. But when I arrived there, the salesperson asked where I come from. He said that the last ferry has taken off and there will be no more ferry until January 5th!!! This is happened because the Malaysian immigration office will be closed during that time. And people from Tarakan have been rushed to go to Malaysia due to this fact; that is why the ticket sales wondering where I am from.

So my nightmare was started. I got stuck in Tarakan for my New Year’s Eve and even until January 3rd for my New Year’s holiday!!! But at that time I was still optimistic. Tarakan is bigger than Tanjung Redeb, the New Year’s Eve should be merrier.

So, after I found a small hotel to stay, I started my adventure. I take a taxi and asked the driver about the New Year’s Eve celebration in the city. Okay, the term taxi here is not the same as normal taxi. The taxi here is a mini van (Indonesian: angkot) that goes around the main streets of the city. If one takes a taxi to go within its route than one has to pay Rp. 3.000,-. However, if one wants to go outside its normal route, then one has to pay double or Rp. 6.000,-.

Well, based on my questions, the driver knew that I am not a local. He then offered me to drive around to see the city of Tarakan for Rp. 20.000,-. I thought this is a good deal, so I agreed. But due to the concept of the taxi, I end up ran around the city to take other passengers! The good thing was, after three round trips, I could understand the size of Tarakan. I know its main roads and ‘important’ places. The city centre is small, of course! But to make it worst, no interesting celebration around!

After going around and around again, I decided to join a small crowd in a small open field. There was a band festival full of lousy local bands playing. They are typical local bands, take times to tune in their instrument for hours than to play!

I told the taxi driver to pick me up after midnight, after the celebration ends. And after wasting my time for watching and waiting, finally the 2010 came. Nothing special. The fireworks were not special, just so-so.

I got ‘kidnapped’

After the celebration, I took off from the party with the taxi driver. He told me that there was another celebration in the suburb area with a national band playing there. Although I am not a fan of the band but watching national band is better than the amateur locals. So I asked him to take me there.

But, instead of taking me to that place, the taxi driver took me to a beach in the opposite site of the city centre. The trip there passed a hilly, dark, far, and quiet area! I felt so uncomfortable with it, I didn’t know the place and I was not sure where he wanted to take me.

And after around 30 minutes of driving, I ended up in an under developed beach. The soil there was still soft, no sufficient lights, and some decent food stalls (Indonesian: warung). He stopped the taxi and asked me to have a drink at one of the stall. I became more uncomfort because the stalls were filled with truck drivers who sing karaoke!!!

I thought, if I agree with him, he would ask or offer me more than I could think of. So I prefer to say no. But I tried to be polite because, I thought, if I mean to him, he would become harsh to me. So I told him that I am tired and need to have rest. He agreed and we took off from the beach.

But still, he didn’t drive me home directly! He took me to the place where the national band was playing; with nothing left of course. Furthermore, he stopped again once in a fruit vendor and bought some rambutans. He offered me but I insisted not to take because I don’t want to be under his command in any ways. I told him again that I am tired and when I am tired I don’t have any appetite for eating, I just need to rest.

He drove again and still, he didn’t take me home directly! Even when we entered the city, he took a different road to show me some places like the stadium and other things that I couldn’t remember because I was too nervous with my future. I have learned about the main roads of Tarakan earlier, so I know he tried to buy some times with me.

I didn’t respond his conversation, I tried not to answer his questions. I even answered some lies just to make the conversation stopped. I really really feel uncomfortable. Finally, after driving around and I kept praying in my heart, the driver drop me off at my hotel. It was 02.00 AM!!! I feel very relieved when I enter my room. Oh My God!!!

See also: Tarakan Men.