Behind the Boards (Balikpapan)

bird's eye view of the city by the coast

Kittens at Patra Beach

The nationally acclaimed chili crabs :)

I've heard these many times: Dia sudah ada di balik papan (he is already behind the "boards". Boards means coffin) or dia ada di suka bumi (he loves earth) to say that a person has already died. Silly jokes.

This Tuesday to Thursday, I was in Balikpapan! I don't know why but I love this city already.

i hadn't read much about it only remembered that Kompas ever highlighted the city for four days last year. And unfortunately, i forgot to bring my Lonely Planet. So i was left to discover the city myself. and that was fun.

I had not much time, but i've got Patra Beach entirely for myself (i went there at 06.00 am) and local night food market where i felt much at home. You can find "bakso Malang", "sate Kediri", "Bakmi Jakarta" everywhere (One chaffeur joked, Balikpapan is 1/3 part Java, 1/3 part native, 1/3 part oil companies). If you want to find local taste, it is a bit difficult. I expected to find some sauted fern (pakis), fried patin, deer satay, but found no other than yummy chilli crabs. Yum yum! especially deep fried chilli crab with black pepper sauce.

to me: its face is a bit Bintaro here, a bit Malang there, a bit Depok here and there. but of course, local touch (Dayak motifs and carvings) is ubiquitous. Most importabtly: it's clean.