Here my story when I had a chance to visit Kalimantan island for one month long. I went there for the sake of internship program at PT Badak LNG. I was there at mid-year of 2016.
Kalimantan or people known as Borneo Island is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. The island Is politically divided among three countries, Malaysia and Brunei in the north, and Indonesia to the south. Borneo lies astride the Equator line from the northeast to southwest. Borneo is the home of the oldest rainforest in the world, so that is why Borneo is dominated with forest. A large part of Borneo is drained by navigable rivers, which represent the principal and often the only lifelines of trade and commerce. The main rivers of Kalimantan are the Kapuas in the west and the Mahakam in the east. Borneo population consists mainly of Dayak ethnic groups, Malay, Banjar, Chinese and the others.
I firstly landed at Sepinggan International Airport at Balikpapan. But because my main destination was to PT Badak LNG which located at Bontang so I had to go there used small plane of PT Badak LNG. Bontang is a city on the eastern coast of the Borneo Island. The city is quite small, maybe you only need half-day to go around the city. The fact is Bontang has the highest GDP per capita in Indonesia. However, the income and GDP per capita trend comes from coal mining and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) production there.
Time goes by and I really enjoyed my internship time at PT Badak LNG. Actually it was like one list on my bucketlist is checked, because step on Kalimantan Island is one of my dreams. Because I lived at Java Island, for your information. Here are some picture of PT Badak LNG area which is very large.
So, the company facilitate the employe with shuttle that can be used free. You could just dial some number phone at the office to call the driver and mention where you want to be picked up. And tadaaa….less than 15 minutes, the driver within’ the car already to bring you to your destination. PT Badak LNG also facilitate residential home for the employees live, like in a housing complex. Luckily, for college student who is undergoing an internship period still got house facility to stay for approximately one month. One house could inhabited by maximum 4 persons, because the house consists of 2 bedrooms, 1 toilet, 1 kitchen, 1 living room which has television with TV cable (frankly it saved my live, because the signal there was not really stable). I still remember that I was placed at number 99B. At that house I lved with another friend from another university even different city. As long as me and my friends were there, we experienced horror moment for several times. Among others are someone knocked on the wall beside me sleeping in the middle of the night, untill me and my friend named Julia slept in the same bed because of our fear. There was one moment, when me, Julia and Wahyu (my friend in the same house too) were eating our food in the living room while watching television, the door of me and Julia’s bedroom suddenly slammed tighlty that make the door that had been open was closed. My friend also had his leg pulled by whoever was when he was lying on his bed. My other friend also feared when he was alone at home, h ewas seen with a figur who was sitting on a wheelchair in the middle of the living room. That was scarry stories that frankly I don’t want to repeat again ?
As long as I was there, I also had a time on the weekend to explore some place at Bontang city. One of the places that I visited is Café Singapore. Uniqe fact that this café also has Merlion statue like at the Singapore. So here is the evidence that already visited Singapura ?
I also went to a beach near PT Badak LNG. I forgot about the name, but the beach is very very very clean and virgin. Yap, I think because you have to get spesific access to go there. Means that not just anyone can enter to the beach. But luckily me and my friends got the permission.
Things that you won’t to forget when visited a place is FOOD! Yap that was my biggest desire because I love to eat, and I think everybody loves it too! HAHAHAHA. So because Kalimantan famous for its seafood so I searched the best seafood in town. And the choice goes to Kepiting Dandito.
This food is like crab which I scooked with a sauced containing distinctive spices that makes very tasty. I couldn’t describe the taste because it was beyond yummy for me. You may eat it with warm rice and some vegetables. Other seafood that catched my appetite is Gamis Bawis (sorry I forget took a picture of that). Gamis Bawis is typical small fish that mixed with fried chilli sauce. It was served on the hot plate and nicely eat with Kangkung (sauted kale vegetables). The taste is not inferiror to the crab. The main thing is, I do love the Bontang’s food!
Lastly, I give rainbow that I took a pict when I was about went back to home after work, to brighten up your day for anyone who read my story. Have a nice day:)
