I woke up at 4. My Apple Watch's alarm vibration woke me — and it woke Faqi, who'd been sleeping beside me. I have this weird rule: whenever I sleep next to someone and have to get up the next day, I absolutely want to be the one who wakes up first. Maybe that's why I set the alarm for 3:55.
I took a shower to refresh and shake off sleepiness. Faqi still looked sleepy. The shower was mainly to feel refreshed and to wake up.
Until 4:30 I kept stuffing my backpack and getting ready. Today is the day we go to Pulau Seribu. Finally, the day has come.
Meeting Faqi, and heading to Pulau Seribu
It all started with meeting him. At HCMC airport I had gotten heatstroke and had just pulled through after drinking water with a lot of salt in the lounge. While waiting for the flight to Japan, normally I'd want to be first in line and hate queuing, but at that time I was truly exhausted and just slumped.
So I sat in my chair and, once the gate opened, stood at the very back of the huge line. That's when he appeared. He'd just arrived too and said passport control had been so crowded he barely made it.
Normally I would have put my earphones in and that would have been it, but that time I naturally and calmly enjoyed the conversation with him. From then on we kept talking, and after arriving in Japan we exchanged contact info and said goodbye.
Since then we've been in frequent contact and promised that when I next came to Indonesia we'd go to Pulau Seribu. That promise is finally coming true today.
We checked out of the hotel, and it turned out the front desk would keep my large backpack for a day. I packed everything I didn't need except valuables into the backpack and left it at the front desk.
They agreed even though I wouldn't be back until the next day. I couldn't help thinking how generous they were.
Heading to the port
I rode behind Faqi to the port. It took about ten minutes to get there. Near the port, where people catch fish and seafood, it smelled like fish. A lived-in, down-to-earth neighborhood spread out — kids and women doing some kind of side work. Seeing that environment made me realize again how privileged a place I was born into. If I were in that situation, it wouldn't be time to teach myself English or study programming — I'd probably not even have time to be alone. That's why becoming independent isn't easy. The environment really matters, and I felt lucky to have been born in such a place.
We arrived at the motorcycle parking lot and it was all mud. Since it was Faqi's first time there, he didn't know which was the parking area and asked several people. I thought his communication skills were amazing.
After parking the bike we walked to the boarding area.
I was the only foreigner
There were tons of Indonesians there, and I was the only foreigner. Everyone had luggage, so we were all going to the same destination: Pulau Seribu. For some reason I felt special — like, I'm the only foreigner here. It made me kind of happy.
Blending into the local crowd felt like this — being surrounded by locals gives you a unique feeling and emotion. I thought that was really special.
Faqi checked the meeting point and looked for the tour leader on WhatsApp. We had time before the meeting so we went to a nearby stall to have breakfast.
EXTRAJOSS and Nasi Goreng
The stall sold nasi goreng, so we ordered that. I asked if they had Red Bull but they didn't — instead they had an Indonesian energy drink called EXTRAJOSS, so we tried that.
I'm the cautious type, so I tend to scrutinize what things might taste like. But since we were there I decided to buy it. Then Faqi said he wanted to try it too and bought one as well.
He ordered the same thing I said I wanted, and I felt a real sense of closeness — I was really happy and even thought it was cute.
We ate nasi goreng together — energy charged for the upcoming adventure. Faqi was strict about the nasi goreng, commenting that it was too salty and so on. This time it was indeed very salty.
But I love nasi goreng, so I really savored it. The portion was too small; it was nowhere near filling.
Still, we were really excited because the adventure was finally starting.
Boarding the boat
When it was time to meet, we looked for the tour leader and found them. Of course everyone except me was Indonesian, so everything was explained in Indonesian. I couldn't understand at all, but I got the general vibe.
On the contrary, when people speak a language I don't know, it's kind of nice because I don't have to try to understand and I don't have to use my head — it's relaxing in a way.
They told us to move to the boat, so we all headed there. There were about thirty members — more than I expected. It's an Islamic country but some women wore hijabs and others didn't; it felt like a place that accepts diversity.
There were about five boats lined up side by side, so we climbed over them and boarded the third one. Many people were already on board and we sat in the middle because the outside felt nice.
On the boat with 19-year-old university students
Waiting to depart. Forty more minutes — how long is that! I was chatting in English with Faqi when the girl group in front and the group behind started whispering and getting restless.
I could tell they were talking about us. One girl laughed and told Faqi something like, 'That one wants to talk to him (me).' I felt a little pleased.
They were teasing each other, and it felt very human — people being close. I felt shy and turned around to chat a bit, then faced forward again. They weren't fluent so conversation wasn't clear, but they were 19-year-old university students.
Everyone was super energetic and genuinely enjoying themselves. I felt a little envious. I felt like I couldn't fully enjoy it — there was some inner restraint, like reason suppressing emotion.
But I did enjoy it enough. The Indonesian guys sitting to the side kept staring, with looks that seemed to say, 'Lucky him — he's a foreigner, that's why he's popular.'
Partway through, one girl gave me fruit — Indonesian mango and some odd fruit. I hadn't washed my hands, but I thought it was fine and ate it since it was offered. It didn't taste particularly delicious though. Also, they were dipping mango in a sauce — and it was a spicy sauce.
I wondered why you'd put spicy sauce on sweet fruit. I talked about it a lot with her and with Faqi. It's really interesting how different things can be just because the country is different.
Everyone got hyped — it was party-level loud. Faqi kept smiling calmly and talking in a composed way. I felt he was very embracing.
Three-hour voyage
The boat finally set off! It would take about three hours to the destination, so at first I was really enjoying it, going to the side to look at the sea. But everyone was so tired from the early start that they all fell asleep.
People were sprawled out sleeping or leaning on each other — all sorts. It felt so human. In Japan seats are assigned and you sit and sleep in your place, so this was a space where you could really feel human connections.
I'm not the type to fall asleep easily in situations like that, so on the way back from the restroom I found a nice space and sat on the stairs watching the sea. A wake passed behind me from a departing boat and I felt like I was moving with the earth. I kept feeling that physically. I always overthink and get tired, so I thought I probably need times like this.
Sometimes Faqi came by to check on me. He was really attentive, which felt reassuring. He also chatted with other Indonesians. I just looked at the sea and felt things. It was a good time. He took photos of me too. After about three hours we finally arrived.
At first, near departure the water was really smelly and dirty from industrial discharge, but as the boat ran it got cleaner and cleaner. The water became so clear it was hard to believe we were near Jakarta.
Finally arrived
We got off the boat. They were so loud that Faqi and I decided to get off first. He seemed to be the type who gets tired easily too — I thought we have similar traits. As we walked to the meeting point there were lots of stalls lining the way.
They were selling ice cream, drinks, and fried snacks. I wasn't really in the mood to eat and didn't find it appealing, but I thought placing shops near the pier is a smart strategy — of course hungry customers would be there.
At the meeting point everyone gathered and the tour leader explained the tour. Faqi told me we'd check into the room and head out immediately. I was happy to learn that the cheerful kids from the boat were in our group.
Shock at the lodging
But Faqi and I ended up in a different group and, because we were foreigners, we were allowed to check in early.
When we reached the lodging I was pretty shocked. There was a hall about the size of ten tatami mats, and at the back there was a combined toilet and shower (though the 'shower' wasn't a shower at all but a big bucket of water you scoop and pour over yourself).
And from that water you could taste salt — the kind even used to wash your behind — and there were three rooms. We were assigned one room, but the 'bed' was a low, double-bed-sized thing that you could hardly call a bed.
The bedding had a weird cartoon character pattern, like something from an elementary school field trip. There was nothing else — just a power outlet. The walls existed but the air-conditioning area was connected to the next room, shared between them. I was shocked.
Granted, the round-trip boat fare, lodging, tour fee and transport only came to about 3,000 yen total, so it was very cheap, but I couldn't help laughing. I was grateful to be allowed a local experience, but I thought it might be the worst shower/room I'd ever used.
Having had this experience, I figured it couldn't get any worse. There were about thirteen people in total, so I assumed others would also be sleeping there. Spending a night with complete strangers was a little nerve-wracking.
Sitting on the floor for an Islamic-style lunch
While still stunned by the room, it was time for lunch. It was already prepared and this would be my first time sharing a midday meal with Muslim people in a Muslim style.
Everyone sat on the floor to eat. They removed the plastic wrap that had been covering the food to keep insects away, and each person was given a plastic plate to serve rice onto.
There was soup, Indonesian side dishes and fish. You served yourself onto your plate. I was utterly shocked. How long has it been since I ate on the floor? Maybe it's the first time in my life.
I think the last time I ate on the floor was during elementary or high school field trips. This experience had a huge impact on me. Still, everyone ate with straight faces, calmly.
Before lunch everyone did quick introductions. I introduced myself and shook hands. Maybe shaking hands is the main greeting in Indonesia?
While everyone ate they didn't speak at all, and I wondered why. I had thought Indonesians were open and lively, but it was quiet.
We finished lunch. I wouldn't say it was delicious, but it was the most impactful lunch I've ever had. It became an unforgettable memory.
Contact lenses on top of a water dispenser
We were going island hopping to snorkel, so we packed up and headed to the meeting point. I needed to put in my contact lenses after a while, but discovered something funny: there was no mirror anywhere.
Faqi helped look and found a mirror attached to the back of some cosmetic cream in the next room, and they lent it to me.
I placed that mirror on top of the water dispenser, set it at about my height, crouched a bit, and put in my contacts. It was probably the coolest scene of me putting in contact lenses I'd ever had.
Until then I'd only put in contacts in front of proper mirrors, so doing it on top of a water dispenser using the mirror on the lid of a cream jar was a rare experience. It left a strong impression.
Island hopping — go!
Maybe because the tour leader liked me, they spoke something in Japanese to someone. When they learned I was Japanese they seemed very interested, which made me happy. Maybe it's rare for foreigners to join the tour. In any case it was a moment full of discoveries.
Under the shining sun we boarded the boat for island hopping. At first we'd arrive at a specific spot, stop the boat, and snorkel. I was a bit worried about getting seasick on the way, but I'd taken motion sickness medicine so I was fine.
On the way there were many small islands with lodge-like, very luxurious houses.
They were completely privately owned islands. I thought it was amazing that Indonesia had places like that. But the islands are low-lying, so I wondered what would happen to those houses if sea levels rose due to global warming.
Equalizing learned in scuba diving
We arrived at the spot. They distributed snorkeling gear, but I knew my own goggles would be more comfortable, so I didn't use the snorkeling set and put on my goggles instead. I was the first to jump into the sea.
Most people seemed unable to swim, so they wore life jackets — quite a sight. In Japan everyone has swimming lessons at school, so not being able to swim feels odd.
But in the world there are countries without a coastline, so the idea that not being able to swim is strange might be a narrow viewpoint.
I swam a lot, diving many times with my goggles. There were so many fish it surprised me. Just before we left for island hopping an older man was selling fish food, so I bought two.
So I dived with the feed in a plastic bottle and lots of fish came — it was beautiful. The feed ran out sooner than I expected. Using the equalizing techniques I learned in scuba, I free-dived about five meters.
I was used to equalizing, so it was really smooth. While everyone else watched fish at the surface, we dove and fed them and had a great time. Faqi had an Osmo Action 5 Pro and filmed it. There were so many beautiful fish.
We probably spent about an hour diving there. Since I had done scuba two weeks before, I was challenging how deep I could free-dive. Five meters was probably my max. Equalizing was fine and I felt like I broke through a limit.
Banana boat and the trauma of the mooring stakes
We went to another island and decided to ride a banana boat. I rode with the university girls and Faqi. After arriving we gathered and took photos.
Each of the three girls had their own personality: one loved to make a ruckus, one was high-energy but had other feelings inside, and one struggled with self-doubt yet tried hard. I felt everyone has their own story.
I took selfies so I could smile on cue, and we took pictures together. One girl had a Canon and seeing the image quality and atmosphere made me think how nice a camera is. Next time I'll definitely bring a camera on an adventure.
Off to the banana boat! The last time I rode one was when I was in sixth grade and went to Okinawa with my mom. It had been ages.
I sat at the very front. Faqi was at the back. The three girls were in the middle.
The banana boat was really fun. The first minute was ecstatic — my emotions were at their peak. But maybe the speed wasn't that high, and reality came back; my smiling face started to feel strained.
It felt weird to ride with a straight face, so I tried to smile, but I got tired and the mismatch between my heart and my thoughts made my face tense.
I have a habit of taking an outsider's perspective, so I couldn't fully immerse myself. That was disappointing, but maybe I've learned that to live it's important not to drown in emotion.
I kissed the sunset
Walking around the island, I talked with Faqi and asked many questions about Islam. I remember asking a lot but not the details. Anyway, Faqi took lots of photos.
He filmed with an Osmo Action 5 Pro and the image quality exceeded my expectations. I was hungry so I ordered fried banana. Faqi had fried banana and something else.
Fried banana in Indonesia is unbelievably delicious. As the sun started to set we went to the pier and shot there too. I kissed the sunset for a photo and had him take various creative shots. I'm really thankful to Faqi.
Nasi Goreng Ayam is too spicy
We returned to the island. Dinner was supposed to be grilled fish like an outdoor BBQ starting at 19:30. But it was only 18:00 and we couldn't wait another hour and a half — we'd been on the move all day and were starving. Faqi and I wandered to see if there was something to eat nearby and found a nasi goreng stall, so we ordered nasi goreng ayam.
We talked about how much fun the day had been and gossiped about the three girls. I think we also talked about buying plane tickets soon for future trips.
The nasi goreng arrived. It was insanely spicy. Faqi had ordered 'no spicy' when he placed the order, but still. When he tasted my nasi goreng he said it was really spicy too. We asked the vendor to make another one.
Nasi goreng really varies wildly by stall — it's hit or miss. But if the atmosphere is fun, the taste doesn't matter as much. I realized how much my emotions matter.
After eating we went for a walk. We left the lodging and walked right, with many stalls lining the way. We continued to a stone pier and standing at the very end I felt, I'm on an adventure right now.
A special night
At 19:30 many fish were being grilled outside. But we'd already eaten nasi goreng, so we weren't that hungry.
And it didn't look irresistibly good, so we decided not to eat. But there were empty seats, so we sat down.
The guide was filming videos, perhaps for Instagram, and recorded us too. They were curious about me being Japanese. Faqi and I had our photos and videos taken together.
The three girls came over and we chatted. One said she wanted to travel the world before getting married and was jealous that I could go on adventures at such an early age.
I remembered a notebook I had and boldly asked if everyone could write a message. 'Of course!' they said, so I went to get the notebook from the room.
First the guide wrote something in Indonesian, then the three girls. They were very shy and didn't know what to write — very 19-year-old behavior.
One girl ended up writing messages for all three. I actually value each person's handwriting more than the content, so I wasn't too keen on that, but I didn't want to force them, so I let it go.
Then we all took photos together. I was a little shy, but I was happy they welcomed a Japanese person so warmly.
Some weren't very good at English, but everyone tried hard to communicate and I was really glad — it became a special night.
I remember them telling me to enjoy adventures around the world, and the guide thanking me for joining the tour. It felt very human and made me happy.
My backpack became a pillow
It started raining so we went back to the lodging. I washed myself in the so-called shower — more like pouring bucket water — and went to bed. There were only two pillows, so I used my laptop bag as a pillow.
At first Faqi refused and told me to use the pillow, but I didn't want him to sacrifice himself, so I used my backpack as a pillow. I later regretted it — it was terribly uncomfortable, the worst.
The night was freezing. I was sleeping in shorts and a tank top, so I had to put on my raincoat. My feet were cold and I couldn't sleep well.
