The Tour of Borneo: Part Two - Pontianak

The morning of my second day in Pontianak, I had the google revelation I mentioned at the end of my last blog. Why was a searching online in English for a motorbike to rent in a city where they don't speak English? When I switched to Indonesian, results! 

 
I contacted the office of the rental agency, and they said yes, they had motorbikes to rent. They asked whether I would like for them to deliver one to me. Oh no, I had to check it out first.

Indonesian police aren't as intimidating as I remember

Pontianak is a strange city when it comes to transportation as in there is apparently little to no public transportation. You don't see taxis on the road. The motorcycle taxis (ojek, as they're called here) are practically non-existent. There are a sprinkling of pedicabs (becak), and occasionally I've seen some run down old vans which serve as the city bus system. You have to have your own transport to get around here.

 The doorman arranged a private taxi ($6 for 3 miles? That's outrageous for Third World prices) to take me to the motorcycle rental agency. On arrival, I saw no motorbikes. The lady behind the desk asks, “Did you call earlier?”

I told her that had been me. Oh, she apologized. She didn't realize when she was talking to me earlier that they were all rented out. There should be one later that afternoon, if not tomorrow, she continued.

Well, damn.

What could I do? It was a good thing I had the taxi wait for me while I went in.

Siomay Bandung!

So, with nothing to do but just wait around (I had already explored the Pontianak within walking distance the day before), I found a restaurant that sells my absolutely favorite Indonesian food (Siomay Bandung), checked out the jacuzzi and pool facilities at the hotel and hoped my phone would ring.

It finally did. Enjoy the video.