Q's Mind: 8 days in Samarinda: Day 4

8 days in Samarinda: Day 4
13 April 2009

8:04am... Rainy morning... heading out to work~
First stop at the hardware store... for some industrial rubber...
Right opposite the road is the port... like PSA, here's where all the containers are stacked... safety level = Zero... heard the port doesn't segregate out the dangerous and flammable goods... and there was once a massive explosion that shatters across...8:18am... passing by the market... traffic rules: Zero... no sight of any 'right of ways'... the locals here doesn't mind the rain... motorbikes were still out and about despite the rain...
8:24am... topping up @ the diesel kiosk... long trip out ahead...
Dangerous driver...
8:37am... Arrived at this kopi house by the roadside...
there for morning briefing...While I enjoyed my 2nd cup of coffee for the morning... the blue cover was super-necessary...
cuz the table has lotsa flies... I counted... at least 20 flies on my table... more on other tables...The flies were super complacent... no matter how I wave them off... they simply dun fly away! I didn't wanna slap it with my hand though... so I thought I might as well take some super-macro shots...
Kitten was enjoying a nap...
9:18am... on the road again~entering some super hard to drive roads... good thing to know is that the locals have had arrangements to lay better materials... but they haven started working on it yet...Video clip of the bumpy road...

More bumpy roads... I was grabbing the handles in the car so hard I had muscle ache the next day...

This road is some 6Km into the countryside... but at least need some 30mins driving...

Attap Tree...

the roads goes in deeper...

Arrived at this super muddy track...

Stopped to let the motorbikes and that aunty pass first.... (She's gonna walk at least 4 Km to reach the roads outside... )

Thats gonna take her slightly over 1 hour of walking...

I mentioned before that we drive in the centre of the road... because its slippery and soft... drive too slow and the tyres sink down... drive too fast and the vehicle will start to skid...

Was told this place used to be a hill here months ago... until the authories cut a road through it... dad said he ever skidded and fell into the ditch / valley to the sides, cuz the hill coming down was too steep and it was a sharp bend ahead...

9:37am... entered more muddy tracks...

... and more muddy tracks...

until we finally arrived at another little village...

9:43am... Heading for this shipyard... gate is ahead... this premise is huge~~

past the rusty gates...

... and we arrive to this sight...

to the workshop for some chit chat...

then to the shipyard...

This huge LCT has been here for the past 10 years... project on hold...

Here's the dock... the ships were slightly submerged in water... once completed, we'll pull the ship completely onto the river... so whether it sinks or floats, it happens here...

This giant is at least 6 stories high...

Pretty noisy at the shipyard...

These 4 tugboats are on our project list... progress been slow due to improper project and funding management...

Dad taught the fella here how to calibrate the Colt Nozzle...

Heading over to another tugboat...

Hmmm~~ these propellers looked VERY familiar...

Even the cutlass bearings too...

Rudder~

... at least 4 more months to complete...

... another occasion I wished I had worn my safety shoes...

Dun understand how come anyone would wanna work under here when its a few hundred tonnes supported only by these wooden blocks...

Several tugboats remained like this cuz the hardware hasn't come in yet...

This one here is near completion~ its half on the dock and half above water...

the client's fleet of tugboats...

Tugboats are good business here...

Further ahead but also on the client's premise (yes, their place is huge)... Birdnest House...

This is approx. 4 stories high and home to an abundent of swifetlets...

Was told this place isn't the largest shipyard... just the 2nd largest...

Video clip of the birdnest house...

10:15am... our our muddy track back...

10:37am... passing by the earlier road laden with piles of pebbles... manual labourers spreading the materials out to make the road better...

10:41am... Birdnest house are very common here... (the grey structure on the rooftop)...

another birdnest house...

and another one...

... and another one...

10:51am... heading into town with more people...

... by the roadside... 2nd hand wooden planks...

... road signs were scarce... only major areas get their directions...

Nearer the morning market street... traffic here is "no-government"... people turn right, move ahead, cut across your lane, turn left.... all at the same time... whoever moves forward first and blocks your path, you'll have to give way...

Mosques are everywhere.... big and small... there are even signposts on the roads indicating the directions to the nearest mosque~

Games centre...

10:59am @ the kopi shop... favourite hangout...

Lee Young Ae... or if you'd prefer - Da Chang Jin~

You Char Kway~ nope this isn't half the piece... the You Char Kway there comes in one whole piece... its not spilt in between...

Tastes just as great! Ice tea kosong~

Beef Stew with rice~

Pretty nice!

BAKSOR man~ its the local noodles / bread / rice man~ sells you fast-made food at a cheap price~

1:23pm... heading on... passing by a granite quarry...

1:34pm @ the gudang again...

Fuel injection pump...

Learning how to overhaul it...

Delicate task that has to be checked personally by the expert...

cuz if the timing is wrong, the fuel injection pump could have disastrous effect upon the main engine...

the tiny gears inside has a fine marking that has to be matched on the chain...

3:00pm... @ another metal workshop...

3:06pm... @ another place... Semiru... a marine parts supplier...

Another Baksor man passed the car...

And a third one! Managed to capture a video... how you'll know he's coming? He will knock a chopstick on a bamboo piece and it goes "tok, tok tok tok"...

Karaoke bars do exists there... there are even those that has girls to accompany you... if you get what I mean~