SHOPPING FOR NECESSITIES

I did little shopping in Batam, although it is supposed to be a good place for that activity. There is a department store attached to the side of the Melia Hotel. They sold mostly clothes. There was a grocery store in the basement, but they did not sell perishable items like fruit, vegetables, meat or dairy. They department store looked like an old American store with poor lighting. Both the department store and the basement grocery had very few customers. Twice I was the only customer in the basement, once there was another tourist. I bought bottled water (R1700 for 1.5 liters), beer (R6000 for large bottle local brand), and snacks in the basement. They also had all the basics, toothpaste, shampoo, laundry supplies, lots of toiletries for women, including some imported brands.

Many of the countless road side stalls also sold bottled water. I once bought two 1.5 liter bottles from a guy, near the end of my trip, just for the experience. He wanted R3,000 for one bottle, nearly double the store price. I asked for two and he said 6,000. I offered 5,000, still more than the store price. He repeated 6, held up his fingers like I couldn’t add 3000 and 3000. I did not try to negotiate further, paid him and walked back to the hotel with my two bottles of water.

There are small stores all over the place, all have a few of those mangy looking Indo guys just loitering around the entrance. I entered three or four of them. Once inside, the mostly female clerks were generally nice, and sometimes happy to see a foreigner. The young female store clerks usually spoke a little English.