All About Your Child

We slept really late last night, kids went to bed at about 1am Indonesia time, I slept 30 minutes after that and Allan switched off the lights after the Euro 2012 match.

It was difficult to get everyone up, including myself, the next morning. We really liked the breakfast and did not want to miss it. It is a pity that the breakfast ends at 10am Indonesia time. When we finally got our sleepy head off the pillows and butts down to the apartment restaurant, it was almost 9.30am.

Both the Honey Cake supplier and the Batam Layer Cakes staff promised to deliver the cakes before 11am and they kept their promise. *thumbs up*

Honey Cake

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned that I was hoping that this Honey Cake could meet the standard of the Honey Cake I had during my first trip to Batam last year.

Errmm… nope. The previous Honey Cake was softer and more fragrant. Even the taste is sweeter. This was pretty bland. I was disappointed but Allan felt that it was ok. Then again, it was my choice to try this new stall because of lower price, so I have myself to blame.

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We told the Batam Layer Cakes staff to pack each of the 1kg kuey lapis to 500g per box. In total we have 6 boxes of 500g each.

2 boxes of Mocha (they call it Moca)
2 boxes of Chocolate
2 boxes of Durian

And our preference is in that order as well. Mocha was our favourite!

Mocha Flavour

Chocolate Flavour

Durian Flavour

It was a wonderful relaxing trip which all four of us are really happy about. *smile*

Massage was the main reason why we decided to come back to Batam. The other reason was the delicious Kueh Lapis from Batam Layer Cakes factory. I have tried different Kueh Lapis in the past before, but nothing comes close to Batam Layer Cakes factory’s Kueh Lapis.

Please do not get confused with another company called Layers Batam. They are two different companies. I have recommended Batam Layer Cakes to one friend of mine after I came back from my previous Batam trip and she mistook it for Layers Batam.

My boys Finished EVERY Sample there was on the plate! *faint*

I have not seen Batam Layer Cakes selling anywhere else, except at their factory itself. This time, without any tour guide, we LEAD the taxi driver to Batam Layer Cakes. Yes, even the taxi driver did not know it exists! *giggle*

It is so near to the famous 933 Golden Prawn seafood restaurant, just that the factory is blocked by some trees. In fact, its just about a minute walk from the restaurant to the Batam Layer Cakes factory. Anyway, since we know where was the place, we guided the taxi driver to stop right infront of the factory and wait for us while we order the Kueh Lapis.

After the order was confirmed, I gave the sales staff my apartment address and room number and she agreed to deliver to us tomorrow before we leave Batam.

The taxi driver had agreed to fetch us to the Batam Layer Cakes, wait there for us, then bring us to Nagoya Hill for 100,000 rupiah. So he had no issue waiting for us.

However……. we discovered SOMETHING that amazed all of us, which we did not see in my previous trip there!!!! That ‘something’ was blocked by our BIG tour bus when we went there last year.

Now that there was no one else except us and there was nothing to block the view, we saw the mini-open zoo!!!! No admission fee or whatsoever! We just walked straight there and I apologetically asked the taxi driver to wait a little longer while we explore that mini-open zoo!

He was so cute! With his gigantic smile and simple English he said as he chuckled a little, “ok, go go. I wait. I wait.” Maybe our shouts of excitement when we saw the monkeys amused him. *laugh* We are so easily excitable!

Isn’t it amazing!?! Though it was smelly but there was no complains from my animal-lover-kids and we stood as near (with safety distance) as we can to have the best view of them.

Did I ever mention that I love the smell of zoo? It reminds me of the happy times in my childhood days. Brings back great memories and comfort, because I used to feed animals at a super mini-zoo in a church next to my auntie’s  house, who took care of me till I was 5. *smile*

After a good look at the amazing animals, we hopped back into the taxi and zoomed to Nagoya for more fun.

LUNCH AT MELTING POT:

We needed to have a bite before we go for the movies. Melting Pot looks good on the menu and so we placed our bet on it.

Keatkeat finished the other sausage before I could snapped this picture. *laugh*

Food was ok, but not a place I would go for a second visit again because of the slow service.

THE MOVIES:

We had been going Johor Bahru, Malaysia for movies, simply because its more affordable for us for such entertainment. But the cinema at Batam, or Nagoya Hill for the matter, broke new low for movie ticket price! It costs only SGD$2.74 per ticket!!! *jaws dropped*

We wanted to watch two movies that day: “Snow White and the Huntsman” and “Madagascar 3”. But Binbin kept complaining that his eyes were tired and painful after our first movie, so we did not go for Madagascar 3. Thank goodness we had not bought the tickets yet. Then again, Keatkeat and I wanted to watch Madagascar 3 so much…. what a waste! *pout*

RARE SIGHT: Kids get to see how the movie posters are changed in the lightbox.

MORE PLAY:

We wanted to let the boys played in this yesterday, but forgot about the socks, because we wore flip-flops to Batam this year and we did not want to purchase socks from them. So today, we came back prepared with socks!

The kids went straight in after changing out of their flip-flops and into socks.

20,000 rupiah for 1 hour play! So worthed it! But my boys are a little too old for this already, so after 30mins, they started to feel bored and they chose to exit.

MORE MASSAGE:

We chose a different place for massage again. We like to explore new places for the same activity, that is our family’s habit. It was on the top level of Nagoya Hill shopping mall. 90 minutes for 80,000 rupiah.

It was a pity that the room could not accommodate all 4 of us, like what we had yesterday.

So Keatkeat was with Allan in one room, while Binbin and I had a relaxing quiet time together in another. Well, when you are with Keatkeat for a full body massage session, it is impossible not to hear his giggles and hear his body moving around on the mattress. *laugh*

HONEY CAKE:

This year, we decided not to go back to the previous “Honey Cake Seller“, we decided to try the Honey Cake from a small booth in Nagoya Hill, just in front of Sarpino Pizza. I was crossing my fingers that it would taste as good as the previous because it was half the price.

The main reason why I chose not to go back to the previous Honey Cake Seller was the cost of the delicious honey cake. Though it was so yummilicious, I still think that it was too pricey for the size they sell.

We ordered from this small stall and the boss promised to deliver to us before we check out on Wednesday 13th June 2012, that is tomorrow.

DINNER:

MyoMyo! A really cute name for a restaurant, I think. *giggle* I was hoping that the food tastes as pleasant as its restaurant’s name. And to me, it did!

Kids were given a mini box of crayons and a colouring book to keep them occupied while they wait for their food to arrive.

They get to keep the book and the mini crayons too

Definitely a place I would return to, if we EVER go back to Batam again….which we think is quite unlikely. Going back to the same place over and over again for an overseas holiday trip is just not our style.

It was our last night at the apartment and Allan spent it infront of the TV watching Euro 2012, while the boys played their soccer match in their dreams. *giggle*

Last write up on our 2nd Batam Trip in the next post……

2nd Batam Trip during the School Holidays : Day 2 of 3