Batang Arau, Siti Nurbaya Bridge and Boeing 737 MAX 8

“Dengarkan Manusia  yang Terasah oleh Falsafah

Sesaat Katanya itu bukan Dogma”

(Cukup Siti Nurbaya by Dewa 19, year 1995)

“White iron horse” digital miniature continued to approaching in a popular application. As a result, I had to open my rainbow motif umbrella and in a moment my feet stepped on the sidewalk. I got ready for entering white Avanza (a brand name of Toyota in Indonesia).

T-shirts which were already getting damp, some parts of backpack which were already soaking wet, combined with AC cold bursts of online taxi made my condition was uncomfortable at all. All due to my desire that wanted to spend the remaining sixty minutes to add my destination collection. Though actually, if I thought deeper, it didn’t really matter at all….Hahaha.

Driver    :     “Heavy rain like this, why do you impose yourself to go to the bridge, Uda? “

Me        :     “Yes Uda, just curious”

Driver    :     “But indeed, there are a lot of people who visiting that place, Uda. The view of Batang Arau River is very beautiful”

Me :     “So that’s why, Uda“

I didn’t know why that afternoon, Padang earthquake in 2009 continued to fulfill my brain capacity. I continued to investigate the driver about the story behind tragedy. What happened after earthquake shocks? What did the panic look like afterward? He explained that sea water had receded at that time. “This is a sign that we are ready to be hit by a tsunami, Uda“, he said choked up. People had resigned in prayer, everyone were ready to face the end of destiny. Luckily the disaster didn’t really happen.

Within twenty minutes, the online taxi had crossed the bridge which I was aiming for. Not stopping, but he chose to pass a small u-turn at the end and then lowered me right in the middle of bridge.

Borrowing legendary woman name in Minang land, this bridge form is very easily recorded in memory. Yellow black poles with milky white lamps at its top, straddling Batang Arau River which has a width of about 160 meters, with green hills background and traditional ornament boats moored along the river…. Really beautiful.

Roasted corn traders seemed to prepare their mini stalls. If I could stay until dark, maybe I would enjoy a street culinary party over Siti Nurbaya bridge. Unfortunately my time wasn’t long.

The next plan is, I would quicken dinner time before arriving at airport, for saving my budget, of course. I chose “Warung Nasi Kapau Bandar Damar” to execute the plan. After that I immediately went to Minangkabau International Airport, catching Lion Air JT 257 which was scheduled to fly at 21:20.

Later, I will tell you how about my first flight with Boeing 737 MAX 8, the most beautiful opportunity to feel flying sensation with it before this aircraft type was grounded after Lion Air JT 610 crash in Tanjung Pakis waters, Karawang, Indonesia which was followed by a similar accident on Ethiopian Airlines ET 302 on farm land, Bishoftu city.

That was my quick journey story in Siti Nurbaya Bridge.

If you go to Padang, don’t forget to visit it!