vintage threads in negri sembitone: a stray confession about lost tourist spots

i woke up at 5am because the van had that old engine sound and i thought it was going to cough up a mouse or something. turns out it was just the weather here-23.81 celsius, like your soup that’s been boiling for too long. checked the feels-like and it was 22.82. i don’t even know what that means. feels like the kind of temperature where you forget you’re wearing clothes.

so i wandered into this market in negri sembitone, squinting at vendors selling stuff that looked like it belonged in a museum. found a leather jacket with patches that screamed ‘i survived the 90s but added rhinestones for drama.’ bought it without thinking. now it smells like patchouli and regret.

someone told me that the old church here was built on a tomb. i don’t know if that’s true. maybe it’s a rumor from a drunk vendor near the food stall with the worst satay. or maybe i heard it from a kid who thought ghosts liked chunky fries. the temps min and max were both 23.81. same as now. same as yesterday. same as always. no variation. just this sticky, humid heat. 22% humidity? huh. i thought low humidity meant less sweat. this feels like a swamp that forgot to turn on the sprinklers.

the people here are weird. not in a bad way. one old man kept asking if i wanted to buy a used typewriter. i said no. he tried to sell me a cassette tape labeled ‘jawa disk… i think.’ next door, a group was playing air guitar in the alley. their drummer was using a skateboard wheel as a cymbal. weird, right? i don’t know how to explain it. it’s just… there. part of the vibe.

i heard that the beach here is trashier than a college dorm. some guy in a flip-flop told me he’d seen a dead turtle with a flip-flop stuck in its neck. i didn’t believe him. but then i saw a sign saying ‘no littering’ in 10 different languages. including somali. weird. maybe it’s true.

the neighbors are like… existing. not intentionally. if you get bored, there’s a village called something like bunturan that’s a short drive away. they have a road that cuts through rice paddies and looks like it was made by a toddler with a crayon. thedriveisnotsmooth. that’s thehowyouknowyouareinnegri.

some reviews say the food is amazing. others say it’s overhyped. probably both. i ate a sandwich for lunch that tasted like it was made from ingredients that had a fight while cooking. the photo of the dish on instagram was so bright it looked like a lie. i posted it anyway. maybe the photo was the real story.

i included this map so you can find the spot where i bought the jacket.

it’s a good idea to check this before you go. or not. i got lost twice. used the map. got lost again.

here are some photos i took when i wasn’t actively trying to be a weird tourist.

these are probably not relevant. i don’t even remember taking them. one shows a cloud. another shows a tree. maybe a dog? idk.

i linked to this one tripadvisor because it’s got reviews about the jacket market.not sure if it’s accurate. i also found a yelp for a coffee shop that sells bags of grounds as art.some people say it’s a scam. others say the coffee is ‘earthy like your ex’s personality’.

the weather here is confusing. 22% humidity but it feels like a sauna. maybe because of the low pressure? 1011 millibars? i don’t know. feels like the air is holding its breath. or maybe it’s just my jacket.

if you come here, don’t trust anyone with a typewriter. or a skateboard wheel cymbal. or a kid with a flip-flop and a story about ghosts. just take the jacket. or don’t. it’s your trip. your mess. your vibe.

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