* * * * * Batam, Riau Islands, Republic of Indonesia Friday, 24 th December 1993, Christmas Eve Batam is the largest city of the Riau Islands, as well the name of the island it rests on. It’s a compact, roughly oval-shaped island south of Singapore. Being 531 miles northeast of Jakarta, it took the 737 1:36 to cover that distance. Long before it became a boomtown, Batam was a backwater of the Riau Archipelago , with f ishing, maritime trade and piracy being its main activities. In addition, Batam Island is so close to Singapore, I could actually see its outline on the horizon, from my 14 th floor balcony when ...