travelogue - Medan - Lake Toba

Lake Toba
07/11/05 Medan – Lake Toba
Morning flight 0830 hrs. I hate A** A***! (I don't want to get sued). Everyone pushing around, fighting for seats. The seats are ugly and not comfy. Luckily it’s just a 1 hour flight.
Arrive at Polonia same time local time. Pak Muliyadi the tour guide is jovial, fun, energetic. Together with his trusty assistant Iwan the schoolboy. Ah, we’ll be whisked around in a Kijang. Memories of Jakarta comes back to mind. Last visit to Indonesia was in 1998 !
Journey takes 4 hours. On the way we buy kacang tumbuk at Permatang Siantar. Nice one! Ooooh, and along the road we see 3 to 5 star Orang Batak tombs. They decorate the tombs nicely, and some even have gates and are nicer than the living's own homes !
We arrive at Lake Toba just in time for lunch – Minang style! Nasi Padang with at least 7 courses – you don’t have to eat all. They pay you by courses.
Our room is not ready yet. We take a boat ride from Prapat to Pulau Samosir. First stop at Tuk Tuk with the Raja Sialiagan Stone Chairs. Small village here, resided by the Batak Toba people. Next to Tomok with the Chief Soribuntu Sidabutar’s Tomb.
I snapped really nice pictures of the Lake Toba scenery. Breathtaking !
Dinner at our hotel – nice vege ! No air cond in the room, just natural cool air. Lake Toba is about 1300m above sea level.


A Batak tomb

Sipiso-piso waterfall
08/11/05 Lake Toba – Brastagi
After breakfast, we have tea at Simarjarunjung, in the Lake Toba vicinity.
Next, taking pictures at Sipisopiso Waterfall, not really, near to, more likely. Need to hike further down the steep slope.
Buy some fruits at Brastagi market before going to hotel.
We reach Sinabung Hotel, Brastagi just in time for lunch. Very nice Chinese lunch esp. the chicken. The hotel looks well kept too with a lovely garden.
We just take a walk in the late afternoon, then have some tea with kacang tumbuk.
No air cond in the room as well. It’s cool here.

09/11/05 Brastagi – Medan
Nothing much happens on the way back, but nice scenery of the villages and their vege crops. Nasi Padang lunch, then shopping ! Not the modern shopping mall, please !
We get to go to Pasar Ikan, no fishes here though. Only fabrics, clothes and telekung. Got a “parachute” telekung and 2 scarves.
Later, from the hotel, walk to nearby supermarket and got Tora Bika’s 3 in 1 mocha coffee. I don’t like coffee, but this one is nice !

10/11/05 – Medan
Our flight back is 2030 hrs, so we have time for more shopping. But today we’re just shopping at modern malls. Not really fun. I still couldn’t find any souvenirs ! Should have bought them at Pulau Samosir.
I got myself a very nice Reebok walking shoes (Later back home I discovered that it’s made of suede with pig skin- arrrggggh !!! It’s still here with me. I will get a buyer for it. Maybe try eBay ?)
Steam fish lunch – nice, but a bit expensive.
We check out at 4pm. Have to buy the souvenirs from the hotel, which are expensive. Should have, oh well, no use regretting.
I have Alpokat juice (avocado) while waiting for the taxi. And got some buah Salak and asam from the Brastagi fruit market nearby.
Since we’re going back via A**A***, we skip dinner. We have dinner later at home, almost at midnight


Those Reebok shoes