It was 7am local time on 7 April 2012.
All of us were already at the restaurant having breakfast. It was a
nice, clear morning and we hoped there will no more rain that day. We
departed after 7.30am local time. Our next destination was about an
hour drive away, where we will see Sipiso Piso waterfall and the
northern tip of Lake Toba.
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| Breakfast time! |
We arrived around 8.45am local time and
it was heavy with fog obscuring the views. We were a bit worried that
we may not get a good look of the site. Fortunately, the fog started
to clear up about 15 minutes later, and what a view it was.
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| So foggy... |
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| Can't see very clearly... |
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| The fog finally cleared! |
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| Lake Toba |
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| Enjoying the view |
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| Trying to get the best photos |
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| Everyone posing for the camera |
Sipiso Piso waterfall was some 120
meters high, water falling straight as a knife or piso, as the local
Indonesian language call it. The term piso-piso was also an imitation
of the sound made by the waterfall. The highland area around the
waterfall was breathtaking. Aside from the sheer rock face next to
the waterfall, every inch of the land was covered with grasses and
trees.
To the south of the waterfall was of
course the famous Lake Toba. The lake was surrounded by the mountains
that were still blanketed by the heavy fog. The clouds seemed to be
hanging unusually low, obscuring the views of the mountain tops. The
water was blue as morning sky above it and stretches southwards. We
could see houses by the lake, possibly a small fishing town with
hotels and resorts for the locals and tourists to enjoy the amazing
view up close. With the large blue lake, the rolling green mountains
and the pine trees, we can’t help believing that this place was
easily comparable to highland areas such as Switzerland. We would
joke that we could use some of the photos we took and fool others
that we were in some European countries.
We made use every accessible spot in
the area and take every possible picture of the lake. We were
climbing high and low, standing on low walls and high grounds, making
sure we did the lake justice by capturing its beauty. We were already
10 minutes late from our departure time but some of us still managed
to buy some souvenir from nearby shops.
At 10am local time, we reached Pematang
Purba to visit the Long House of King Purba. Another history lesson
from our tour guide Moris but I’ve forgotten most of the details. I
suppose the most memorable part of the tour was the story about the
king, his queen and security guard. No, it’s not a love triangle
but something very hilarious which I won’t be divulging here.
Our next destination was Simarjarunjung
for its special ginger tea and fried bananas. Along the way we could
see the lake, and again cameras were firing away. We reached our stop
some time after 11am local time. Simarjarunjung offered a great view
of the lake from its small café. We decided to order some teas and
snacks before another one of our camera session starts. I tried the
ginger tea and the flavor was quite strong. Fortunately there was
some milk to soften the taste a bit and some fried bananas to
complete the tea break. After that, we headed to the grass area next
to the café for another photo session. Nothing special about the
area aside for being the perfect place for some Bollywood scenes. We
did, however, take our first group photos here since we arrived in
Indonesia.
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| Outside the cafe |
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| From the inside |
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| Ginger tea |
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| Looking for a good spot for some photos |
At 12,55pm local time, we arrived at
Parapat Lake Toba for our lunch before the ferry ride to Samosir
Island. One of the first things we saw was the mangoes, which Moris
said was the largest mangoes in Parapat. The mangoes were smaller
than my first and I have a small fist. Our lunch was at a local
restaurant Istana Minang 2 which not unlike the Malay restaurants back in Malaysia.
Even though the dishes offered were pretty much the same as the ones
we had the day before, the varieties were better and we enjoyed the
meal.
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| Our lunch stop |
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| Largest mango in Parapat? |
It was at this time that my camera ran
out of battery. So I have no photos of our trip on Samosir Island and
all the way to our next hotel. Never knew that it would go dry so
fast.
Anyway, after lunch, we went to the
dock for our ferry ride to the island. The ride was around 45 minutes
long, since the ferry wasn’t really fast. The ride reminded me of
the Perhentian trip we took two years ago while traveling to and from
the Perhentian and Redang islands. Another memorable time for me. But
the boat rides were way faster than this.
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| Our boat was too shy in front of our cameras |
It was sunny when we headed for the
island. After leaving the dock, some of us went up to the top of the
boat to soak in some ray. At first there were me, Mellisa, Leslie,
Calvin, Huei Ling, Sandra, Krystle and Hanis (Did I missed anyone?). After a while, only me,
Melissa and Leslie we left. The sun was just a bit strong at the
time. But I decided to stay there to enjoy it along with the wind and
calm waters. About half way through the rides, the three local kids
that were riding with us started their singing performances, no doubt
a way for the kids to earn some pocket money during the weekends and
school breaks. One in particular was very expressive and really
enjoyed his singing, a natural performer. I don’t doubt that he
might venture into a career as a singer in the future.
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| Off we go! |
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| Samosir Island |
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| Patiently waiting |
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| Singing performance. Indonesian Idols? |
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| Taking photos of the kids |
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| Jonas Brothers? |
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| We have arrived! |
We finally arrived at
Samosir Island.
We have to pass through a long stretch of street with souvenir shops
on both sides to reach the grave stone of King Sidabatur. The items
they sell were virtually the same, which lead me to believe they came
from the same suppliers. I was wondering how they managed to make
money when everyone else was selling the same things that you have.
Shawls were placed on the right side of our shoulders before entering
the sacred ground. Moris gave us a brief history about the king and
the meanings of the carvings on his grave stones and shawls on top of
the grave stones. Afterwards we were given free time to do some
shopping. Stuart, Krystle and I walked around the area
window-shopping for a long time, not sure on what to buy. Just before
we were required to leave the island at 2pm local time, we found one
shop that sells wooden necklaces, bracelets and key chains on which
we can carve names on it. With time running out and already a long
list of names in front of me that needed to be carved, not to mention
dark clouds and strong winds coming in that may further delay our
ride back, I decided to buy for two of my closest friends. Most of us
reached the ferry on time, but we have to wait for another 10 minutes
or so for Jusman and Julia. Again, Jusman returned with more clothes
for himself and his friends.
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| The entrance/exit |
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| The shop that carves names on wooden keychains, pendant, etc |
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| Busy carving |
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| Can't decide what to buy and which names to carve |
As we were leaving the island, the
winds were strong and I could see rains at the northern and southern
side of the lake. The wind was cold, the lake was a bit choppy and
water was spraying from the left side of the board. Everyone was
freezing. And it was still a 45-minute ride. We did make the ride
more bearable by having conversations and some good laughs.
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| Ready to head back |
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| Tornado!! |
We finally reached the dock safely and
were eager to head for the Hotel Niagara Parapat, which was only a
15-minute drive away. Like the previous night, everyone was relieved
to see the hotel. The lobby was spacious, with the restaurant on the
left and a small bar, two pool tables and two shops on the right.
After receiving our keys, we headed straight for our rooms, hoping to
get a good view of the lake; alas everyone’s view was on the wrong
side of the hotel. I think the ones facing the lake were all taken.
However, the rooms were much more spacious and comfortable than at
Sinabung Resort. While there was no flat-screen TV, every room has a
balcony, lots of power outlets for charging our cameras and phones
and the bathroom was much better looking than the previous one.
Without delay, I charged my camera, hoping to snap more photos
tomorrow to make for the Samosir Island trip.
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| Our second and last hotel stop |
We took our showers and meet up at the
lobby to have our dinner. There wasn’t anything to do afterwards.
Some of us congregated at the bar to have coffees and teas, chatting
away about our trips among other things. Krystle and Carrie visited a
nearby karaoke and disco but returned shortly after as the place was,
as Krystle described it, filled with “uncles”. We got a good
laugh from it. Later we decided to walk around the hotel, even though
it was already dark. Then we heard some singing and laughing, and
found out a group of tourists were having a private party by the pool
behind the hotel. The only way that leads to the pool was through the
hotel, so we went back to the hotel lobby, through several flights of
stairs and reached the pool. It was a huge party with barbeque
galore. We left shortly after; it was a private party after all.
Again, with nothing else to do, some
decided to play some games and bought some snacks from the small
stores at the lobby and headed to Carrie and Krystle’s room. I was
really tired by then, not used to the busy days and late nights. As I
returned to my room, Nic, CC, Hidayah and Sin Sin were there watching
TV, and Hidayah told me I looked terribly tired. Not long after,
everyone returned to their rooms and called it a night.
