Sweet memories of lake Toba and Samosir Island

Sweet memories of lake Toba and Samosir Island

Text by Oka Budi Yogaswara and Lela E. Madjiah,
photos by Oka Budi Yogaswara

LAKE TOBA, North Sumatra (JP): I first caught a glimpse of
Lake Toba's glistening blue waters when the car was still a few
kilometers away from this most famous lake in North Sumatra.
Catching my breath in awe, I watched as the lake grow bigger and
bigger from behind a shade of tall green pine trees covering the
hills surrounding it. Flame-like traces of red and green,
reflection from the late afternoon sun, added some fire to the
otherwise cool blue water.

The tranquility of the late afternoon scene heightened my
anticipation of adventure. We had been driving from Medan, some
150 kilometers north of Parapat, the home of Lake Toba. The
three- to five-hour drive through Lubukpakam, Tebingtinggi,
Pematang Siantar and the Trans Sumatra highway was a colorful
adventure of its own with its rich views of paddy fields and
railway crossing them, with the palm, rubber and pine plantations
around. Near Parapat, however, parts of what were once pine
forests are now covered with cassava trees.

As soon as we got there we checked into a Melati-rated hotel
right on the lakeshore. For Rp 50,000 (US$21.73) a night, it was
a good bargain. I was not lucky enough to see the sun setting
down, as the clouds were thick. The location of the hotel also
did not allow a direct view of this natural event that many would
simply ignore as another daily occurrence, but I felt to be a
thing of beauty. May be I was reading too much about sunsets at
Toba. I felt grateful, though, to be able to catch patches of the
sun's burning red as it pierced through the thick clouds.

Parapat is bustling with rows of souvenir shops. Woodcraft,
bags, hats, necklaces, T-shirt with the words Toba Lake on them,
colorful traditional hand-woven songket cloths at prices ranging
from tens of thousand to hundreds of thousand rupiah -- you name
it. Also, there is no shortage of antiquities for art collectors.

Food? No need to worry. There are plenty of food stalls, chic
restaurants at star-rated hotels and Padang food restaurants. The
latter are important for Moslems who won't have to starve while
staying in this predominantly Christian region.

We spent the night driving around Parapat. Visitors to the
town have to pay Rp 750 for adults and Rp 500 for children and
vehicles. While there, we were informed that there are several
ferry terminals for those who wish to go to Samosir Island. The
largest ferry is in Ajibata, which can accommodate vehicles,
buses and trucks. There are five services from Ajibata to Tomok,
the entrance to Samosir, with fees ranging from Rp 11,500 to tens
of thousands for large trucks. It takes an hour to cover the
eight kilometers between Ajibata and Samosir.

The Ajibata ferry port is a busy place with attractions of its
own. A host of naked boys never fails to appear when a ferry is
to depart. They will dive into the clear water to catch the coins
thrown by generous ferry passengers. So lithe are their bodies
they seem to dance on the water as they coax passengers to throw
them a coin or two.

If money is not a concern, a speedboat trip to Samosir would
be a nice adventure. The fee depends on the number of stops made.

With an area measuring 530 square kilometers, Samosir Island
is nearly as big as Singapore. It sits in the middle of Lake
Toba, which is 100 kilometers long, 31 kilometers wide and over
450 metes deep. At 9,906 meters above the sea level, Samosir is
an island of lovely hills with plenty of guesthouses and
bungalows for rent. There is a list of outdoor activities,
including circling the island on a speedboat, jetski, or a swan-
shaped traditional boat. Not far from the island is Tao Island --
a heaven for swimmers, waterskiers and motorboat lovers. And like
Parapat, Samosir too is swarmed by souvenir shops.

Having one's own car while in Samosir will help make the stay
there nicer, because only a few vehicles for public
transportation are available on the island. Riding a rented
motorcycle or bicycle is also a possibility.

Samosir inhabitants are friendly. Born farmers, most of them
have gone into selling souvenirs because of worsening land
conditions which make farming difficult and unprofitable. Many
have also mastered the art of hand-weaving and basketry.

I gave myself kudos for remembering to buy three maps when I
arrived in Medan from Jakarta: one of Sumatra, one of Lake Toba,
and one of Samosir Island. Although none of them was really
accurate, they all served well as a general guide and helped with
hints on what to look for and where to go. From the map, I
learned about the tomb of Raja (King) Sidabutar in Tomok, the
Batak traditional houses found in large numbers in Tomok,
Ambarita, Tuktuk, and Simanindo. The Raja Hudabolon Museum in
Simanindo is worth visiting, especially for its Sigale-gale
puppet show. The human-size wooden puppets are moved by pulling
the strings on their backs. It takes several men to manipulate
one puppet. The Sigale-gale movements are embodiment of the Batak
dance movements which highlight the swaying movement of the hands
that are raised close to the head.

My four-day stay in Parapat, including three days of traveling
back and forth from Parapat to Samosir, passed swiftly. I spent
my last day in town shopping at a traditional market near the
ferry terminal buying oleh-oleh for my family. When time came to
return home, I was carrying not just the oleh-oleh, but also the
sweet memory of a beautiful place that has lured both fellow
Indonesians and people from foreign lands.