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.