Toba tales

Toba tales

* Lake Toba is the largest lake in Indonesia, and Southeast Asia,
measuring 100 km long and 31 km across. It is also the world's
deepest lake at 450 meters.

* Lake Toba was formed 75,000 years ago as the result of an
enormous volcanic explosion, what some scientists consider the
biggest in the world's history.

* The island of Samosir in the center of the lake is 530 square
kilometers, or about the size of Singapore. It is believed to have
been formed about 30,000 years ago in another huge volcanic
explosion.

* Samosir was actually a peninsula until 1906, when the Dutch
colonial government cut a canal through the narrow isthmus
connecting it to the mainland. Many locals feared that the action
would bring disaster to the area.

* Parapat is the best known town surrounding the lake, famous for
its array of Batak textiles, woodcarvings, ceramics and other
handicrafts. The local vendors are famous (notorious!) for their
refusal to say no in selling their wares. The site of many
hotels, it is also the place to find out about jet skiing, water
skiing and other water sports.

-- Sumatra (Periplus Editions)