It was cold at Berastagi and cooler than any place in Malaysia. I assure, I am totally not prepared for such a cold weather whats more when I thought Medan is just a normal city and expecting Berastagi is not as cold as Genting Highland. Anyway, with such a cold weather I have difficulties of going to toilet. Despite the big amount of fruits I haven eaten, it seem difficult for me to do my business!!!
The highland become so much cooler no thanks to Mount Sinabung that burst ashes since September…Oh wait, volcano ashes should be hot, why is Berastagi still so cold….Well, it seem that the ash have causes the sun not to shine in directly to the town and causes rain for most of the night. It was really cold that night as rain nonstop pouring since midnight.
I walk out of the room, to my surprise I saw a mountain with some cloud on it….as if it was bursting out from the hill….Then I close my eye, and re-open back, to my surprise that was actually Mount Sibayak, the volcano that slept for 400 years and suddenly decided to burst. I couldn’t do much besides from taking photographs.
After a good breakfast, we check out and depart to Lake Toba. Initially we decided to try our luck to view 2 volcano in Gundaling hill again but sadly heavy cloud start to close up the entire Berastagi town again and we have to change plan and move on to Lake Toba instead.
One hour journey bring us to lots of farms and plantations. Then the driver divert to a smaller path leading into some farm. I know at that moment we are nearing to another great place which is non other than Sipiso piso waterfall. Sipiso piso mean knife in Indonesian word. The name derived as if the water like a knife cutting through the valley. The majestic waterfall is actually not from a river but an underground water and leak out from the edge of a mountain. It pour down more than 100 meter down creating an illusion of a knife cutting through the valley. Magnificent view. The water splash is so strong that it create gigantic rainbow if the sun shine on it. One can walk down the hill to have a dip in the waterfall but we choose to walk down half hill to catch the full view of the waterfall. It is easy to walk down but the journey up back to the base is not easy. Fees to visit sipiso piso and tongging hill cost 5000rp.
Tongging hill is where most of the car park and a short walk bring tourist to yet another wonderful view. The view of Lake Toba.
We left Sipiso piso and Tongging hill and stop at Rumah Bolon. Is a quiet place and kinda eerie if you are alone there. We are the only group of tourist there and it was kind scary. Rumah Bolon is where the Batak king used to stay and meeting of the officer take place. Now it host to a monument and some king grave as well.
The journey to Take toba bring us to Simarajunjung Hill, yet another place for superb view. We have lunch here. Wasn’t anything fantastic and it is costly too. Probably the most expensive food we have for this trip! This place is famous for its fried banana and ginger tea. Verdict, I try better one elsewhere so is your judgement whether you want to stop here for Lunch.
As we need to bring in our minivan, we have to stop at Tigaras, where ferry service is available besides from parapat. Apparently the ferry here is faster compare to Parapat. We arrive early at Tigaras thus we have to wait for an hour. During the one hour, I can observe the life of Batak people where they fish in the lake and some even bath on the lake. There is also banana boat and kayaking around Tigaras.
Oh, I have to mention that all the way to Tigaras from Berastagi, one prominent things that we saw is there is many churches and batak grave all over the place. It is so much that I forgot that I am actually in Indonesia, an Islamic country.
After a short ferry ride, we arrive at Samosir Island. First things I saw in the place is a group of pig running freely and buffalo is everywhere. We soon arrive at Ambarita, a village where serve the olden days court of justice. The unique things about this place is Batak house and the stone chair and execution place where criminals will be beheaded.
I somehow feel the place was haunted. We actually enter to one of the museum which is Batak house converted into a showcase of daily Batak house. It was dark and out of nowhere I knock one of the wood. I can see star for almost half a minutes plus with fever and cold I catch from Berastagi, I am half dead by then.
The next stop is Tomok to view the King Batak tomb. The tomb is nicely decorated with a female figure representing his beloved wife. There is no charges to visit this place but donation is always welcome (by this I mean you have to donate or else get harsh word from the caretaker).
We check into Samosir Villa, a hotel that supposed to be the best of the best in my trip. Turn out to be not to my expectation. More to come in next posting.
We rest a while enjoying the view of Lake Toba.
Dinner is with Today Café just a stone throw from Samosir Villa. I am extremely sick by then and with rain pouring on me after the dinner, I am totally down by the time arrive hotel. I bath and sleep.
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