Blogs from Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia, Asia - page 7

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Asia » Indonesia » Sumatra » Lake Toba January 22nd 2009

Well, I’m sitting here on the verandah of my opulent villa at Danau Toba, sipping a Bintang as the waves gently lap the shoreline and I gaze at the shrouded volcanic peaks that ring the lake. Life is very hard here. I woke up. I had a swim. Had some brekkie. Tried to read a book. Swam again. Ate again. Took some photos. Had a beer. That’s it. And it’s been pretty well like that so far. So please excuse a very mundane blog to start things off. I really haven’t been doing too much at all... I arrived last Friday in Medan, a destination generously described by many as a ‘pretty shitty city’ and indeed it is but another bustling South East Asian metropolis choking on its own smog. It may well have its ... read more
Batak houses
Boy & Buffalo
Rice paddies

Asia » Indonesia » Sumatra » Lake Toba December 19th 2008

Our journey to Lake Toba was like most in Sumatra, long and uncomfortable. We had to get a tuk tuk to the bus stop in Bukit Lawang, then a bus back to Medan, then a minibus to the main bus terminal in Medan, followed by another bus to Parapat which lies on the shore of Lake Toba before finally getting the ferry across to our destination, Samosir Island in the middle of the lake. On the bus from Medan to Parapat we were sat next to a very creepy gentleman who asked if he could read Lils journal and he then declared that he loved her. Strange! The journey was worth it though. Lake Toba is the largest volcanic lake in the world at 100 kilometres long and 30 kilometres wide, and 505 metres at its ... read more

Asia » Indonesia » Sumatra » Lake Toba November 18th 2008

Horray for Air Asia! Our second attempt at catching an evening flight into Jakarta airport, and once again we were delayed until a 1am take-off. After a 2am arrival, with our transfer flight taking off at 7am, we were once again looking for a place to spend the night at the airport. Having learned that there's nowhere to sleep outside, we stretched out on a row of seats in the baggage claim hall. An hour later we were woken by a security guard telling us that arrivals closes at 3am, we need to be out. Groggily we dragged our bags over to the departures hall. Guess what, it only opens at 4am. An hour outside, then an hour inside, because check-in only opens at 5am, and and hour later, the security check opens at 6am! Sheesh! ... read more
The cottage on the lake where we stayed
Sunset view from our window
Mountain road

Asia » Indonesia » Sumatra » Lake Toba September 13th 2008

We left BL for Lake Toba, we caught a mini van and this should of seated 12 people including the driver but instead we had 16 people crammed in, it was so uncomfortable! we sat next to 2 young local girls, one spoke good english which was good for us later on, we had to stop at the top of the mountain(1982m) as there was a rock fall the road, it was cleared after a while and the bus driver went crazy down the windy roads, overtaking lorries, and the road wasnt that wide, i was glad when we got to the bottom. We arrived as it was getting dark in a place called Pangururan which was onthe other side to Lake Toba, not where we had planned! So the girl next to us asked the ... read more
Toba Cottage View to the Lake
Lake Toba
Toba

Asia » Indonesia » Sumatra » Lake Toba September 2nd 2008

The latest edition of Lonely Planet Indonesia proclaims that "tourism in Lake Toba is almost dead." I think there's something like an 18-month delay between finishing off the editorial work and the book being printed and arriving at bookstores. During that time, someone pulled the plug on Toba's life support line and it is today a ghost town. This was evident even in July, peak travel season for Indonesia. I didn't think I would mind that too much, but the effect is saddening: locals hanging out in their empty shops talking to neighbors all day, no business, abandoned hotels, derelict lots overgrown with weeds. Worst of all, not one single person said "Horas!" to us in the 4 days we spent there -and Lonely Planet claims this hearty welcome by the warm locals as one of ... read more
ferry to Tuk Tuk coming our way
the sublime Carolina Hotel
about to take the plunge

Asia » Indonesia » Sumatra » Lake Toba June 30th 2008

Our group split off since 4 people wanted to do an organized tour of Sumatra and Wendy and I just laid low since we will see orangutans in Borneo. The bus ride from Medan to Parapat definitely wins my "Worst Bus Ride Ever" award. It was a bargain at $2 for 5 hours or so it seemed at first...We stumbled off the airplane, into a mini-bus and then were shepherded onto a crowded bus leaving that minute. We took the last 2 seats at the back beside a chain-smoking father with his 1-year-old baby on his lap. There was rumored to be AC but it felt like we were sitting beneath a heater instead. None of the windows opened except for one on the other side that the bus helper operated. There were 3 men who ... read more
Danau Toba
Danau Toba
Danau Toba

Asia » Indonesia » Sumatra » Lake Toba June 25th 2008

Monday June 23, 2008 - So after a long bus ride from hell, I got off in Parapat and got a lift to the ferry. Lake Toba is a large lake, about 450 m deep, and is the largest lake in SE Asia. It has an island inside of it called Samosir, which is about the same size as Singapore. This was my destination. Specifically a small town called Tuk-tuk. The ferry left almost as soon as i got on, and being the only westerner, I was talked to for the entire thirty minutes so the boys could "practice their English." Man that gets old. Plus they all wanted to see me a place to stay, but I came with a recommendation and went there. One of the guys on the boat works at Bagus Bay, ... read more
At the lake
At the lake
Classic Toba architecture

Asia » Indonesia » Sumatra » Lake Toba May 6th 2008

so nach langen ungeduldigem warten - ein neuer eintrag ich hab ungefaehr 6 wochen am schoenen tobasee verbracht. und mich mit feldarbeit ,fischen ,in der haengematteliegen, und wie sollte es auch anders sein: mich kulinarisch von der oertlichen kueche verwoehnen lassen. nach dem ganzen rumgereise war das auch aml sehr angenehm sich mal fuer langere zeit nur an einem ort zu verweilen... ...und die familie bei der wir wohnten war auch einzigartig: alleinerziehende mutter von sechs kindern und immer lustig drauf der juengste 3 jahre und aelteste 17 jahre - bei der konstellation gabs bestimmt keine langeweile das war die reinste soapopera.... mit den kindern sind wir zusammen schwimmen, fischen, auf mango- und avocado"ernte" gegangen...ab und zu hab ich dann auch mal bei der feldarbeit geholfen,wobei man mir einiges an talent bescheinigte (eine neue karriere?) fal ... read more
aufm balkon
avocadoernte mit unsren nachbarn
der sprung ins kuehle

Asia » Indonesia » Sumatra » Lake Toba April 29th 2008

(Catherine) As we've headed further south, the celebrity status we enjoyed (or should that be endured?!) in India has returned. Everyone wants to say hello, shake our hands and take photos and every school child wants to practise the five English questions they know on us. We've also discovered that in Sumatra we're pretty scary! While waiting at a bus station one day, I noticed a small girl of about three looking nervously at me. Her bottom lip started to wobble so I made a sad face at her. She promptly burst into tears, wrapping herself around her mum's legs. Imagine her shock when she later boarded her bus and turned around to see me sitting behind her! Another time, Matt reduced another small girl to tears by simply smiling at her. At home, we'd probably ... read more
Lovely Lake Toba
Giant Matt!
Batak Design

Asia » Indonesia » Sumatra » Lake Toba April 20th 2008

Viimeista paivaa vietellaan Lake Toballa, silla huomenaamuna matka jatkuu kohti Medania. Viitisen tuntia pitaisi vierahtaa bussimatkassa ja yoksi jaadaan Medaniin. Tiistaina on lennot Medanista Penangiin neljan aikaan ja yritetaan saada viela samaksi paivaksi bussi Penangista eteenpain. Aiemmista suunnitelmista poiketen emme lahdekaan lanteen vaan etelaan Pulau Pangkorille, joka on suunnilleen puolessa valissa Penangia ja Kuala Lumpuria. Muutama paiva ehditaan olemaan Pulau Pangkorilla, ennen kuin lennetaan nailla nakymin Kuala Lumpurista Balille. Kuvia ei ole rapsitty, joten pannaan Juhon jarkkarilla otettuja kuvia laivareissusta, jos sekaan nyt onnistuu. Palailkaamme asiaan... Hei... Eipa nayta sekaan onnistuvan joten jatetaanpa ensikertaan... Hei...... read more
Paikallinen bandi




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