Exploring Tomok for 1,5 hour

I looked very cool when exploring Tomok (an area in Toba Lake, Indonesia) with a 45-litre backpack on the back … hahaha, looked like a usual backpacker… # i’mnotcreativeinstyle

Souvenir sellers didn’t get tired of offering me along my way when exploring Tomok. “Dear, if you don’t buy, it’s OK. But just marry me, please”, She said and joked … #tapforehead.

Exited from port area and crossed Tomok main road, I through the souvenir corridor again until I found a performance stage of Si Gale-Gale (a historic wooden puppet in Samosir Island). The empty stage finally led me to asked to a woman. She said that if I wanted to watched Si Gale-Gale performance, I had to pay IDR 80,000 per performance, It can pay by individual or group.

I decided to left until I finally found Tomok Parsaoran Tourism Village. Small village with neat traditional houses

Continuing my steps, I arrived at King Sidabutar’s Cemetery and welcomed by a old tomb guardian at gate. He put a Ulos (North-Sumatra traditional cloth. He put it on my right shoulder then he let me in. This well-maintained and clean cemetary area are for the family of King Sidabutar. My visit was free of charge and only needed to gave unspecified money to cemetery maintenance donation box.

Exiting cemetery area from a different door, the way directed me to Tomok Batak Museum. A Batak traditional house that instantly resembles a Toraja traditional house.

Korean tourists who were busy taking pictures in front of museum didn’t allow me to captured museum front area. I decided to went inside first. By paying IDR 5,000, I was free to enjoyed every Batak traditional object with an explanation of its function in their cultural life.

There was a souvenir shop inside the museum and the souvenir are museum object duplicates.

I was leaving the museum at 4:05 p.m.

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Yes, I got a bonus …. in my step got out from Tomok, I saw Si Gale-Gale in action because there was a group of Jakarta businessmen who paid the action. Slinked in, I was successful sat in the backseat. A show accompanied by a Batak music and led by an MC. There was a person behind the screen who played “Si Gale-Gale”.

The MC asked several people to dance in front together. All businessmen pointed to each other until there were 4 people coming forward. “one more forward, please!”, MC exclaimed. Finally one person ran forward, the businessman seemed surprised that they didn’t know who he was.

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All men in the group were dumbfounded, there was intruder entering and taking over their stage … hahaha.

But finally they let me and began to applaused, I danced with pleasure. At the end of the show I greeted them and thanked to them for could join in their show for free. They smiled happily. The most beautiful closing for my  Tomok adventure.

I was finished my Tomok exploration with a very late lunch.

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After that, I was escorted by restaurant owner to Bagus Bay Homestay in Tuk-Tuk area by simply paying IDR 20,000.

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At this homestay I met Eloise again who just arrived from Medan … Then what were we planning?