Tourist Attraction in Samosir, North Sumatra

Adjusting your motorbike speed and snaking to avoid gravels on the Samosir’s roads is a lesson that must be mastered quickly. If it doesn’t pass, surely the gravel will throw you on the street.

Two car bumps incidents happened during my trip there. My focus wasn’t on the incident, but on their humorous when they quarreled in the middle of street which made a long traffic jam because they weren’t going to put the car aside immadiately.

What more did I got.…?

Many buffaloes suddenly crossed on the street, Big black pigs (bigger than a goat) were passing by or dogs that made the asphalt as its bed. All of that are precious views that isn’t exactly find in the capital city.

Combined with the school building which located under Toba hills, it made me endless thinking, why haven’t I enjoyed this beauty since I started to loved my traveling.…I must explore my beautiful country in my next trips.

“I love this island”, She muttered.…She piggybacked behind, so She could see everywherw compared to me who had focused to rode motorbike. Her sport camera always on to documenting Samosir Island and bring it to Aussie … but it was OK, I still had enough memory in the brain to store many beauty spot there.

Road widening project made some lanes become slow lanes and wet soil spills made it slippery. And there were the large number of small insects that can hit your unprotect eye, so always weared glasses or helmet glass if you traveling by motorbike there.

Never looked for gas station there, I failed to find it. It was better to filled gas at the retail gas stall as soon as you saw it, before you entered hilly areas with rare gas stalls.

Two liters gas trip was started to visited “The Efrata”, a small waterfall in Harian District. Getting out of the main road through the rocky village road made me the first visitor there, ticket seller hadn’t arrived yet. I was lucky…It was be my free attraction that day. I hid my rented motorbike behind the managerial office, because I would leave it for few moments to enjoyed the waterfall behind the small hill.

Leaving “Efrata”, I immediately headed to the closest waterfall, “Naisogop”. Heading north I spurred my motorbike fastly because the road was so nice even though it swung sharply up and down the hill. As far as the eye can see you will be amazed by the beauty of Toba Lake from above.

This “Naisogop” waterfall is located above the hill. Motorbike drivers must be a bit adept when climbing the road. The motorbike must be stopped far from the location, so please use a double lock for security.

Leaving the “Naisogop”, the one I always remember was the friendliness of all residents who lived under the waterfall area. Every time we passed them, they always offered coffee for rest a moment.

I spurred my rented motorbike towards Aek Rangat, the famous hot spring in Samosir island, the smell of sulfur began to stab my nose when my motorbike approached the area. Passing the Aek Rangat signboard, I never met the hot water source, instead I was missed its location because of the unclear information about the hot water source location.

The explanation of a post guard finally led me. I began to be suspicious when I saw the bare white hill didn’t have activity. Sure enough when approaching, the large pool was dry and there were only a stretch of tangled PVC pipes. Apparently since 2 years ago, the hot water had been flowed into resident’s pools to made it as their home business.

My intention to took a bath in a natural public pool was vanished and no longer intend to took a bath with hot water in the residents’ pool even though it only payed USD 0,7. According to the pool owner, in fact his main business wasn’t on the hot pool but on their restaurant. Guests ate at restaurants then continued bathing in hot pool.

Intending to went back to homestay, in the middle of journey my heart was curious with “Parbaba White Sand Beach”. “Do you want to see Parbaba Beach, Eloise?” She was confused when there was a beach on the lake … this was what I saw:

I tried to enjoy the beach even though it was a little jealous because She was busy doing photos with many local young people….She absolutely like artist…White girl standed around the Indonesian brown skin.… hahaha.

Finally, the time separated us, that afternoon I had to catch “INTRA” Bus at Pematang Siantar which I booked a day before by phone and would depart at 7 pm. Returned to homestay and left her there….She must continued her trip to other place too.

Bye Bye Samosir, Bye Bye Toba

Bagus Bay Homestay, Toba Lake

I jumped into homestay room through the window after a receptionist was unable to opened the door. I successfully entered into room and just by “one-clicked”, the door opened.

Choosing a hotel is about style. But for me, a dormitory is still as first priority. Keeping the budget for continuing a dream…. is traveling… #bigdreamer

After stayed in a same dormitory in Medan, I met Eloise again in Toba Lake. I showed my dance with Si Gale-Gale doll to her. She laughed when saw my dance as amateur. She told a lot about her trip to Toba Lake from Medan, He felt uncomfortable when seeing many men smoked on the bus while there were children in it.

Fatigue made me fell asleep until 8pm. Luckily, the homestay had hot water in the shared bathroom. Towards the lobby & restaurant, I enjoyed the night by seeing a live accoustic and drank a bottle of coca cola.

I looked at Eloise in the corner and talked to the staff while pointing at the map. I thought she was preparing for her trip tomorrow. I saw a long-haired American who always added his beer bottle. I never thought he would be my room mate at a dormitory in Bukittinggi 2 days later. In Bukittinggi, I knew him well as Noah, a Californian mining engineer.

Knowing my presence, Eloise approached and sat in front of me, asking for my plan tomorrow and how to executed it. I explained in as much detail as possible and it seemed like She was interested and at the end of the conversation he decided to joined with me to rented a motorbike and explored Samosir Island together.

A vegan and doesn’t consume an alcohol. Naturally he slept faster that night.

The homestay staff suggestion drove me to a house that located at opposite the homestay to rented a motorbike for USD 4 for my trip tomorrow. I was served with hot tea and talked with the owner for several minutes after she knew that my house location in Jakarta was very near with her daughter house. Evidently her daughter lived in Jakarta too.

Morning Samosir……                                                                                               

All guests haven’t woken up, I’ve been sight seeing the morning busyness in Toba Lake. Students joked on their trip to school, many people jogged in the morning, some residents feed their pets and young people cleaned up the bars after last night parties.

I found the highest street in Tuk Tuk area to seeing the sunrise freely. Majority edges of lake which had became hotel areas required me to enjoyed the sunrise in my own way.

I also took the time to using the homestay facilities. circling the volleyball field and sat in the garden.

Just ate dried onde-onde (Indonesian originl food) that I bought yesterday made a free breakfast that morning.

Precisely at 7 o’clock, I took a rented motorbike. The new motorbike without license plate made me a little worried if met police there. Motorbike owner assured me, “if you were checked by police, just said that the motorbike belonged to your homestay, the police would know that you was a tourist, and moreover you was riding a motorcycle together with Australian girl” …. So I didn’t need worry.

Let’s go explored Samosir.