Is Sumatra Worth Exploring? – Part 2

As soon as we found a small port, we booked a place on the ferry so that we could get to the island. Along the way, we were being watched by other passengers, and one of them mustered the courage to speak to us. At first, we did not feel like talking, because we were tired and did not want anyone to bother us. The man soon realised that we were not feeling well and reassured us. All he wanted was for us to tell him where we're from and something about our country. During the conversation, he wanted to practice his English. He also assured us that no one would hurt us. If we feel uncomfortable at any point, just shout and they will be there to help. They want the development of tourism, so at that time, the few tourists that visited were very important to them.

After the ride, we left the ferry, and here we encountered our first unpleasant surprise. Taxi drivers were charging towards us like wolves towards their prey. We had a hard time fending them off. Our friend from earlier noticed this and came up to us and offered to take us where we wanted to go, and we were saved from the taxi drivers. He agreed with his friends to offer us help. He took us to the village we wanted to go to, and his friends waited for him in the harbour. What a nice gesture from a complete stranger.

He took us to a village where there was more choice for accommodation. We soon decided that we wanted to stay in a replica of the traditional houses on the island. After settling in, we started exploring what to see on the island. There were no taxis or buses in the village, the only option was a scooter. Sure, why not?

Towards tradition – Batu

We set off without a plan of what to see, as there are not many roads around the island, but you can get around it in a day.

First we found an open-air museum, traditional houses, and there was also a performance. As there were no visitors yet, we quickly explored everything that was available. During the tour, a man approached us and, in his broken English, invited us to see the inside of one of the houses. He dressed us in their national costumes, and we had a good laugh. Soon he was taking pictures of us, and after that he was teaching us how to play their instruments. We laughed at one another and it was great. Such an opportunity is rare, when you get it, you grab it.

Why? Later, when we were already outside, another couple came and also wanted to enter the house. But the man refused, saying it was not allowed. Meaning, we were just two nice girls in the right place at the right time. He did not want anything from us, he did not beg for money. Then we watched their performance, a kind of dance with men, women and an ox. What exactly it represented, unfortunately, I do not know. But it was all about their traditional outfits and music.

Then we rushed on and poof, a tyre burst. Luckily for us, some kind of mechanic was nearby. The boys immediately patched the tyre and we were off.

We saw a lot along the way:

• small villages,
• fruit and fish markets,
• people who returned from a religious ceremony all well-groomed,
• rice and cocoa dried on the ground along the main road,
• preparations for the wedding,
• we even found new hot springs where we wanted to get soaked quickly, but they were so dirty that we did not even go to the toilet,
• how locals dry their laundry, scattered throughout the bushes. They do not mind if there is rubbish in between.

There is rubbish everywhere and we did not see any bins to put it in. We did not understand how this did not bother them. We found two attractions on the island. One is the road signs that say how far it is to a certain place, and everywhere it says ⁺⁄₋ 8 km. Strange, is it not easier to write exactly how far? In the late afternoon, we also found a lake on the lake. There is another small lake at the top of the island, where swimming is not allowed, but some fish are caught here and there.

Around the island or back along the same road?

At this point, we had to decide whether to continue on our path or go back the same way. The locals advised us not to continue on the way forward, even though it is a circular road. Well, surely we are not going back the same way. The road quickly turned into a track and the forest began, but the problem was that there were a lot of big puddles. In order not to sink into the mud, I jumped out of the scooter and walked across the puddles in flip-flops. Yuck, it is a terrible feeling when you do not know what you are stepping into.

The further we went, the deeper we were in the forest, there was no more rubbish, it was getting dark and yes, I admit, there was a bit of panic... Where are we, how far is it, are we even on the right track?! We were never happier in our lives than when we saw the rubbish again, so we knew there were people nearby. A few moments later we met an elderly man on a bicycle, bringing sticks out of the woods. Although he could not speak a word in English, he could somehow direct us back to the road. So, we made a few gestures with our hands and a few smiles, and we were on the right track again.

Hooray, we finally see the asphalt, we found a way. But we have almost no petrol left. What else will happen to us? Luckily for us, most of the route was downhill. On the island, petrol stations look like a kind of bad stall, with litre bottles of petrol and a box next to them where you leave your money. We were lucky to find the last bottle and more than enough to get back to our accommodation. On the way, we encountered several large holes and, of course, puddles. Just enough to return a suitably dirty motorbike, and the lady who gave it to us to borrow, had no idea where we had been.

Lake Toba is definitely a pleasant surprise, which offers a lot, but there is another such place in Sumatra? I will reveal this in the next article.