SAMOSIR - THE ISLAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAKE [PART 2]

[CONTINUATION OF PART ONE]

31st JANUARY 2017 ~ After the small village, we were taken to this small plot of land where there were old tombs of the Batak kings of the past. Visitor is required to wear this colourful piece of cloth across the body, which is called Ulos, something customary I suppose.

Batak people believe that after many years of someone's death, he/she would reach a stage when the soul is purified. Then, people dig the grace, collect all the bones, clean them and the later the bones will be stored in a special place near the grave. Even though many of them are Christians, this tradition is still practised until today. We could see these huge graves just beside the houses when we were in the car from Parapat to Berastagi.

We did not spend a long time on the island even though there were many other places that could be seen. The itinerary provided by the tourist guide for Samosir was quite limited and I had seen people seeing more things there. If you plan to go there, you should try to explore more of the island, either by renting a motorbike or by cars. (Cars can be brought into the island on a special ferry)

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SAMOSIR - THE ISLAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAKE [PART 1]

31st January 2017 ~ Right in the middle of Lake Toba, lies an island which is bigger than Singapore, Samosir Island. It is the fifth largest lake island in the world. The visit to Lake Toba will not be complete without stopping by at Samosir Island, to see and learn the lifestyle of the Batak people.

Majority of the Batak people here are Christians but they still practice many of their traditions.

As usual, we were greeted by rows of stalls selling souvenirs and the sellers calling the passers-by to stop and have a look at the items being sold.

We went to this place where we could see traditional Batak houses on display. We could not enter the houses though.

We then went to visit the tombs of the past Batak kings.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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THE QUAINT, LITTLE TOWN OF PARAPAT

30th JANUARY 2017 ~ Parapat is just a small town and it becomes significant as a transit point to get to Samosir Island. There are boats at the jetty that will ferry people to the island in the middle of Lake Toba.

Parapat is inhibited by the Batak people, and at this place, majority of them are non-Muslims. We found that there were many halal restaurants in the town, to cater to the needs of Muslim visitors.

charcoal for sale

Shops selling touristy items were plentiful here.

Durians, the king of fruits, could be found easily at the roadside.

We walked for quite a distance and had to go back to our hotel as the sky was turning dark.

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