THE ROAD TO SUMATERA UTARA An Update on Traveling Alexander Lopez-Perez WEEK. 3, ISSUE 1 3.24.2019 Maimun Palace in Medan, a well known building in north Sumatra where the Sultan- ate of Deli lived—-a very royal place! Christmas in Lake Toba The monkeys here are quite comfortable with humans This is a standard public bus in West Sumatra, where you’re sure to find travelers from all over the province “It was a boiled carp that was soaked in the notoriously addicting Batak spices, which include ginger, turmeric, pepper, shallots, garlic and salts.” Introduction I traveled all the way to North Sumatra leading up to New Year's Eve. I took a plane from Padang to Medan which lasted about 50 minutes, and returned by bus to Bukkittinggi. The road trip back to Bukittinggi from Medan is about under 650 kilometers, or 434 miles. I spent over 24 hours in a car getting back home, but it was totally worth it to see all the lakes and valleys on the way back. While in Lake Toba, I also got a chance to cycle around the port town of Tuk Tuk. I bet that you'd agree it's good to stretch out your legs in between long car trips! What was the most interesting place I visited this week? The farthest that I've traveled on this journey so far is to Medan, which is the capital city of North Sumatra, Sumatera Utara. Medan is known for its interesting cakes called bika ambon, a highly sought after variant of the more common coconut cake called bika. How did I get around this week? As I often do, I traveled around this week on a motorcycle or ojek. One exciting change that happened when I was in Medan was that I got to ride in a tuk-tuk, which is a modified vehicle where passengers sit in a carriage attached to the side of a motorcycle. This allowed for extra space and stability to lay my luggage around, as well as have company aside from the driver. I didn't do much talking, though, as I was fascinated to see other uniquely styled tuk-tuks pulled by motorcycles, scooters, and even bicycles. Where there's a will, there's a way! What was the most interesting place I visited this week?: I absolutely enjoyed visiting Tomok Pasaoran in Samosir Island, which houses the tomb of King Sidabutar. The area is both the resting place of the King of the Batak people who reside on Samosir Island and a museum that includes traditional Batak architecture and clothing. This was a very welcomed opportunity for me to learn more about the numerous and distinct ethnic groups here in this diverse nation of Indonesia. Give us a fun fact! On the way back from North Sumatra, I passed by the equator! There was a large museum and park area commemorating the equator line. I didn't get a chance to stop, though, as my driver was eager in his mission his passengers back to their destination on time. There's no doubt that I must visit this spot at the equator sometime soon! What was the weather like? Number of sunny days this week: 6 Number of cloudy days this week: 1 Number of rainy days this week: 3 Number of snowy days this week: 0 Number of windy days this week: 4 What is the air temperature right now in Fahrenheit?: 71 The weather was surprisingly dry this week. As we are in the midst of rainy season, we could usually expect rainfall just about every evening here. Surprisingly, so far we've only had light rain in the afternoon! As for the temperature, I've been experiencing cool weather, as always. Being so high up in elevation means the air is a little thinner. Bukittinggi is one of those rare places that manages to stay cool despite being so close to the equator! The situation is pretty much the same at Lake Toba, which stays cool because it's nearly three thousand feet above sea level. Plenty of after-showers rainbows around these parts Posing with traditional Batak cloth- ing—notice the sarong and head- wear! Riding inside a tuk-tuk, not unlike the one in front of me Stone tables, figures and chairs at Huta Siallagan (King’s tomb) near the island town of Tuk-tuk What kind of wisata (tourist destination) would this be if there wasn’t a place set-up for you to snap a pic for the gram?
Transcript
THE ROAD TO SUMATERA UTARA An Update on Traveling Alexander Lopez-Perez
WEEK. 3, ISSUE 1 3.24.2019
Maimun Palace in Medan, a
well known building in north
Sumatra where the Sultan-
ate of Deli lived—-a very
royal place!
Christmas in Lake Toba The monkeys here are quite
comfortable with humans
This is a standard public bus
in West Sumatra, where
you’re sure to find travelers
from all over the province
“It was a boiled carp that was soaked in the notoriously addicting Batak spices, which include ginger,
turmeric, pepper, shallots, garlic and salts.”
Introduction
I traveled all the way to North Sumatra leading up to New Year's Eve. I took a
plane from Padang to Medan which lasted about 50 minutes, and returned by
bus to Bukkittinggi. The road trip back to Bukittinggi from Medan is about
under 650 kilometers, or 434 miles. I spent over 24 hours in a car getting back
home, but it was totally worth it to see all the lakes and valleys on the way
back. While in Lake Toba, I also got a chance to cycle around the port town of
Tuk Tuk. I bet that you'd agree it's good to stretch out your legs in between
long car trips!
What was the most interesting place I visited this week?
The farthest that I've traveled on this journey so far is to Medan, which is the
capital city of North Sumatra, Sumatera Utara. Medan is known for its
interesting cakes called bika ambon, a highly sought after variant of the more
common coconut cake called bika.
How did I get around this week?
As I often do, I traveled around this week on a motorcycle or ojek. One exciting
change that happened when I was in Medan was that I got to ride in a tuk-tuk,
which is a modified vehicle where passengers sit in a carriage attached to the
side of a motorcycle. This allowed for extra space and stability to lay my
luggage around, as well as have company aside from the driver. I didn't do
much talking, though, as I was fascinated to see other uniquely styled tuk-tuks
pulled by motorcycles, scooters, and even bicycles. Where there's a will,
there's a way!
What was the most interesting place I visited this week?:
I absolutely enjoyed visiting Tomok Pasaoran in Samosir Island, which houses
the tomb of King Sidabutar. The area is both the resting place of the King of the
Batak people who reside on Samosir Island and a museum that includes
traditional Batak architecture and clothing. This was a very welcomed
opportunity for me to learn more about the numerous and distinct ethnic
groups here in this diverse nation of Indonesia.
Give us a fun fact!
On the way back from North Sumatra, I passed by the equator! There was a
large museum and park area commemorating the equator line. I didn't get a
chance to stop, though, as my driver was eager in his mission his passengers
back to their destination on time. There's no doubt that I must visit this spot at
the equator sometime soon!
What was the weather like?
Number of sunny days this week: 6
Number of cloudy days this week: 1
Number of rainy days this week: 3
Number of snowy days this week: 0
Number of windy days this week: 4
What is the air temperature right now in Fahrenheit?: 71
The weather was surprisingly dry this week. As we are in the midst of rainy
season, we could usually expect rainfall just about every evening here.
Surprisingly, so far we've only had light rain in the afternoon! As for the
temperature, I've been experiencing cool weather, as always. Being so high up
in elevation means the air is a little thinner. Bukittinggi is one of those rare
places that manages to stay cool despite being so close to the equator! The
situation is pretty much the same at Lake Toba, which stays cool because it's
nearly three thousand feet above sea level.
Plenty of after-showers rainbows
around these parts
Posing with traditional Batak cloth-
ing—notice the sarong and head-
wear!
Riding inside a tuk-tuk, not unlike
the one in front of me
Stone tables, figures and chairs at
Huta Siallagan (King’s tomb) near
the island town of Tuk-tuk
What kind of wisata (tourist
destination) would this be if
there wasn’t a place set-up for
you to snap a pic for the gram?
What animals did I see this week?
I saw plenty of cats, maybe two dogs, and a large number of monkeys while
traveling through the jungle-filled mountains this week! Housecats and stray
cats are very common in Indonesia. One can often find them in local shops,
called warungs, inside restaurants, or even around Masjids (mosques) Since
Indonesia is predominantly Islamic, affection for cats is high, as they are
widely considered the Prophet Muhammad's favorite animal. In addition to
pets, I also saw plenty of geckos inside my home, and kids feeding peanuts to
macaque monkeys. What a unique sight!
What was the coolest thing I saw in nature this week?
Early this week, I visited what was basically a large island within an island,
inside of a lake formed out of what was once a volcano! Since teachers were
on holiday this week, a co-teacher and I visited Samosir Island, which sits
inside of Lake Toba and is about the size of Singapore. It was quite the
experience getting on a boat to visit a place that feels like it should exist out
in the ocean. Looking out to the island into the port town of Prabat feels just
like you're looking out into the shore of the mainland.
Other Nature News from this week:
A very popular route to and from Padang (the nearest port city) experienced
flooding this week, which caused the only bridge on the route to collapse.
When one follows the roads and highways leading out of the port city, you
travel up hills, pass by waterfalls, and are able to see plenty of valleys just
outside your window. A temporary bridge and the use of other roads are
allowing people to continue on with their commute. While these waterfalls
are beautiful to look at (and people often stop on the highway to have a quick
dip in the water), they prove a little risky when the rain really gets going.
When it rains here, it most definitely pours!
What main languages are spoken here?
The language spoken in Indonesia is called Bahasa Indonesia, which is the
official language of the country meant to standardize the way people speak
throughout the country. However, since Indonesia is one of the most diverse
countries in the world, with plenty of local languages (or dialects), most
people speak Bahasa Minang in West Sumatra. Luckily, Bahasa Minang is not
that different from Bahasa Indonesia. For example, terima kasih or "thank
you" in Bahasa Indonesia is terimo kasih in Bahasa Minang. While English is
also common in the touristy area in which I live, Korean is beginning to gain
popularity with local students. K-pop is also very popular in Indonesia!
What type of money is used here?
The type of money or currency used in Indonesia is the rupiah. This
comprises colorful bills and different sized coins that range from 500rp to
100,000 rp (the highest). While most Indonesians carry bills and coins, there
are plenty of ATMs around the city which cater to tourists from other islands
in Indonesia, neighboring Asian countries, and Europeans (particularly
Dutch).
How much does a bottle of water cost?
A 600ml bottle of water costs just about 5,000 rupiah, which is less than 50
cents in U.S. currency. Even for my neighbors, water and food tends to be
fairly inexpensive. Picture this: for the same price of 5,000 rupiah, you can
forgo the convenience of a small water bottle and install a five-gallon water
dispenser inside your home. Now that's a good deal!
A puppy I saw on my way to
the bus station!
Cat family waiting to be fed
A roaring waterfall after the
rain
A view of Lake Toba from Samosir
Island
An Update on Traveling Alexander Lopez-Perez
Fog after dusk
Water isn’t the only thing that’s
inexpensive here—a meal like
this can cost under $9 U.S.
dollars for two or three
If you look closely, what can you
fin in the water?
3.24.2019 WEEK. 3, ISSUE 1
THE ROAD TO SUMATERA UTARA
What was the best meal I had this week?
The best meal I had this week was a lake fish from Tuk Tuk, which is a city on
Lake Toba. It was a boiled carp that was soaked in the notoriously addicting
Batak spices, which include ginger, turmeric, pepper, shallots, garlic and salts.
It was accompanied by fluffy rice or nasi, soaked in Batak curry. As for drinks,
I had coffee, or kopi, prepared with coffee beans grown right on the island.
Delightful!
What music did I listen to this week?
This week, I overheard plenty of K-pop when local students returned back
from the holidays. Maybe I'll try learning the language sometime soon!
What activity was the most fun this week?
I really enjoyed returning to Bukittinggi to enjoy New Years Eve at the
carnival at the City's Square. It was so surprising to see the similarities and
differences of carnival attractions from home and here in my host city. While
the same old roller coasters and swings were there, it is only here that I can
buy fried bananas or pisang goreng, while watching people try to score
points in a mini game.
What did I read this week?
This week, I read about the legend of a mermaid. It was written for young
Indonesian children, so it was a useful read for any developing Bahasa
Indonesian language speaker.
What games or sports did I play this week?:
Since I was traveling this week, I couldn't make it to Pencak Silek practice
with my martial arts school (which meets two times a week!). Silet (which is
the international term) is the most popular form of martial arts in Southeast
Asia, which also originated in Sumatra. It involves grappling, kicking, and
weapons fighting -- all with tremendous respect that practitioners draw from
the martial arts form's philosophy. I practice at the Tiger school Harimau of
Pencek Silek, which involves more grappling and wrestling. While my Silek
master jumped at the idea of having a foreigner like me learn the art form,
centuries ago Silek was passed down in secrecy among royal families only.
Learning that was a humbling moment.
Other news from this week:
With the start of the new semester at my school, a fellow teacher and I
opened up a new art installation at school called the Chalk Zone, where every
week students respond to a question on the board with themes relating to
motivation and inspiration. This is all performed in an attempt to promote
emotional wellness and to jump start the new year with positivity!
