Scenic Samosir

The journey along the road from the village of Tuk Tuk to Simanindo, at the northern tip of Samosir, was a scenic motorbike ride.

We passed numerous old traditional wooden houses with dwarf sized doors and large bull-horned shaped roofs. The horn part of the roof creates a large dry area - like an extra large porch! Under the house the animals are kept, such as pigs and goats.

Scattered amongst the rice paddies in prominent positions, and in gardens, we spotted similar horn-shaped roofs on graves. These were family tombs and were well cared for. This area of Sumatra was converted to Christianity from Animism under colonial rule, but the tombs still retain a mixture of Christian and Animistic symbolism – probably not unlike the culture itself.

On our travel around the island there were numerous Protestant Christian churches, and I wondered how any could attract a good congregation size due to the sheer ratio of churches to people. We even found a Methodist church, but no one was around to let us in.

Buffalos wallowed in muddy pools by the roadside, whilst goats and cows grazed the lush pastures.

The Batak people of Danau (Lake) Toba could be distinguished by their high cheek bones, puckered lips, and curly hair. They farm carp in the lake and tend to their arable crops. We found them to be cheerful and welcoming types, with a love for playing the guitar and singing.