Kayak in Lake Toba
Ever thought of Kayaking in Lake Toba?
I received this special interesting Breaking News Story featured in Straits Time Singapore from our reader Mr. Ronen Skaletzky.
The feature is about the wonderful experience of 10 kayakers comprising Australians, Britons, Germans, Malaysians and a Singaporean - rowing Kayak 139km down Lake Toba for over four days.
Have you ever thought about Kayaking in Lake Toba ( North Sumatra - Indonesia ) - The Largest Crater Lake in the world twice the size of Singapore? Read this adventurous story…
“…Some might say it is one of the most beautiful places in the world to kayak.
We took three months to plan the trip online. Some of us were strangers and the only binding factor was we each owned folding kayaks that could be collapsed into backpacks for easy transportation.
We met at Polonia Airport in Medan before heading for the lake. I was the first to arrive with a 19kg backpack containing food and a kayak.
A customs officer asked: ‘What is it?’
I answered: ‘Sampan.’
He let me through, shaking his head in disbelief.
Halim, a German who owns a local paddle tour company and was joining us as a member in the expedition, was waiting at the airport entrance with a wide grin. He excitedly waved a paddle in the air, making himself impossible to miss.
When everyone had arrived, we embarked on a bumpy four-hour 180km ride to Tigaraja ferry terminal in Prapat town, right on the edge of Lake Toba.
Boats at this terminal head mostly for Samosir, an island in the middle of the lake. There are no pre-designated ferry stops. Passengers simply give the name of their accommodation and alight at the piers nearest to their hotels.
At dusk, we got off at a tiny pier built for Romlan, a traditional Batak house hostel run by a German woman in Tuk Tuk town on Samosir Island.
Night was falling and with the help of torches, we struggled to assemble our kayaks. But something was wrong. My kayak was missing an aluminium rod, integral for stretching and supporting the skin to keep it afloat. I had left it behind in Singapore. My heart sank.
The new blue kayak was to have its debut row on Lake Toba. I had even christened it Toby.
My new friends scoured the area for a substitute rod and found a piece of bamboo. They sculpted ’screws’ for the rod out of tree bark and used plastic cable ties to secure the rod and Toby was ready to go.
The next day, we rowed 55km south to Muara town, passing several waterfalls teeming with jumping fish.
Once in a while, cranes flew by and eagles descended to the water to fish, like a scene out of National Geographic.
There were only a few hours of morning light before the crater lake became shrouded in mist. In the afternoon, the mist condensed into clouds, lingering low on the hills.
The water temperature had fallen over the last few years to about 24 deg C due to global weather changes. So going to the restroom was a cold ordeal because it involved jumping into the water.
When it stormed in the evening, the lake churned up rough waves that could overturn small kayaks. The storm also sent winds so chilly that even windbreakers could not keep us warm and heavy raindrops beat down painfully on our tired bodies.
It became essential to have lightsticks strapped to our life jackets so we could spot one another easily.
We munched on muesli and nuts to keep energy levels up and drank from bottles of water we had stored in the sterns and bows of our kayaks.
It was a relief to finally reach the town of Muara where we spent the night in Wisma Muara Nauli, a hotel that was still in its final stages of construction.
The next morning, as we left the hotel, locals in motorboats stared at us with puzzled looks.
Rowing a boat apparently is for the poor who do it out of necessity. And nobody kayaks in Lake Toba.
Halim, who has lived in Indonesia for more than 10 years, explained: ‘The idea of paddling a boat is absolutely crazy to the locals, it is a lapse into backwardness. Once they can afford motorised boats, it is absurd to use such a primitive form to move a boat forward.’
That night, we got lost when the batteries of the GPS system ran out after 16 hours of paddling. Even with a full moon overhead, differentiating Samosir Island - our key landmark - from the various hills and crevasses was impossible.
Finally, at midnight, we found Sampean. The family hosting us ran out of their homes, shining lights onto the dark water to guide the paddlers. They served a meal of mee gomak - noodles with a very hot sauce made of peanuts and grounded chilli padi.
On day three, paddling north to Silalahi, a remote sleepy village, revealed more of the lake’s beauty, as the hills surrounding it were filled with flowers.
You spot more Christian tombs than humans, scattered all over the hills. The Bataks were converted by American missionaries in the 19th century. Today, on Samosir Island, which is also called the Island of the Dead because of the tombs, locals practise a mix of animistic beliefs and Christianity.
The villagers at Silalahi made an impression on us on the last night. They gathered at the only restaurant in their town situated along the lake, anticipating our arrival. They had prepared a song and dance to welcome us, and also called a TV crew from Medan to film our arrival.
But we were four hours late and we arrived in a storm.
Still, the villagers ran out to welcome us, making their way down slippery rocks to carry the kayaks ashore.
David, the restaurant manager from Morina guesthouse, had his employees move all the tables and chairs outside into the rain, so our kayaks could be kept safely inside for the night. They also whipped up a stunning meal of Toba french fries and local dishes.
The next morning, the village chief danced and sang before we left. Young and old, they stood in line to shout, ‘Horas! Horas! Horas!’ (a Batak greeting that means God bless).
Finally, on the fourth day, we paddled into Tongging village to disassemble the kayaks and a van took us to the airport.
Sim Cher Huey, who organised the expedition and owns kayakasia.org, claims this to be the first folding-kayak expedition in Asia.
According to Halim, Sumatra is ‘a great place for adventurers, a lousy place for tourists’. The downside is its poor infrastructure. Nonetheless, Lake Toba was for me a journey of wondrous sights where time stood still.“
Source: Breaking News Straits Times Singapore
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Tipping in Medan
Giving Tips in Medan
This is a guide every traveler wants to know when they go on their vacation.
How much to tip in Medan? What are people expecting? Before we get into tipping, you may want to know the value of your money in Medan Indonesia, no not just the exchange rates. But how much your money is worth.
Minimum Wage in Medan
This is just a guide to the value of money ( tipping ) in Medan. The standard minimum wage in Medan is around Rp980.000 a month which is around Rp38.000 (USD 4.00 ) a day. Some smaller retail and service industry even pays lower than minimum wage like Rp500.000 / month.
So you can measure how much your tips are worth.
There are many times, tourists are the victims of extortion in Indonesia, hence, takes extra precaution. The amount of Rp 50.000 is a big sum as tips in Indonesia, hence do not fall into the trap.
Tipping at Restaurants & Hotels
Many restaurants and hotels have the standard 10% service charge plus tax directly charged to your bill. So technically, you are not required to give any extra.
Nevertheless, if you are feeling well served and generous, you may want to give extra tips to the waiters or waitresses.
There are no hard and fast rules on how much to tip in Medan compared to USA where 25% of your bill is expected. It is up to your generosity. Nevertheless, you may want to know about the standards just in case.
For restaurants, the standard tipping is around Rp 5.000 to Rp 10.000. You may give more if you bring more guests. Rp20.000 should be a big tip.
Hotel porters and bellboys, probably the same aroung Rp5.000 to Rp10.000 depending on the amount of luggages you have for them to help you with.
Beauty Salon & Nail Parlor
This is for the gals. The expected rate for beauty salon or nail parlor, Rp 5.000 is standard for each washer and dryer. Yes, you get more than 1 person servicing you. Some more affluent clients give Rp 10.000 for each of them especially if they are regulars.
Tour & Tour Guide
Tour Guide: I would suggests Rp 50.000 each, for the driver and the guide ( for private tours ). This is based on the standard 3D2N tours. If you feel that you would like to show your appreciation, then really it’s up to each individual. If you are traveling on a group tour, then this should be optional.
Taxi Driver:
This is not expected. But sometimes due to the limited amount of change Indonesia such as the Rp100, Rp500 coins. You may just let them keep the change.
Airport:
Although it is clearly stated that the porter charges Rp 2.000 for each bag, many expect more of about Rp5.000 for each bag now (yes they will ask for more).
From personal experience, no matter how much you give them. They will try and ask for more. So be prepared. There was once, I was feeling generous and gave Rp20.000 for 3 bags and they still ask for more!
As Medan airport has very limited amount of luggage trolleys available, especially as they are all being hogged by the porters themselves, there may be none left for anyone else to use. You will need the help of the porter if you have many luggages.
PARKING
Oh by the way, if you park on the streets of Medan, expect to pay Rp1.000 to Rp2.000 to the parking attendant. This is not a tip, it is a parking fee. The official parking attendant wears an orange jacket and should give you a receipt. But it is common to see any local person to take these parking fees from you.
Why Rp1.000 to Rp2.000. The official price is actually Rp1.000 but it has become a standard for these parking attendants to ask for Rp2.000 now. Even expect to pay Rp5.000 for parking ( just to keep your cars safe ) on a busy street at night where there is an event with parking overflowing to the streets.
If you park at a busy plaza or hotel and the security guard or parking officer helps you get a parking spot, expect to give at least Rp2.000 to Rp5.000 tips too.
Remember, tipping should be based on your own appreciation of service you received and your own financial ability. The amount stated here is just a general guide. If you do feel that the service you are receiving is an exception and would like to show your appreciation, then it is up to the individual to give any amount you like as tips.
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Horas | Batak Traditions
The Meaning and Definitions of HORAS & Batak Traditions
Horas is a greeting frequently said in everyday life by Batak People from North Sumatra especially the “Tapanuli”.
In addition to Horas, other unique greeting words are Menjuah-juah from Karo and Yahobu from Nias. But Horas is the most popular and widely used. It is difficult to find the Indonesian translation as Horas means, among others:
- how are you,
- wishing a good health,
- introductory word,
- good morning/afternoon /evening,
- welcome/goodbye.
Horas in Batak tradition has its uniqueness, created from Batak’s life philosophy “Dalihan Na Tolu” (DNT). Literary DNT means “Tungku Nan Tiga” or Stove supported by three legs. The philosophy shows the intimate internal relationship from three Batak’s familial society which pray for everyone to always be “Horas-Horas”: Somba Mar Hula-hula, Elek mar boru, Manat Mar - Dongan tubu.
According to DNT, Batak Familial relationship is divided in three parts : Hula-hula (family of the wife), Dongan tubu (our surname, patriarch line, father, grandfather and sons), Boru (women family from father, our sister and their husbands’ family). Somba mar – Hula-hula means to always follow and respect the Hula-hula in order to be “Horas-Horas” ; Elek mar- Boru means to love our sister and their husbands so we will be blessed abundantly.
Manat mar - Dongan Tubu means carefully maintain the family relationship to avoid misfortune and curse from our family. Every Batak person is a King (Raja), not in a monarch way of meaning.
The word is commonly used in Batak’s traditional ceremonies and every day life. In the DNT relationship, it is symbolized in a triangle, each is called: Raja ni Hula-hula, Raja ni Boru and Raja ni Dongan Tubu. Every Batak male in the society has been in the three DNT positions; Hula-hula, Boru or Dongan Tubu, depending on the situation and condition. Batak tradition does not consider one’s position, wealth or status because it solely refers to DNT philosophy.
