After seven action packed weeks in Thailand, I was off to the airport for my flight to Indonesia, Mr. Sicky in tow. I was set to meet my old friend Suwandi in Medan. Suwandi and I had worked together in Iowa for close to six years. His brother and sister, both of whom spent time in the US, had moved back to Indonesia, and in April he moved back to his hometown to join them. Now just seven short months later we were set for a reunion. Same friendship, different location. Now instead of roommates chatting to each other in our office we were galavanting around Medan, checking out the sites, but still chatting all the same.
One of the first things we did upon arrival was to head off to the street market and indulge in some good Indonesian fare. Suwandi proceeded to stuff me silly with all the tasty treats and foods the street seemed to offer. I think since I had lost a lot of weight Suwandi took it as his personal mission to fatten me up again. I don’t remember everything he set in front of me; all I remember is that 95% off it was fantastic. After properly gourging myself, I headed back to my hotel ready to sleep for a week.
Our next destination was the phenomenal Lake Toba. I had seen pictures of this area years ago back in the US. Suwandi had recently returned from a trip back to Indonesia and showed me some photos of the sites he had visited in Java and Sumatra. His pictures of Lake Toba was stunning. So once I knew I was going to Indonesia to meet him, Lake Toba was at the top of my list.
Upon arriving to the area it immediately reminded me of parts of Scotland, which I had visited many years ago. The green rolling hills and the blue lake, combined with the spitting rain brought back vivid memories of my time in the Isle of Sky. Lake Toba, the largest crater lake in the world, is so overwhelming that only portions of it can be seen at one time. According to this site, if you place the lake in the Chicago area, it would stretch from Waukegan to Gary. It is also supposedly the site of the largest volcanic eruption in the last 2 million years. Naturally, I needed to check this place out. It didn’t disappoint, either. Even with the off-and-on again rain the lake was stunning. With the clouds rolling by I could only see portions of the lake. The lake extended to the horizon. From our high vantage point we could see for miles and miles around. Roads seemed like tiny tracks. Cars and houses were in minature. Lighting rolled across a plateau on the opposite side of our hill. I was entranced. We sat and enjoyed the view, explored the surrounding area, and after a fruitful day made our slow way back down to Medan. Along the way we stopped to peruse different fruits at roadside stands, and I was given the chance to taste different exotic fruits I had never heard of, let alone seen before. We also made a stop halfway down the mountain to try some hot off the grill corn on the cob. Now being from Iowa, I am naturally picky when it comes to corn. I would daresay I am also a little proud and haughty when it comes to trying corn from anywhere else in the world. Frankly, I dismiss it as second-rate. This corn was good, and the surrounding view of the mountains added to the appeal, but it doesn’t compare to late July or August Iowa corn. Not even close.
Since I was still recovering from my nasty cold we decided to make the following day an easy day with the highlight being catching an afternoon movie. I didn’t pick the movie since I had been a little out of touch with new releases, so when the movie “Contagion” was suggested I said sure that sounds good. Fast forward to the movie theatre, us taking our seats, and the movie running. Little did I know until the movie started to unfold exactly what the plot was. Let me give you a quick synopsis. A deadly disease breaks out and starts to spread around the world. People get sick, cough, convulse, and die within days. I had been sick for a week and let me tell you, this was not the best choice of movies for me to watch at that point in time. While the movie itself was good, I couldn’t help but feel I had contracted some deadly disease and was going to kick the bucket any moment. Lucky for you, me, and this blog, I survived!
Another destination in our Medan tour was the Maimun Palace. One thing that stands out from my time there is that this was the first place in Indonesia I started to be treated like a rock star. It is common for some Asians to ask white people to take their picture with them. It is considered good luck, I believe. While I wasn’t in quite the same demand as say some beautiful Russian girl or girls in bikinis on the beach, I still got my fair share of people asking for my picture.
While in Medan I was also able to visit the Tjong A Fie house and the Grand Mosque. Both were great pieces of architecture and stand as sights that should be visited on any trip to Medan. Once again, at the Grand Mosque I was asked for pictures and was able to display my total rock star status. Well, rock star in the tiniest, humblest sense of the word.
With my cold starting to recede and Medan thoroughly visited, it was time for Suwandi and me to head to our next Indonesian destination: Bali.
Karen says
Must have been great to have Suwandi as your tour guide! Bet he was able to give some good tips for your photography as well. I hadn’t heard of Lake Toba – looks amazing! Did they at least put fun spices on your roasted corn like they would in India?