PART 4
Lake Toba
Said goodbyes at the village & headed to Lake Toba via Siantar.
Lake Toba is the largest of Indonesia's lakes and is located in the Barisan Mountains.
It is around 450m deep and is situated in a large volcanic crater.
Samosir Island is in the centre of the lake.
The town of Parapat is the main tourist resort and lies on the shores of Lake Toba
At one time the area was a hive of tourist activity.
The day we visited , we appeared to be the only people visiting.
All boats, watercraft etc on the lake looked like they had not been used for a very long time.
Scenery was beautiful but the whole town of Parapat was so quiet, it was almost eerie.
There are many hotels in the town with reasonable rates & a variety of restaurants to dine at (mostly local).
As you wind down the mountain road into the town of Parapat there are also a few restaurants dotted along the road with magnificent views of the lake.
We had previously thought about staying overnight at Samosir Island but changed our minds and decided to head back to Medan.
The plan was to try and get an earlier flight back to Bali but all flights (9 a day to Jakarta ) from Medan were full.
So...we spent a few days in Medan to see the sights, relax and....eat..
photos of Lake Toba:
http://communityDOTwebshotsDOTcom/album/550097675tHqHxH
PART 5
Medan
Drove back from Lake Toba to Medan.
Checked in to the same hotel but this time in a better room with a better view.
Have already mentioned the traffic..which never stops.
Could hear it all night outside the hotel window.
Calms down around 5am before picking up again.
Caught a taxi the next day (well it had 4 wheels & was just holding together) to visit family.
Taxi's do not use the meter..you negotiate the rate as you used to do ages ago, in Bali.
They are also few & far between, with the becaks & public transport being the most popular & available source of getting around.
Medan is a mix of new & old.
At times it seems quite western & at other times not.
It has many tall imposing buildings & then the small stalls dotted in between.
It also is a place where you will never go hungry ...there are literally restaurants & food places everywhere.
Our tour of Medan the following day started with a walk around .
It was Sunday so the streets were relatively quiet but crossing the road was still a nightmare.....traffic flows a lot faster than Bali....and there is more of it.
Hold hands , look both ways & run..
The centre of town is where the Post Office Building is located.
Shops are well set out ...they are grouped in sections
eg All sports shops are located in the same street next to one another as are banks, car repair places etc.
A new "walk" is being built in the town which will enable pedestrians to walk along off the road, umolested, & at ease.
There is already a walk there ..Merdeka Walk which is like a large food mall.
There is a variety of restaurants (even a Balinese one ) located there, ice cream stalls, DVD booths etc.
Each night a band plays on the open stage and the area stays open until 3am.
Kesewan Square is lined with shops during the day & at nite transforms into a food market.
There are quite a few large shopping plazas also located in the city.
After a bite to eat at Merdeka Walk we decided to take a tour of the city in a becak (also need to negotiate price beforehand)
This way I got to see the main sights.
The large Mosque in the city is open for tours if you wish to have a look through.
Over the road is the public swimming pool & around the corner is the massive new International Islamic school being built.
Our "driver" was taking us to the zoo at the end of the tour but admitted he had no idea where it was really so we headed for a place out of town to pick up take-away Batak food (the only place that sells it).
Decided to get a cab back to the hotel from here...
Spent the nite relaxing, drinking eating & socialising with family & friends at the hotel.
Hotel clientele mainly Asian guests with a few westerners here & there.
Also hardly any westerners on the streets of Medan.
Medan is a large, interesting, vibrant city but I'm not sure it's the kind of place I'd like to live in.
photos:
http://communityDOTwebshotsDOTcom/album/550097674czEzSE
PART 6
Bali
Departed from Medan early in the morning.
Departure from Medan was easy & stress free with a fairly good area to wait for your flight
Landed in Jakarta & the transit area was open this time so it was much easier all round.
Only waited a short time in transit before boarding the plane to Bali.
Arrived in Bali...much hotter here...
Came through the same area where international flights come in..then through the domestic channel to the right of VOA.
Only had to show our boarding passes from the flight.
Through to pick up our bags & then through the same customs channels as international flight.
No bag checks or ID asked for ..just waved the boarding passes again.
Chilled out for the rest of the day at the bungalow.
For the next few days I did very little.......
Caught up with my sister again before she left & generally just relaxed.
Bali Summary:
Weather was generally ok. Hot and sunny toward the end of the trip with some heavy downpours before that.
Exchange rate fluctuated between 6300-6600 while I was there.
Bali Rock in Melasti St is still being renovated...mess of rubble & building material visible.
Puri Raja is still under renovation...mess and rubble etc in the driveway on Padma Utara
Rum Jungle restaurant in Padma Utara is open for business aqain...with different staff & owners.
La Pace restaurant in Jln Sahadewa (formerly Tekor, formerly Bali Qui) looks like it's closed for renovations again.
Tried out Warung Murah in Jln Double 6.
Thought the food bland & have had better at other local/Padang places.
Ate many times again at Plengkung...good noodles, fried chicken mie goreng etc.
Also ate again ..once..at Swells in PoppiesI ...not as good as last time but still ok
The new airport exit is now open & the road has been blocked off accordingly
Entry is still via the old entrance/exit
Bluebird taxi cost from Legian/Seminyak was around 44000rp
The Airport taxi charge is around 55000rp
Bought sarongs again from Jln Double 6..great selection & fixed price.
Kuta Apartments are close to being finished & many already sold..look good if you are into that sort of thing.
Garuda flight leaving Bali to Perth was delayed about an hour...
Tickets were checked carefully before entry into the airport at the Bali end
Then through X-ray & straight to checkin.
Flight home was as usual..
Roll on June