We took the 7am ferry back to Parapat and made our way to Berastagi. The trip is about 4 hours, but we'll be making a few stops so we'll get there mid afternoon.

The road climbed steeply, and with all the back-and-forth motion we started to get a bit carsick. Knowing this would be the case, Hanum suggested we stop at a restaurant up in the hills which afforded an amazing view of Lake Toba. The specialty of the house was ginger tea, so we had to try. It was absolutely delicious - a blend of ginger, cardamom, star anise, lemongrass, and brown sugar. Think chai tea - only stronger and more delicious!

After our tea break we were on the road again. Our next stop was a visit to the impressive Sipiso-Piso falls which drop 120m into the north end of Lake Toba. This was a great place for a photo stop and to stretch our legs a bit. Back on the road we headed toward the small traditional village of Dokan. This part of Sumatra is highly agricultural, and we saw fields of oranges, coffee and other crops. On the way, the road (if you want to call it that) deteriorated to a rutted tire-slicing mess. It is only due to the skills of Rozi that we made it through this stretch with only some quesy stomachs and not a completely misaligned front axle. Partially compensating for this highway to hell were magnificent views of 2 volcanos puffing away - Mt Sibayak and Mt Sinabung. We will be climbing the easier 2094m Sibayak tomorrow. Sinabung is a must more difficult climb and we'll save that for another visit!

The village of Dokan was our next step and definitely one of the highlights of our visit to the region. We first saw traditional basket making and got to see locals drying coffee beans in the sun. A little boy living in one of the traditional Batak houses popped out of the door and said "hello". Hanum started talking and next thing we knew we were invited into the house where several families live. The family seemed genuinely happy to have visitors and we were left with a sense of wonderment by how this family, with materially so little, couldn't have seemed any happier. After a kiss from the adorable 18 month old baby girl, we were on our way to Berastagi.

Berastagi is located at 1300m, so it is downright chilly. We stopped for lunch at a very traditional restaurant and enjoyed some delicious grilled chicken and oxtail soup. They also served delicious fried tofu and tempe. Before checking into our hotel, we stopped at the famous Berastagi market. Because of all the agriculture in the area, the market is just bursting with produce. We picked up some oranges, passion fruits and mangosteens to snack on later.

Our hotel for the next 2 nights is the Sibayak Berastagi International Hotel. The property is set on magnificent rounds with a pool, tennis courts, and a karaoke bar. The rooms are a bit faded, but will be just fine for the next couple of nights.

After a walk around the town of Berastagi, we had dinner and went over to the karaoke bar for a bit. We didn't stay too long as we want to be in top condition for conquering Mt. Sibayak tomorrow!

August 21 -- Climbing Mt. Sibayak

Today was our big hike – climbing to the top of Mt Simbayak. The mountain is one of 2 steaming volcanoes towering over the town of Berastagi. Mt Simbayak is the easier to climb at about 2,000 meters. The other more picture-perfect conical shaped volcano is Mt Sinabung, and at 2,500 meters is much more challenging to climb.

After the standard buffet breakfast at the hotel, we headed up to the base of the mountain. We were joined by local guide Erwin who stopped and picked up some water and biscuits for the journey. We drove a good portion up the mountain side on a very steep switch-back road. Several trees had fallen across the road, but they were no match for Rozi who plowed right through them!

Finally the car could go no further, so we started the steep walk up the road. Soon Erwin directed us to climb up a muddy cliffside to start the official hike. Unfortunately Simbayak and the entire area were socked in with clouds, so we couldn't see much. Erwin told us not to worry as by the time we reached the top, he was pretty sure the clouds would clear.

The ascent first was through fairly thick jungle up a rocky path. Soon it the jungle cleared and we could start to smell sulfur and could feel the cooler weather on the mountainside. Eventually we reached a point where we could hear and see steam venting from numerous fumaroles. The sulfur in the steam has colored many of the rocks in the area bright yellow. In fact, many locals make the climb to collect and sell the sulfur – very stinky work.

Under a thick blanket of fog that made it nearly impossible to see a thing, we descended into the actual crater of the volcano – very cool! Bubbling mud and hot springs were scattered around the ground. We realized that if this site was in the US, we wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near it for safety concerns. Unfortunately, however, with the freedom to explore comes the freedom to liter. It is very sad to see the tons of trash tourists have left on the mountain. Had we known, we would have brought some plastic bags to fill up and pack some of the trash out.

As promised, the clouds began to thin and we were soon afforded an impressive view of the crater and surrounding cliff faces. We snapped a bunch of pictures before Erwin suggested we climb the final stretch to the top of the mountain were we would have a postcard view of Mt Sinabung. We climbed and the mountain was still invisible in the clouds. Erwin said not to worry, so we patiently waited.

After about 1 hour of waiting on the cold windy mountain top, the clouds began to part. Erwin smoked a Samponera cigarette (we’ll have to check the spelling on that) as he thought it would bring us luck. If that was the case, Indonesia would be a very lucky place as everyone seems to have a 2-3 pack a day habit! Many smoke the aromatic clove cigarettes which give off a mildly pleasant sweet sense. A little less annoying for all the second-hand smokers!

Finally the clouds evaporated from Mt Sinabung and we had a great view of the cone shape with a whisp of steam emanating from the top. Definitely worth the wait! We then hiked back down to meet Rozi and Hanum who were waiting to bring us to some local hot springs fed by the volcanoes. After a quick dip to soothe our aching feet and bodies we were back on our way to Berastagi. We suggested we eat lunch at the same place we ate yesterday as Efren loved the soup. This time we ordered the chicken.

One other thing to mention in this region regarding food. Warning – this is pretty nasty! Indonesia is predominantly Muslim, so eating pork is a general no-no. However, especially in Christian Batak country, pork is eaten. In an attempt to keep it "subtle", roadside eateries (warungs) which serve pork tend to use the code “B2” on their signs. This is because the Batak word for pig has 2 B's in it. Ok, not too bad, right? Well, there’s more. Something else occasionally eaten in the region is dog meat. Yes, beloved Fido can be on the menu. Clearly this isn’t looked at favorably either, so it has its own code, “B1” because the Batak word for dog has only 1 B. So, if ever in this area, be very cautious if you stop in a place to eat that has ”B1” listed on the sign!!

For the rest of the afternoon we relaxed and made arrangements for Rozi and Hanum to pick us up later in the evening to take us to find internet access in town. We found Raymond’s Café and quickly checked our email and invited Hanum to be our friend on Facebook! Raymond’s was a very laid back and comfy joint and we ended up spending a couple hours chatting with Hanum while downing some absolutely delicious Sumatran coffee, ginger tea and fried bananas while Rozi played computer games online. Life is good!

Headed back to the hotel for another noisy night at the Sibayak International Hotel. The walls in this place really are paper thin! Tomorrow our Sumatran adventure ends as we hop a couple of flights that should have us in Bali by the end of the day tomorrow. Looking forward to our next adventure!