A Morning on Samosir Island, Lake Toba

The east bank of Samosir Island,
with steep verdant hills and churches!

One of the chief reasons for visiting Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Indonesia is to visit the Toba-Batak villages that populate the volcanic lake and Samosir Island. It is a 45 minute boat ride from Parapat on the eastern shore of the lake to the island, a gigantic monolith right smack in the middle and with a land link to the western shore. 

I had wished we were given more time to explore this mysterious island, but all we had were two hours in the Batak town of Tomok. This is a village overcrowded with souvenir and craft shops, but it is more importantly the site of several royal tombs of the Toba Batak rulers. Here one also gets witness Toba-Bataks culture and how they lived.    

A jetty and memorial in Tomok.

A Toba-Batak longhouse,
with its characteristic boat-shaped roof
(some say it also resembles the horns of a
buffalo, an animal that is common here).
This building was purportedly the home
of a Toba-Batak king, and the effigy
standing in front is that of his son.
Today, it is inhabited by a family,
and the first thing one sees on peeking
into its front door is a television set!

The tomb and stone sarcophagus of
King Sidarbuta at the
royal burial grounds in Tomok. 

A recurrent icon in Toba-Batak culture
is the gecko and four breasts (no kidding!),
which are supposedly symbolic of the
humble origins of mankind
(hence a crawling creature)
one that is nourished by the ample bosoms
of nature in order to attain the stature
of adulthood. On the right is a Toba-Batak
totem pole, also located at the site
of the royal burial ground. 

Stone statues and icons,
representing man in ancient animistic
Toba-Batak culture. Nowadays,
the Toba-Bataks
are predominantly Christian. 

A well-preserved Toba-Batak longhouse
that is now the Toba-Batak Museum
in Tomok. The facade of the longhouse 
is decorated with elaborate artwork,
which bears certain similarities with
Papua New Guinean, Australian aboriginal
and Maori art. Notice the ever-present
geckos and mammary glands.!

In truth, the Museum is little more than a
glorified Toba-Batak art and craft shop.

The Protestant Church of Tomok
has wonderful fengshui,
set in between water and hills.

The steep hills that rise behind the village
of Tomok is carved by several waterfalls.

A final look at the village of Tomok,
which resembles some
tranquil tropical paradise.