Lake Toba

From Medan to Tebingtinggi to Pematangsiantar and then onto Parapat at the shore of Lake Toba. We drove and drove. First through the non-descriptive urban sprawl of Medan, then past Bridgestone rubber tree plantations and terraced rice paddies. Slowly mosques became churches and we knew we had entered Batak country. The famed Lake Toba lies in the middle of this mystical land. The Lake itself was created some 75,000 years ago after a massive volcanic explosion that was supposedly exponentially more powerful than Krakatoa and Vesuvius. Water filled the collapsed caldera and created the serene 400-square mile lake. Fast forward a few thousand years, as the fault line beneath Toba shifted, another volcano grew and soon enough, it peaked through the water and formed the island of Samosir in the giant lake.

Legend has it that no Westerner laid eyes on Toba until 1863 - at least none who survived the experience. The daunting mountains and the fearsome reputation of the Batak people whose homelands surround the lake - the original ''headhunters of Sumatra'' - had for centuries worked to discourage upcountry wayfaring. The Batak I encountered on my trip were more than friendly. They approached with smiles at the dock wanting to practice their English. They showcased their strong traditions of singing and guitar playing on ferry rides. They returned our request with smiles when asked if we could take photos of their traditional houses with boat-shaped roofs.

On Sunday morning, as we drove through the green plateaus of Samosir, we passed women in their Sunday best clutching bibles and slowly making their way to service. We heard hymns and songs escaping from country churches that dot the expansive landscape. We saw shirtless young boys playing soccer lakeside.

Only too soon did Sunday afternoon approach and it was time to get in the car and drive and drive again. We left behind the lake, the island, the churches, the cool breeze and descended back to where we came from.