The Sumatran lake people

I can’t say I’ve seen much of Sumatra. In fact I had only a glimpse. And that’s fair. The island is Indonesia’s largest (not counting Borneo and New Guinea – those are shared with Malaysia and Papua NG).

(click to enlarge image)

Fifty metres away, another fisherman has got his net set up. “It’s time to go home,” she says. “We shouldn’t stay and ripple the water.”

With both feet planted firmly in the water, she separates the dirts from the baby clams with great patience before pouring them into the pail that’s tied to her waist.

Early morning at Maninjau. I sit and watch in silence as the lake wakes itself up to a new day.

The ‘Swoosh’ sound of his fishing ruffles Maninjau’s serenity occasionally.

Trailing along the shoreline, this fisherman is trying to find a good spot to start his day.

Earlier in the morning, he laid the fishing net round a radius of roughly 100m from the shore. And now it’s harvest time. Further away that’s his mate taking an afternoon bath.

Outside his house, a Batak boy shows off the paper ball he made from scraps (mixed with a generous amount of his saliva!).

Tourists are still pouring in to Samosir even though it’s well past 7 in the evening.

Lake Maninjau

Maninjau gave me a glimpse into Sumatra of the Minangkabau. And if I could only share one travel tip, it’s this: don’t settle for guest houses near the main road. Follow the road and go 500m, even 1km north, because the life of the lake people happens there.

Lake Toba

It’s huge, it’s impressive, and it cradles at its heart an island almost the size of Singapore – the Samosir Island.

This place the Batak people call home is also a well-established tourist town, which means things here are rather commercialised.

I enjoyed the hustle-bustle, the food, and the occasional sight of local kids playing and having fun in their home compound. Perhaps I won’t return, but the lake town does have its endearing charm.