Sumatra...finally!

I returned from my trip to Sumatra quite a few days ago...one month ago to be exact. Since then Halloween has come and gone, I changed my entire teaching schedule, I went on two fieldtrips (that's another blog entry or two), and there was a huge election that still has my heart racing. Now even Thanksgiving has passed by. Therefore, this is a disclaimer: what follows may lack the eloquent detail that it deserves. Please remember, as you read about my Sumatran escapade that it was absolutely incredible with beautiful scenery, rich cultural experiences and delicious food.

Sumatra, if known at all by Americans, is known mostly for its coffee (think Starbucks Sumatra blend) possibly for its famous Sumatran tigers, and perhaps for orangutans. Aceh is the island's northernmost province. You may recognize the name (pronounced Achay) because of the recent end to a long and bloody civil war, the establishment of shar'ia law (strict Islamic law), or most likely, from news coverage of the tsunami that devastated Indonesia but also put it on the average American's radar in 2004.

Sumatra is the 6th largest island in the world (according to Lonely Planet) and it has to be one of the most diverse. The geography of the island along with its wealth of natural resources creates the perfect environment for both biological and cultural diversity. Over 100 volcanoes rest within an impressive mountain range that creates a dramatic north-south spine down the island. Among these mountains you can find a variety of rare plants and animals such as the world's largest flower, the Rafflesia arnoldii, and the two-horned Sumatran rhino. You can also find towns and villages where the traditions are well-preserved. I have no idea how many different cultural groups have been identified and classified on Sumatra, but I can tell you there are a lot.

I arrived in Sumatra on October 19, the day that Mom flew back to the United States. I flew from Jakarta to Padang, Sumatra's capital. In Padang I joined five other ETAs, two of which were leaving the next day for Bali, and three of which were to be traveling companions for the next week. We ate a huge Chinese dinner, followed by a few beers at a nearby bar, and then took off for the north the next morning. Although my time in Padang was really short, I could already tell that Sumatra was going to be a new experience. Padang looked old and it was really easy to imagine it as a Dutch colony. There were abandoned buildings with shingled roofs and large wood shutters hanging, rotting, to the sides of broken out windows. The streets were laid out in angles and curves, rather than in a modern grid. Unlike the eerily clean and new suburbs of Surabaya where I live, everything in Padang was covered in a thin layer of dirt and grime that gave the town a sort of industrial, yet vacant feeling. I loved it!

There were four of us traveling together and our plan was to go as far north as possible in 7 days. We hired a driver, Talib, and a car, Kijang (the standard Indonesian SUV – made by Toyota, I think) and by 6 am on October 20 we were off. Our first stop was Bukittinggi, a town of about 100,000 people that's about a two-hour drive from Padang. Bukittinggi, which means "tall hill," sits in the foothills of the mountains and therefore has a very pleasant climate. Our first stop in Bukittinggi was brief, just long enough stop at the central market to buy some cassette tapes such as Hip Hop Hits Vols. 1 and 2, an Eric Clapton mix, Iwan Falls (considered the Indonesian Bob Dylan), and some Indonesian pop.

After Bukittinggi, our next stop – an unexpected one – was at the rather inconspicuous Rafflesia Sanctuary. The winding roads and suffocating diesel exhaust were already stirring Amanda and mine's stomachs so we were looking for an excuse to stop. What we were initially told would be a 2-300 meter walk to see the famous rafflesia flowers turned into a beautiful and challenging hike into the jungle. After crossing streams and climbing over swinging vines and twisted roots we really did get to see a rafflesia flower. Unfortunately, we were about a week too early and it had not bloomed yet. Still the strange, alien-like blossom was worth the hike. Not to mention, my personal highlight: I saw a real live wild orangutan! I was hiking behind Ethan when we heard something in the trees ahead of us. Initially it sounded like those really fat squirrels that hang out on OU's college green and pig out on burrito buggy scraps. But then I remembered, oh yeah, I'm in Indonesia. There aren't any squirrels here. So I grabbed Ethan's arm and eagerly peered through the rustling branches around us. Sure enough, just below us, moving down the mountainside was a hairy, orange creature swinging quickly down to the rice field below. I couldn't believe it…I still can't!

After our hike we got back into the car and continued north. To be honest the next couple of days are a blur. The scenery was absolutely incredible with green rice fields, sheer rock walls, and tall, clear waterfalls. As we drove through the forests and the mountains I felt like either we had entered the land of giants or the set for "Honey I Shrunk the Kids." Everything that had been created by nature was huge, even the ferns! And unlike most places, everything man-made seemed smaller than usual. I don't know if it was just the contrast with the enormous mountains, but I am certain that at least the roads were much smaller than what I am used to.

We stopped for the night at this pretty wretched place, but I was thankful for the break from the car, the roads and the fumes. Eventually we reached North Sumatra and what was our northernmost stop, Lake Toba. We spent one night in a small, dingy town, Parapat, but the next day we took the first boat to Samosir Island in Lake Toba. Lake Toba is the largest lake not only in Indonesia, but in Southeast Asia. It sits inside a volcano caldera and is therefore surrounded by beautiful peaks. Unfortunately we couldn't really see these peaks because the smoke from large forest fires in East Sumatra and Kalimantan covered the North Sumatran sky. Nonetheless it was beautiful. The water is clear and cool. And the air, despite the haze, was fresh. Our ferry to Samosir dropped us off in Tomok, a small town with a disturbing amount of stands selling useless knick knacks for tourists despite the fact that there were no other tourist nor tourist attractions there. We stopped to see the grave of King Sidabutar, one of the last Batak kings (the people who are native to North Sumatra are Batak) and then we walked about a half hour to Tuk Tuk, the Samosir tourist spot.

It was still early and Ethan and Amanda wanted to hike further inland and lodge in the mountains that night. Deanna and I, on the other hand, took one look at the lake and the many comfortable places to eat and sleep in Tuk Tuk and decided to chill out. We found a really nice Sumatran bungalow with two beds and a great bathroom and a lake view to boot! Over the next two days we met friendly people, ate great food (although we avoided the "magic mushrooms" offered on most menus), saw hot springs, drank traditional palm wine, played Chinese checkers, and all in all unwound. It was perfect!

By the 24th we had to head south again. We pretty much trucked back, stopping for one night at the same old dingy place we stayed on the way up. Then we managed to make it back to Bukittinggi on the 25th with enough time to find a hotel and explore some of Bukittinggi's attractions, such as a beautiful canyon and a labyrinth of caves built by the Japanese during WWII.

On the 26th we returned to Padang, went straight to the airport and by the night's end I was back in Surabaya. That feels like such a long time ago!