Beit Emmett: Study Abroad: North Sumatra and Singapore

For out last day together we headed out in two vans (ahh, leg room and window seats for all). Our original plan called for two days exploring the Batak highlands and Lake Toba, but a few weeks ago the half of us who were scheduled to fly from Medan to Singapore were alerted that our flight had been cancelled and moved up a day to the 16th. This meant that we would not have time to visit Lake Toba. The other half who were flying from Medan to Bali to Singapore were still scheduled to fly out on the 17th. We planned that we would all just go to Medan at the same time so we could get a COVID test before flying out, but then the US dropped its test requirement so that meant we would not all have to be in Medan on the 15th for a test. I then worked it out with our tour guide Jay to have the Bali group continue on toToba for a night in one van, while the rest of us went to Medan in another van.

Our morning drive took us further and further into the Batak highlands, populated by the Karo and Batak peoples, the majority of whom are Christians having converted in the 1830s when German missionaries arrived. Islam had not reached these highlands so the animists converted and became the one Christian enclave in Sumatra. As we drove south from Bukit Lawang towards Brestagi the landscape slowly shifted from mostly Islamic to mostly Christian.

I took a lot of out the window phots as we drove by. On one stretch there were Christian, Muslim and Chinese cemeteries (above).

Slow going on parts of the road.

A Batak Christian church. This denomination has followed the Bataks all over the archipelago with churches like this in Jakarta and other large cities on other islands.

I had wondered how the palm oil fruits were harvested on such tall trees and our driver explained that they use long extendable poles with a knife on the end. When he saw those poles being transported on motorcycles he pointed it out and I quickly took a photo.

A Karo woman with traditional head gear.

Many women's heads were uncovered--most likely Christians.

Very active Mt Sinabung violently erupted last year.

The fertile highlands.

Cabbages growing in the cooler weather and in the fertile volcanic soils.

Church and homes damaged by last year's eruption.

Notice the green evacuation sign. This one has people ruining down hill from the volcano while in coastal areas the people are running up hill away from tsunamis. So may seismic challenges--and they come from all directions.

We are no longer in Aceh.

I was a beautiful and interesting drive from north to south around the east side of Sinabung .

A more traditional style of church.

In the one time Dutch hill station of Brestagi--where Dutch from hot coastal Medan would retreat for holidays and weekends to cooler temps--we visited this royal Karo house turned Catholic Church.

Bible stories on the outside panels--Abraham and Isaac, the Creation.

David and Goliath and Moses.

In the yard was this traditional Karo home.

Last group photo-- from here four went on to Lake Toba and the rest of us went to Medan.

Our group stopped to visit a fruit market. I bought more mangosteens and Will found two more soccer jerseys.

I tried and then bought a new fruit (with the frosted look) --it was called ______apple and tasted like a persimmon. This kind merchant peeled and cut up four so we could all enjoy more.

Traditional Batak/Karo garb.

We were in Medan just long enough to get dinner and then pick up last minute foods at an Indomaret to bring home. I liked this world statue near our hotel.

Our 8:00 am flight was from the new Medan airport about an hour outside of town. Will was in the window seat and took some photos. Mt Sinabung and the Batak highlands to the southwest.

The south end of Lake Toba--that largest lake in SE Asia is inside a huge ancient caldera. It is the center of the Batak peoples. The large island of Samosir is where four of our students were spending the night.

Will liked these cloud formations.

The eastern lowlands of Sumatra.

The strategic strait of Malacca and the coast of Sumatra.

Ships in the strait.

We were all on our own for flights and lodgings once departed from Indonesia so I decided to use some spare research/travel money that will disappear when I retire (from a teaching award I received a few years ago and never got to use because of COVID) to stay in the amazing Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Something I would never normally do. We took swims in the roof top infinity pool that afternoon and the next morning. There were great views from our room, the pool and the lookout deck

I did not know that the mouth of the Singapore river is dammed right before it enters the sea thus making the marina a reservoir.

Thursday evening we rode the subway to colorful Little India.

We met Will's oldest Tueller cousin Nadia, her husband Danny and two of their three children for dinner. They have lived in Singapore for a year. It was the kids' last day of school so our reunion dinner was also a dinner of celebration. We went to a very traditional and authentic restaurant (Komala Vilas) that Nadia has been going to since the time when she was a teenager growing up in Jakarta. I loved it.

I bought some rambutans.

We then headed back to the bay where we showed the Smiths our room with a view (that is allowed, taking any guests up to the pool is not allowed and strictly enforced).