Samosir is a small island (peninsula) in the middle of the lake Toba, a volcanic lake, with stunning views. This used to be a major tourist and party place till few years ago but now there are hundreds of guesthouses with lakeside fronts and rooms with very few guests. It is a very beautiful place but very quiet and people trying desparately to make a living sitting in empty restaurants waiting for custom. They have simple techniques as you go by, Please buy something Mister, or repeated reminders/questions at the guesthouse about renting a motorbike. Can become monotonous, feel sorry for them but would like less attention of this kind, they would say good morning followed by if I want a motobike today.

Had dinner at the guesthouse with Gemma, good value and quite nice except for an over-enthusiastic taut who spoke rapid-fire and incesantly for quite some time, not quite sure about what though. Used the internet to call a few people, including managing to reach Joseph. I am disapointed not being of any help to him while I am travelling. His mum had a stroke few weeks ago and he has had to travel and make arrangements for her in London. I had tried calling him a few times but got the answerphone or the time difference (which I tend to forget) was unsocial. She is making slow progress, fingers crossed.

28th got up about 10 a.m. had a few swims, in a cool lake for a change. Most guesthouses including ours have a jetty area extending onto the lake with a four concrete posted covered area, seats etc. In ours there is also a hammock which I used yesterday and later realised that it belonged to Andrew, a Canadian guy, in his fifties I think, somewhat overweight (in my opinion). He has been visiting Thailand for 40 years and has travelled quite a bit including through the middle East and Iran 40 years ago with $1. He is here now because it is far too hot in Thailand. As we are chatting 4 local guys arrived covered in dust from head to toe, doing some roadwork and jump into the water with some of their clothes still on and then shampoo themselves either dressed or completely naked. As I leave on the boat to Parapat 3 of them jump onto the boat, climb up to the top deck and dive off having a laugh.
Parapat is a dirty little town, surrounded by beautiful hills, shabby old buildings and just a port for providing boats to the island, it was also quite hot. Had some fresh mangos and guacolmole and later some deep fried bananas. On return to Samosir there is mist along the ridges of the hills giving it a mysterioius feel. There is signs of mist going all the way down to thewater too, I guess it is raining in some parts. On the lake it rains lightly. Managed to defer my Australia flight from 1st to 25th of May when my Indonesia visa runs out, this gives me a few weeks to explore Indonesia or surrounding areas. Had reasonably good Pizza dinner with Gemma, Alex and Gabbi and a chilian couple Rodrigo and Carla who work in NewZealand for 7 months a year and travel 5 months due to the seasonal nature of their agricultural jobs. They tell us a lot about Bali and surronding areas and things to do. It seems that Chile has some agreements with various countries which means chillians get free visas in some places where I have had to pay as well as work visas to places like Newzealand. Alex and Gabbi are quite young, pre-University. They will be in India in June, hope they enjoy it as they are going there with some concerns about the heat and the living conditions. Before that they are on a "volunteer program" in Java, these things are now need to be paid for by the volunteers which seems unfair as you do the work as well as fund the project. She is very concerned about all the dangers in the world, great white sharks, crocodiles, jelly fish. Apparantly a woman had been stung by a Box jellyfish and died in Penang days before their visit. Gemma is 28, vegetarian, Australian from Tazmania, a conservationist who has spent lots of time in the bush, who also has a female partner. She has been travelling 5 1/2 months now getting sponsorships from different organisations to extend her visa. I get Gemma to tell us her stories of chasing and jumping on snakes, boating on crocodile infested rivers to reassure Gabbi a little. Tazmanian Devils do exist, are cute and currently dieng off in Tazmania due to a rapidly growing virus, transmitted through biting, which they do to each other due to territorial issues.


I bought a recorder in Parapat yesterday and having downloaded some music I have a little practice at night. It is a strange relationsip I have with music and instruments. Over the years I have bought (and have a collection in England) of musical instruments. Right now I have one recorder in Germany, either one or two in England, bought small flute here for $5, and now another recorder. At times I have resisted buying as I tend to practrce a little and then put it to one side. But somehow I have a desire to play something but tend to lack the patience to learn andenjoy it. This is not do dissimilar to my exercise routine, I know so many routines and yet not terribly consistent with any, oh well!

I also bought a CD to see if I can backup my photos.

29th Jumped in the lake to wake up around 10.00 a.m. Alex and Gabbi are getting ready to leave and waiting on the jetty to flag down a boat to Parrapat.

I do some Salutation to the Sun on the Jetty and another little swim then sit on a chair and and close my eyes a while. Alex and Gabbi leave on the boat which went by earlier from right to left (from Parapat) and is now returnig, and wave goodbye. I sit on a chair gaze at the lake. water ripples lap gently and constantly against the pier and all along the shore, I can also hear it through the night in my room. the lake is surrounded by low hills covered in vegitation. Pistachio-green low grassy areas intersperssed with dark olive green trees. Most of the top of the hills and ridges are tree covered, reminiscent of the movies I have seen, the uneven tops of trees resembling warriors lined up along the ridge and looking downand preparing for action, may be I have watched too many movies! like Zulu and such like.

I write these journals from the veranda of my room. The fisherman I saw yesterday is back on the lake in his very narrow boat carved out of a tree trunk. He lays nets  in various places an comes back and checks them every so often. This morning I was wondering what would happen if you swim into one of his nets as they float vertically and hang down from the surface downwards, so I guess fish would know the answer to this question.

The boys are leaving on the boat to go and harass some tourists into using their guesthouse or to hire motorbikes/tour etc.

A very relaxing day, spent some hours editting photos and writing journals, dinner on my own until 15 young people walked in and rearranged the tables so that the staff had to jump over a barrier to get in and out of the restaurant or to get to me. But looks as if they have done this before. The restaurantour must be quite happy as the island is terribly quiet and I am surprised to see so many people. I had walked past lots of empty places and a couple of places with just a few people, tourists.

I feel very much at peace with myself.

30th
6 a.m. dip in the lake after some Yoga. It is quiet and dark on the lakefront. The locals gradually appear to wash themselves/clothes/scooters. No sign of the sun due to the clouds but I do see the moon set. It has been over cast all day so far. I manage to get Nisa one of the staff to sweep my room, according to her it is not dirty enough.

Feels strange to feel cold and sleep under blankets after the last 4 months of unbelievable heat.

1/5/2010
Carla managed to lose the end part of my recorder. She was writing some music for me and shook the recorder to clear the moisture out, the end section flew off, bounced off concrete and disappeared into the night. Our searches intorch light and this morning were unsuccessful. May I should stop trying to learn the recorder!

Very lazy day again, I do have some ideas of exploring Indonesia but still enjoying the peacefulness of this place when I manage to avoid the boys trying to sell me a motorbike ride.