Whirlwind In A Mama's Head

  On Good Friday of 2023, we went from Taman Simalem Resort to Sibea-Bea Hill , and then continued by land to Samosir Island. This is not a common nor well known route to reach Samosir Island, but there is a way to get to Samosir Island from the mainland without a ferry. Samosir Island is the largest island within an island and is the homeland to Batak people. At 630 km2, it is almost as big as Singapore! A friend who is a local recommended the Samosir Cottages Resort, stating that this was the only one he could recommend. Even so, we were rather disappointed. It was a huge, overpacked resort, not particularly the cleanest, and the breakfast spread was simply bad. That being said, I don't know a better alternative. I think the accommodation sector on the island could use a lot of improvements. The most memorable of the resort for me was the tight and narrow parking lot that was under renovations at that time that really tested my driving skills. 

  It was Good Friday, a fitting day to visit Bukit Sibea-Bea in my opinion. We drove from Taman Simalem Resort  through winding roads up and down the mountain. Let's just say it was not for the faint of hearts, with landslides to boot. Bukit Sibea-bea was supposed to be a hill, and I was a little concerned when the Google Maps brought us through downward loops for a good half hour from the main road. Alas, when we reached the bottom, we saw the hill in the distance. Bukit Sibea-bea is home to a statue of Jesus, still under construction at the time of our visit (and still not finished as I write this). The statue is going to be 61 meters tall, though I'm not sure if that counts the base and pedestal in or out. I guess we'll see when it's done!

Continuing our Medan Lake Toba Journey, on the second day we woke up early to catch the beautiful sunrise. The garden behind our rooms gave us an amazing sunrise view of Lake Toba and the surrounding mountains, with Gardenias in the foreground.