I spent three weeks at Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Indonesia on two separate occasions and did virtually nothing both times. It's not my fault, though. Between lazing in a hammock, swimming in the thermally heated lake, and eating some of the best grilled fish I've ever had anywhere, my days were pretty full. Nevertheless, on both visits, I managed to move some things around … [Read more...]
Just Hanging Out and Chewing Some Watermelon
Apparently bats don't just suck blood. Maybe it's simply the red color, but this bat in the hills of Kintamani, Bali in Indonesia really seems to be enjoying that piece of watermelon. It also seems huge (the bat, not the watermelon), so maybe the locals feed it fruit to keep it full and keep its mind off their blood (yes, I know only vampire bats live on blood)... This … [Read more...]
How Lake Toba Cleaned Up Its Hippie Backpackers
This sign was found in the village of Tuk Tuk on Samosir Island in Lake Toba, which is located in North Sumatra, Indonesia. Laundry services and magic mushrooms might seem like a strange combination, but the stores here basically offer whatever people want and I'm guessing those two are the most requested items. … [Read more...]
Disappear Into a Sewer in Medan, Indonesia
Medan, Indonesia's third largest city and capital of North Sumatra is not a popular destination with tourists. The whole province has been suffering from a sharp decline in visitors over the past twenty years, a decline that has been attributed to the 2004 tsunami, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, a civil war and of course corruption. But maybe there's a much simpler reason for … [Read more...]