The beauty of Lake Toba and Pulau Samosir Amid the lake

in #travel7 years ago

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Lake Toba is a lake formed by volcanic volcanic activity including Super Vulcan, which is Mount Toba located in North Sumatra Province, Indonesia. The eruption of Mount Toba is estimated to occur about 73,000 to 75,000 years ago.

Because of the huge eruption of Mount Toba some foreign researchers conducted research on the causes that resulted in Lake Toba formed. It is estimated that the eruption of Mount Toba is one of the most powerful eruptions ever since the total material released reaches 2,800 km3 - 2,000 km3 of Ignimbrit that flows over the ground, and about 800 km3 which falls as mainly westward to ash.

The pyroclastic flow from the eruption destroys an area of ​​20,000 km2, with ash deposits as thick as 600 m with the main crater. This led to the formation of a large caldera filled with water now known as Lake Toba and upward pressure by magma that had not yet come out causing the formation of an island in the middle of the lake known as Samosir Island.

This lake has a size of 100 kilometers long and 30 kilometers wide so that this lake is the largest lake in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, because this is the lake is already famous to foreign countries. In addition to this lake is famous for its beauty so that until now many tourists who visit Lake Toba and Samosir Island.

Many of the folklore that tells the formation of Lake Toba and Samosir Island, one of them as follows: Once there is a young man named Toba and Toba's daily activities are fishing. One day Toba went fishing in the river, Toba has been fishing all day but he did not get a fish. With a sense of despair because the sun was about to set, Toba dumped his hook into the deepest water, suddenly he gasped as his hook got a huge gold fish. With happiness, he lifted the fish and went to go home.

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But Toba was startled to hear the sweet voice of the gold fish "Do not take me to your house for you to cook, but put me in a little hut in the fields, and come there after three days." Toba surprised to see the fish can speak, and he followed the words of the gold fish.

After three days of waiting Toba, he went to the hut. Toba gasped in surprise that he had not found a golden fish in the hut, but he found a very beautiful girl with long hair like an angel who descended from the seventh heaven. Feeling shocked and amazed at the beauty of the girl Toba asked the girl "Who are you and why are you here? ", The girl replied softly" I am named Nauli, the princess of the ruler in the water. I am commanded by the Gods for man "

As a young man Toba seduced the girl to want to be his life companion. The girl said "I want to be your life companion but with a condition of a covenant. Whatever happens in our house, you can not say that I am the incarnation of a fish and if you break the promise, I will return to being a fish and live again in the water. " Toba agreed with the agreement and they set up a household

For the needs of everyday life they farm. They live in harmony and peace. After a while they were blessed with a child named Samosir. One day when their son Samosir delivered food to the farm for his father, Samosir fell and the food became dirty and mixed with dust. Samosir collects the food and continues to bring it to his father. After arriving in the field Samosir called his father to eat, but he was afraid to tell him what happened when he brought the food.

When his father opened the food, he was shocked and really angry to see the food dirty and mixed with dust. He was angry and said to Samosir "the bottom of a fish's son, not just food," Samosir cried at his father's anger and went straight home and told his mother. Nauli feel sad to hear her son Samosir report, he too cry. Nauli feels that her husband Toba has broken his promise. With sadness Nauli hugged his son Samosir and admitted that he was the incarnation of a fish

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Nauli sent his son Samosir to go to the highest land, and told Samosir that as a result of the promise his father had disowned, Nauli would return to a fish. After Samosir was right at the highest point, Nauli was praying for the creator to return to its original state. After that the rain fell very rapidly and lasted very long. The water overflowed and drowned their place into a huge lake. Nauli also changed back into a fish. As a matter of fact the water that drowned their village into a lake. The lake is known as Lake Toba and the plateau where Samosir is located is Samosir Island.

To reach the island of Samosir visitors can go through the mainland in Lake Toba, there is accommodation available in the city of Parapat. Parapat is a small town of a rocky peninsula that jutted into the lake. On the way to Parapat from Berastagi hill town visitors will get some sights as the lake is starting to look and the path down the mountain is close to the coastline. In Parapat, live Batak Toba and Batak Simalungun people known as happy and relaxed people, famous for their live and sentimental songs. Although the majority have embraced Christianity, ancient beliefs and traditions still survive.

Visitors can choose a more comfortable option to enjoy a trip on Lake Toba and Samosir Island, by staying on the big island of Samosir in the middle of the lake. Here visitors can see the original home of Batak Toba community. The island has many traces of a past tale in which there are stone cemeteries and traditional villages, such as the Ambarita which has a yard with stone furniture where in the old days inmates were tried and beheaded. Or visit Simanindo where visitors will enjoy traditional Batak ritual music and dance. This is where visitors will be taken to discover the unique and ancient Toba culture.

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In Tomok visitors can find mementos and batik handicrafts, buying hand-woven typical red and black scarves called ulos that are still used today, calendar batak from rattan, wood carvings and others. Samosir Island can be accessed by regular ferry from Parapat. In addition to the ferry boats available passing by around the island regularly. And if you want to better understand the Batak culture visit to Batak Museum in Balige, further south on the beach side there are many hotels and smaller accommodation around the lake, especially in Parapat and Tuktuk on Samosir Island.

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Indonesia is in my travel bucket list. 😊

Would love to go there one day. It looks absolutely beautiful :)

Mmmm really

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