Active volcano...yes please
Trip Start
Aug 20, 2009
1
18
98
Trip End
Ongoing
Parapat, Sumatra, Indonesia
Friday, September 4, 2009
Plastic bags on my feet, odd socks on top of them, wet trainers and a sesame street teesh later and I'm ready!! Looking hot if I do say so myself too!!ha ha!!
Our private car comes to pick us up and we are whisked off to the volcano at 7am!! There others purchase water and energy drinks...I buy a can of Bintang (the local beer)!!
8am and we are back in the jungle (this is becoming a habit) and almost immediately we are on the climb!! After a few brief stops for photo opportunites by signs which say things such as 'Not this way...wrong way' and also the removal of leeches from Miriam and Carolyn we continue our climb to the top of Mount Sibayak. Scrambling up hills, hanging onto branches, splashing through puddles we eventually reach the top and wow its just amazing!! Here we eat rice with our fingers and then head down into the top of the volcano where I write a little message for my mum and sit near the sulphur and steam which is smoking out the volcano...not everyday you get to do such a thing and it's pretty damn special!!
The descent down the hill takes us to the hot spring where I take off my shoes and socks to find a huge 'hickie' on my foot...from a LEECH!! A brief glance at the floor and there is the biggest leech I have ever seen!! Yuck yuck yuck!! Ah well a relax in the hot springs and all is better and it's the time to head back to Brastagi and then embark upon our 4 hour trip down to Lake Toba!! The days of lying around on the internet in bed are well and truly gone I tell you!!
Back at the hostel we grab our stuff, pay up and leave in our private 'car' (it's actually an old bus)...untill I remember that I have lost me leechy trainers and we have turn back to the hostel to allow me to retrieve them!! Back on the road again and we pass several buffalo strolling along the roadside pulling carts with supplies in before stopping at a waterfall at the top of Lake Toba. Here we are met by the screams of several young girls who can't believe we are here and are dying for photos and facebook addresses etc etc!!
Onwards to the lake and we have missed the last ferry so find a little place to stay after agreeing cheapo price and a mattress on the floor too!!
Night night
