October 29, 2006
Last Rest Day in Tolpin Samosir: One more day on the island
Our mileage for the days on Samosir broke down between loaded and unloaded rides. We did 201km around the island unloaded and then with loaded bikes 11km as we moved to another hotel closer to the ferry terminal. Tomorrow, we plan to take a ferry that runs once a week from Simanindo to Harangaol ending a week staying on Lake Tabo.
We are not exactly sure what time the ferry leaves, we have received answers ranging from 6:30am to 9:00am. Our plan then is to be at the ferry landing in Simanindo early and get on whenever. To ride all the way from Tuk Tuk even though it is only about 20 km would mean leaving in the dark and there are steep hills the first 5km to Ambarita. This would be the first in a long time riding loaded with gear. So, our plan is to relocate today and get closer to the ferry.
Our best option is a "resort" in Tolpin about halfway but past the hilliest section of the road. With only 10km, we take our time this morning. First breakfast, and a walk to Tabo cottages to buy some of their muffins for tomorrow's breakfast. Then it's a waiting game, until we are hungry enough again for another wiener schnitzel. It's just past noon when we leave the Hariana Garden.
Loaded bikes again! This week on Samosir Island and the selection of restaurants has been good for our appetites. We are eating again. Maybe we've reached a turning point and actually begin a cycle tour. We hope the recovery lasts.
The ride to the resort takes only 35 minutes. We check in, the rooms are not clean. The owner complains about the "chinese tourists" from Medan. He lets us leave our gear in the room while we ride to Simanindo, Patrick wants to check for the time the ferry leaves. We stop at the same shop we did a few days ago and drink Pocaria Sweat. Boy are we happy to know about this! Patrick is carrying 4 cans for tomorrow's ride. The owner of the shop talks with Patrick in very good English, he teaches English in Junior High School. He talks about the cultural differences, European and Indonesian in the purpose of the questions..."Where are you going?" "Where are you from?" "Do you have children?" Indonesians ask as a greeting, a means of being friendly. Europeans tend to think it's being nosy.
He tells us the ferry comes every Monday to get onions, "the product of his village," and we should be at the ferry by 7am. We ride to the ferry and men on one of the ferries says tomorrow the ferry will leave at 9, then another guy says at 8, the lonely planet says it leaves at 7:30. We are only 10kms away and unloaded it takes 40 minutes to ride from the resort. We'll give it our best guess when to leave for the ferry.
In the evening we talk for a while with two girls, one of them is very talkative and wants to practice her English. She explains that the school is not very challenging and that she does not have much time for homework because she has to work in the vegetable garden. We have dinner in the deserted dining room of the restaurant. There is a set menu, only nasi goreng for dinner. It is fine with Patrick, Rachel does not eat much. We go to bed early but some barking dogs and a couple of mosquitoes keep us awake and we finally put on repellent.
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Today's ride: 212 km (132 miles)
Total: 1,000 km (621 miles)
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