TOBA LAKE - Sumatera

Toba Lake

World famous is the crater Toba Lake in the Batak highlands; approximately five hours drive from Medan. Toba Lake is the largest lake in South East Asia and also one of the most spectacular, surrounded by tall mountains and with the large island of Samosir in the middle. If we descend from the mountain we see the lake glittering in all its beauty. The Dutch writer Rudy Kousbroek even called Toba Lake, 'the most beautiful place on earth'. Most visitors stay on the peninsula of Tuk Tuk on Samosir, named after the linguist Herman Neubronner van der Tuuk. In general people stay several days on Samosir to discover the island, to visit traditional Batak villages, to swim in the lake and go to the hot springs in Pangururan.

The centerpiece of North Sumatra, Lake Toba's bracing climate and magnificent panoramas clear the mind and soothe the soul. For decades a magnet from regional and foreign visitors alike, Toba has developed into a full-featured highland resort while retaining the rustic charm and relaxed ambiance that define Toba's attraction. Formed by a stupendous prehistoric volcanic explosion, the 100 km long lake is the largest in Southeast Asia and one of the deepest and the highest in the world. The drama of that cataclysmic birth persist in 500 meter cliffs dropping into the blue-green waters, surrounded by steep, pine covered sloped, the climate is fresh and pleasant, with just enough rain to support the lush vegetation.

Toba Lake is a 100kms x 30kms volcanic lake in North Sumatra, Indonesia. Toba Lake has become one of the main tourist attractions for a long time in North Sumatra apart from Bukit Lawang and Nias, visited by both domestic and foreign tourist.

The Origin of Toba Lake
It is estimated that Toba Lake was formed during a volcanic eruption about 73.000-75.000 years ago and which was the most recent super volcano eruption. Bill Rose and Craig Chesner from Michigan Technological University estimated that volcanic materials that were spewed out the mountain totaling 2800km3, with 800km3 ignimbrites rock and 2000km3 volcanic ash that is estimated was blown (wind) to the west for 2 weeks. This incident caused mass death (destruction) and to several species also causes extinction. According to some DNA proof, this eruption also shrinks the humankind population to around thousands back then.

After this eruption, a caldera was formed that was filled by water afterwards and now known as Toba Lake. The pressure from the dormant magma, which has not yet erupted, caused Samosir Island to emerge. The region that now known as Samosir Island originally was a peninsula that attached to the Sumatran mainland. In this peninsula the Netherlands built the water canal 10 m width.

For the first time visitors, going through Medan-Parapat route seeing a lake as big as that made Samosir appear like an amazing grand island. However, the island perspective will certainly faded with the increase in Toba plateau visitor, Nias and the other places in the south, through Medan-Berastagi route. Samosir occupied a central geographical position in the Toba plateau region. With the declaration of the Toba Samosir Regency (the inhabitants 302.000 lives, the area with wide of 3.440 km including the lake) it finally ascend from only a shadow into a Regency. Moreover, the width of Samosir Island exceed Singapore (647 km), in fact Toba Lake almost twice bigger than Singapore. The Samosir image in tourism books as the backpackers location must be changed because this historic place must restore the greatness of its past.

Legend of Toba Lake
Once upon a time, lived a young orphan farmer in the northern part of the Sumatran Island. This area was very dry. The young man lived from farming and fishing. One day he went fishing, he already fishing for half of the day but still not getting any fish yet. So he returned home for the day turns to night, but when he nearly left he saw a big beautiful golden fish, he then caught the fish and brought it home. He intended to cook the fish right away but watched the beauty of this fish he then cancelled his intention. He chose to keep it as pet, and then he placed it in a big pond and feed it. On the next day, like usual, he went to his farm, and on the noon he comeback home, to have lunch. But when he arrived in his house he was very startled for the meal had prepared to be eaten. He then fears that the fish might be stolen, and then hastily he ran to the back of his house.

However, the fish was still in place, for a long time he thinks, “Who cooks those meals”, but because his is very hungry, he ate those meals. But this incident continued to occur again repeatedly, every time he came home for lunch, the meals are prepared on the table. Then one day this young man made a strategy to find out who cooks those meals, the next day he then began to commence his strategy, he then hide around the trees close to his house. He was waiting for a long time, but the smoke in his kitchen still has not been seen, and when he then intended to return home, he began to see the smoke in the kitchen.

"Hey woman, who are you, and where are you came from?” the woman began to drop tears, and then the young man saw his fish was no longer in the pond. He asked the woman, “hey woman, where is the fish in that pond?” the Woman cried intensely, but this young man continued to ask and finally the woman answers, “I was the fish that was caught by you”. The young man then startled, but because he felt that he had hurt the feelings this woman, then he said, “Hey woman, did you want to become my wife??” the Woman then startled, he stay quiet, then the young man said “Why are you silent??” Then the woman said, “I wanted to become your wife. But with one condition.” ”What is the condition?” the young man quickly asked, the woman then said, “In the future if our child was born and grew, never even once you said that he/she was anakni Dekke (child of a fish) ”. The young man then agreed to that condition and swore he will never say it.

Then they were married and granted a child. When the child was 6 years old, this child turn to be very naughty. Then one day the mother told her child to deliver meals to his father field, the child then went to deliver rice to his father. But in the middle of the trip, this child was felt hungry, then the child opened food package for his father, and ate the food. After finished eating, the child then wrapped it back and continued the trip to his father's field. On arrival the child gave the food package to the father, the father was very happy, the father then sat and immediately opened the food package that was sent by his wife to be carried by his child. But he was very startled when he opened the package there is only bones remained. The father then asked his child “Hay my child, why there are only bones left in this package??” And the child answers,” In my trip I felt hungry, so I ate the food.” Listened to that the father was very angry, he then slap his child and said, "Botul maho anakni dekke (Why you child of a fish),". The child is then ran home crying and ask to his mother “Mak, Olo do na in dokkon amangi, botul do au anakni dekke? (Mother, is it true what father said, that I am a child from a fish?) ” Heard his child's words his mother was startled. While dropping tears and saying in her heart, “My husband has violated his swore, and now I must return to my place.” Then the sky was suddenly become dark followed with lightning, thunder, storm, and rain. The child and the mother disappeared, from their footprint emerged a spring that flowed water as swiftly as possible. Until this area was turned into a lake, that was named as “Tuba Lake” the lake without mercy, but because of the bataks was difficult to say “Tuba”, then this lake was mentioned as

TOBA LAKE.
According to the local Citizen, the mother return as a huge fish (the lake guardian), and until today no one is able to measure the depth of this lake. Many tourists that tried to dive into the lake but never return. The lake depth in the book is only estimation not as a fact.

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THE MINANGKABAU PEOPLE

The Land
The people of Minangkabau is the Malay who reside current West Sumatra Province with the capital city of Padang. A city with around 300.000 residents located on the west coast of West Sumatra, facing Indian ocean Other big city in West Sumatra is Bukit Tinggi located on highland with nice temperature which is considered the capital city of Minangkabau land. Historical researches revealed that the first kingdom on the country was located around 60 kms away from Bukit Tinggi city, a place called Pagaruyung. Here was found stone inscription in old Malay language and old Javanese writing. The inscription mentioned that king Adityawarman was ruling the country who was assigned by the kingdom of Pajajaran from West Java in 14th century. During the time West Java was under the control of the Great Kingdom of Majapahit.


To reach the country one can fly directly to Padang from any big cities in Indonesia. Fly from Jakarta need only 2 hours, and from Medan the capital city of North Sumatra is only 1 hour. Yet one who wish to travel with visit to some great places along the land of North and West Sumatra will take car from Medan to Padang, a distance of 800 kms and can be completed within 7 days with overnight stop at some places such as Mountain resort of Berastagi, 2 night at Lake Toba and Samosir Island the land of Batak Tribe, the city of Padang Sidempuan the border between the land of Batak and Minangkabau, then continue to Bukit Tinggi and Padang by crossing the equator line at the town of Bonjol, between Bukit Tinggi and Padang. One thing that is well known from West Sumatra is the cuisine called "Masakan Padang"

Kinship Tradition
The only ethnic of Indonesia using mother line or mother genealogy as the main lineage of family heir in Indonesia. In relation to the family genealogy and heritages the Minangkabau has typical tradition called matrilineal or matriarchart system. Children are considered belong to the mother and her sister(s), not belong to father and his sister(s) or brother(s). A father seems to be out of the family, out of his wife and his children. He has no right to claim the heritage(s) of the family and acts as the guard only for the whole heritages and heirlooms of the family to be safe, or just like a security for a company. The concept of a family in Minangkabau society is different from the rest of Indonesian ethnic group, the core family ( father, mother and their children ) is not a family, but is only part of a of a family. The understanding of a family in Minangkabau society is a unit consist of mother's sister(s), mother's brother(s), son(s) and daughter(s) of mother's sister(s). While father and his son(s) are belong to other family that is father's sister(s). The core family has no right to the whole management of family heritages and heirlooms and in the society structure of obligation and rights. Yet the growth and education of the children sons or daughters is the full responsibility of father and mother apart. A father or son is not the heir of a family, but it is the daughter(s) of mother and her sister(s) of mother. Husband has the duty to guard the family heritages, managing, and distributing to the heirs safely, not for the sake of himself. Wife or wife's sister(s) will not allow him to rent or sell the heritages. Heritages in the Minangkabau language is called "Pusako", compared to Indonesian "Pusaka" which has almost the same meaning. Pusako is divided into 2 groups, the high pusako including land of rice field or dry land, estate or plantations, while low pusako is heirlooms, or gift. All these heritages are owned by the line of mother from generation to generation. All these heritages will go to mother's daughter(s), and in case the heir is absent, then based on consensus will be taken the girl from mother's line to be the family heir. That is the main reason that a man from Minangkabau prefers to leave their land and go to other country

Core Family
A unit of family in Minangkabau society as mentioned above is consist of big family which is called pariuk or perut, kampueng or suku, depending on the area, weather they are on lowland or on the mountain area. But it shows the smallest unit of a family, reflected in the architecture of their house called " Rumah Gadang" Kampueng or Suku was formed by Datuk Parpatih Nan Sebatang based on his visit to China. The way the Chinese identify their family by using family names amazed him and inspired him to manage the people of Minangkabau with this system. At the beginning it is said only 3 groups were exist those were the group of Suku Koto, Suku Piliang, Suku Bodi, and Suku Caniago. As the number and area of West Sumatra was to wide, each of these Suku again divided into smaller units. At some places a Suku had far bigger number of residents, while the Suku of their neighbors had much fewer members. Since the marriage is regulated between Suku, so it was not enough for one Suku that had bigger members to merry the Suku with fewer member. Based on this condition, again the bigger Suku was divided into smaller unit of Sukus called Paruik or Perut. Here Perut became the smaller unit of administration. A Suku or Perut is headed by 4 elders: The Penghulu, the Malim, the Manti and the Dubalang.

Who was Datuk Parpatih? Researches so far disclose that from the turn of Christian era the latest of 14th century West Sumatra was under the control of Hindu and Buddhist kingdom. Sriwijaya kingdom believed to have ruled Sumatra from the beginning of Christian era up to 10th century, then taken over by the great kingdom of Majapahit. The terminology " Parpatih" makes no doubt that it is " Patih ", the prime minister of the minister of Hindu king, weather Sriwijaya or Majapahit who trusted to rule the country. The relation between the country with China as mentioned above gives the indication that the person was a Hindu or Buddhist, not Islam. Other interesting question is why only West Sumatra that use the tradition of Matriarchart, while the rest of Indonesian ethnic using patriarchart? This is still un-answered until today.

The country of Minangkabau is the area now called West Sumatera with their capital is Padang city, located on the beach facing Indian Ocean. The area is divided into 3 administrative government at the level of 2 under the province. The unit customary organization of the people similar to a unit of a village which is called Nagari. Nagari is the total unit that bound their members on customs and life. It is estimated that the number of population is around 4.000.000. The people of Minangkabau used to leave their country and live at other areas of Indonesia, even in Malaysia. If you see a restaurant named "Ruman Makan Padang" it is a Minangkabau restaurant, and sometimes in short called "Rumah Makan Minang". Many experts say that matrilineal system of their society that force Minangkabau men to leave their land. Minangkabau people speak Malay with some silght different, which can be grouped as dialect /a/ tends to use /a/ as the first vowel, and dialect /o/ tends to use /o/ as the first vowel.
The original house of Minangkabau is a high house, built on poles with roofs shaped as horn, almost similar with that of Torajan in south Sulawesi. Thie house is called "Rumah Gadang"
Basic economic activities are farming, trade, and small part also introduce handicraft such as weaving and silver works. Most of the trades activities have been handled by Minangkabau people themselves, and very few outsiders that can participate in this economic activities. Within the Nagari organization system it is introduced 2 basic systems. Firstly is Body-Caniago, a democratic system, and Koto-Piliang system, an autocratic system. Today these 2 systems have become more and more disappeared due to the application of national system. Almost all people of Minangkabau is Moslem. In the past many rituals that had relation with religion now already discarded or simply forgotten. Some people are still believe in invisible being or holy spirits that could effect human life. The famous tourist's object in West Sumatera are the Canyon ( Sihanok Canyon ), just on the west border of Bukit Tinggi city, Japanese Militery Defense Cave on the west corner of Bukit Tinggi city, Rumah Gadang at Pagaruyug, Songket weaving at Pande Sikat village, and natural sceneries for lakes and mountains and Anai waterfall.

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