Lake Off

Sunday 2nd August 2009
Day 36

We've been pretty spoilt when it comes to lakes. In particular those in New Zealand (Wanaka, Hawea and Tekapo) and Sumatra (Toba and now Maninjou).

All have their individual traits and distinguising characteristics with Maninjou's surely the fact that it's situated in a volcanic crater which is worth its weight in gold alone but there's more. The descent into Maninjou is like no other we have experienced.

We started out early after the pre-dawn call to prayer which blasted out of speakers all around us at 5am and followed up with an aerobics class across the street from us which started up seamlessly after the call to prayer, this time hitting us with Indo pop tunes.

We started out early after breakfast and the news from Menau that the Indonesian lady from last night turned out to be the 'town lunatic with long fingers' as he put it meaning you had to watch your pockets. We then get a oplet to the bus station and a public bus to Maninjou with us the only non-locals taking the ride in the bus which was bursting at the seams with people.

The descent to Maninjou was a 44 hairpin bend road counted down for you roadside with the view of the lake staggering. Down in the town we grabbed out packs and elbowed off the bus. Here some kind chaps took us on the back of their scooters to our accomodation 3km out of town, through pady fields and were put in a hut in prime location lakeside.

Whilst no food was served at our place we went to a roadside eatery and I got a little too cocky and greedy here which I would live to regret later. We then walked into town where we fell upon a nice little restaurant owned by a chap called Mr Porcupine who was full of local knowledge. We rented a scooter from him for two days and went to explore the island.