‘I spent Chinese New Year cycling to Lake Toba’

I loaded my pannier bags onto my bicycle and headed towards Port Klang for a ferry ride across the Strait of Malacca. My aim was to cycle from the jetty of Tanjung Balai, one of Sumatra’s ports, to Lake Toba, and then up the Tele Mountains.

 

The whole journey would be four days and 320km of non-stop excitement and adventure.

 

The ferry ride took about five hours. The boat was packed mostly with Indonesians taking leave from their work in Malaysia. As I had left my bike in the cargo hold, there was nothing to do except to have a simple lunch of rice and hard-boiled egg curry, watch a long-winded Hindi movie (on-board entertainment) and snooze.

 

After we arrived, I realised one of my bicycle headlamps and the hand-pump were missing. I was cursing (not the most auspicious thing to do during Chinese New Year!) while leaving the jetty of Tanjung Balai.

 

It was already 7pm, and suddenly I felt a cold chill up my spine. I sensed danger ahead as if I was a white lamb venturing into wild territory. I noticed there were unfriendly stares as I exited the building. Would I be devoured as I struggled to find my way out of this town which has a rather seedy reputation?

 

The cycling route from the port of Tanjung Balai up to Lake Toba and to the Tele mountains.

The cycling route from the port of Tanjung Balai up to Lake Toba and to the Tele mountains.

 

Lucky me, I spotted an immigration officer who was about to hop onto his motorcycle after a long day’s work and I quickly approached him for help: “Pak, could you direct me out of the city. I am heading for Kisaran (40km inland from Tanjung Balai).”

 

The good Samaritan replied in Indonesian: “Of course, son. But I live halfway to your destination, I can only guide you as far as Air Batu. After that, you have to travel on your own.

 

“But don’t worry, I shall reduce my motorcycle speed for you to follow.”

 

As we cruised through the back alleys of Tanjung Balai, my adrenaline was flowing at full throttle. It was amazing that I pedalled along at 25kph to keep up with the motorcycle ahead.

 

After half an hour of speeding, we finally arrived on the outskirts of the city. The evening breeze that blew through the coconut leaves welcomed me as, for the first time, I felt inner peace.

 

I reached Kisaran at almost 9pm, and managed to find a decent guest house (Hotel Central) for 130,000 rupiah a night (RM39).

 

Cow dung roads

 

The next day was a long ride of 108km going uphill straight into central Sumatra. I started at Kisaran and headed towards Prapajanji, passing Mandoge along the way, and finishing at Simpang Kawat.

 

The scenery was spectacular, with paddy fields, striking painted villages and beautiful landscapes. I thought of veteran riders who would always remind us: “It’s the journey that matters, not the destination”.

 

The locals I encountered were warm and friendly. I was filled with joy when greeted with great hospitality whenever I came to a small settlement.

 

Children gathered around me with great curiosity while the women offered me drinks, fruits and laughter. I got lots of comments like, “Wow! You are so brave cycling all the way from the coast!”

 

It was a smooth, nicely-paved road for the first 80% of the journey – and then all hell broke loose on the remaining 20%.

 

I ran into an unpaved, dirt road with various sizes of potholes, cow dung at the least expected corners plus stony debris scattered along the shoulders.

This was a taxing and tiring stretch. Luckily, I had anticipated such terrain and I was doing all right with my 26” Giant XTC hardtail mountain bike with 10-speed Shimano Deore gears.

 

Tyre-width selection played a critical role here. I would recommend anything between 1.8 inches and 2.1 inches for such mixed terrain for greater stability and improved traction, especially when cornering. These areas are far from the usual tourist spots and don’t even show on mobile maps – you have to depend purely on riding skills in this remote part of Sumatra.

 

After reaching Simpang Kawat, I found a room at the Hotel Batu Gajah for 110,000 Rupiah (RM33) a night – I crashed straight away from tiredness.

 

On the third day, there was a steep climb of 30km from Simpang Kawat to Parapat. The ride was smooth but it was a very exhausting climb.

 

Fortunately, cool mountain breezes kept me refreshed and amazing pine forests welcomed me with mind-blowing scenery along the way. Though the traffic was a bit heavy, by 1pm I reached Parapat’s jetty and hopped onto a ferry to Lake Toba’s Samosir island.

 

On the island, I cycled from Tumok Jetty to Tuktuk in search of accommodation. The hotel rates here were more expensive, starting at 400,000 rupiah (RM122) a night – almost triple what I had paid earlier.

 

As I cycled around the island, the characteristic Batak architecture with sharp pointed roofs could be seen everywhere. The local delicacies were delicious and picturesque padi field terraces could be seen near the foothills.

 

I visited the tomb of King Sidabutar which was surrounded by stores selling all type of souvenirs.

 

The final day offered the most challenging ride as I peddled from the southern part of the island to the northern village of Pangurunan.

 

Hard slog

 

From there, I continued pushing inland and uphill to Tele (altitude 1,590m). The altitude increased 590m within a 20km ride distance from Pangurunan – this was a real test of endurance and determination.

 

The journey to Tele on winding roads featured thick pine forests on one side and steep cliffs on the other. But halfway up to Tele, I couldn’t appreciate the scenery much as I was running low on drinking water and without replenishment, I could not possibly continue.

 

I had no choice but to wave down passing vehicles to ask for water. After three attempts, I finally managed to obtain two bottles of mineral water.

 

I reached Tele at about 3pm. It had been a painstaking ride and my legs were trembling and shaking. But I was rewarded with magnificent scenery at the top of the Tele watch tower. After having a drink at the coffee house, I headed back to Tuktuk. It was time to pack my bike, hop onto the bus to Medan airport and fly back to Malaysia.

 

I didn’t have any flat tyres throughout my journey, the three spare tubes I brought with me were left unused in my pannier bags.

 

If you are keen on cycling long distances, I would say Sumatra would be an ideal place to tackle as there is no language barrier (if you speak Malay) and it’s very economical to travel there.

 

For me, it had been a sensational ride with lots of interaction with the locals. A very memorable Chinese New Year indeed.