Stops: The View Homestay, Jembatan Akar, a waterfall, beach at Teluk Marungai, fishing village at Sungai Pinang, a farm behind the village back in the jungle, and a Minang food takeaway shop. (Day 78)

I stayed just two nights at The View Homestay. That was all the availability there was. I arrived late the first night. No sunset view. But the waves crashing in the dark below and islands lurking were beautiful and very dark. No fishing boats out as the next day was maybe the biggest holiday of the year. So, one full day in the area was it. And, boy was it full. A family of three from Osaka were staying there and had already booked a tour of the area with the host, Robert, and they were happy for me to tag along and help out as interpreter sometimes.

First stop was Jembatan Akar. A bridge with a story. And, some concrete locals to welcome you.

Wabi sabi Sumatra-style.

The tale is that there were two kingdoms, one on either side of the river. Of course, there was conflict, but a local holy man magicked together the roots from two trees to create peace and harmony. Etsuko and I had seen some trees like this at the Botanic Garden in Singapore. Not sure if these are the same species, but some kind of ficus or banyan. Walking over a carpet of intertwined roots was pretty cool.

Small rivulets and giant trees everywhere in this small gorge.

Looking down the river at Jembatan Akar from a more modern pedestrian bridge upstream

From there we drove through local settlements and checked out a nearby waterfall. Sorry, no photos of either. I just plain forgot to take any photos of the waterfall and instead just enjoyed. Local kids scramble way up the rock face, slithered across into the stream of the falls, and slid down. Looked like fun.

The settlements along the roadside were pretty typical, but what was going on was not. Today was Idul Adha, a very important holiday in the Islamic calendar. It comes at the end of the Hajj and bookmarks Idul Fitri, the beginning. People travel home to their villages and here, cows are led to the slaughter. As we drove down the roads in the morning everyone was on the way to the local masjid, and more than a few cows accompanied them. They were ritually slaughtered near the mosque. Sometimes in the forecourt by the side of the road. Sometimes behind back by the river. Blood flowed into the streets. So, no photos. You can find them online if you want. By the afternoon we were seeing kids carrying cow legs back home triumphantly. It may seem gruesome, but it is also serious. The ritual is to mark Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son, so familiar to other faiths as well. People contribute funds, sometimes in weekly donations all year, to make sure they have supported the ritual and the community. The meat is shared by all and nothing goes to waste. The day brings people together and feeds them.

We stopped for an amazing Minang-style lunch but I was so hungry that I forgot to get photos! We had mostly fish and chicken for lunch. Locals do not use flatware to eat and each diner gets a finger bowl. I went for it and ate with my hand. It kind of works better for this food.

Next stop was a perfect white sand beach with hardly anyone on it. People stay out of the sun, so tourists get it at noontime. The shore is amazingly clean. No washed up plastic.

More beautiful tropical skies.

Our host, Robert, and his friend Reh (sp?) in front of Reh’s very nice house by the river out away from the village.

Lots of monitor lizards–biyawa, locally–and water buffalo in here.

We met the farmer who lives here. Big rice fields nearby. This may not look like it, but the small shrubs dotting this field are a crop. Very bitter leaves. I tasted them after checking with the grower. Impossible to get a photo that does them justice, but dusk was falling and absolutely enormous fruit bats were swooping above. Just. Plain. Huge.

It was a holiday. Everyone was stuffed with beef. So, most restaurants were shut. No famous Pagang sate tonight. But, this was my Minang-style takeaway. Plenty of rice with curried vegetables on top and plenty of beef dendeng–the local specialty. It takes hours and hours to cook and so so delicious. Spicy sambal, too.

What was supposed to be a 6-8 hour tour went all day from 8:30 in the morning until 8:30 at night. So, missed the sunset again. But, I really experienced the local life and culture of West Sumatra and the Minangkabau people.