After leaving the Lake Toba area, we drove up into the more mountainous region to the north. Berastagi is a town at a bit higher altitude, so the daytime temperature is mild and the evenings are quite cool. Berastagi is the gateway to hikes on Mt. Sibayak and Mt. Sinabung, two volcanos in the area. However, Mt. Sinabung has been closed to hiking the last few years since it has been actively erupting.
We chose to hike up Mt. Sibayak to its crater rim for sunrise. The hike took just over an hour of walking up fairly narrow trails in the dark. As we approached the top we could hear what sounded like super loud rushing water or a high wind. It was the steam vents! We could also smell the sulfur from them as we hiked. When we got up to the crater rim there was a very cold breeze so we hunkered down to wait for sunrise. Unfortunately, it was very cloudy that morning, and there was no view. It was really cool to see the steam vents up close on the way down, which made up for the lack of panoramic scenery.
The hike back down to the car was also quite a treat. When we left the desolate crater rim the forest was so green. We hiked through some amazingly huge pandan plants, as well. I didn’t realize they got so big!
After the hike, it’s only a ~5 minute drive to the local hot springs, another product of the volcanic activity. What a pleasure to soak in the hot pools after a cold, foggy morning hike! The hot pools were similar to the one we visited in Kelimutu that was the local bathing place, but in a bigger complex with quite a few different pools of varying temperatures. The pools also had a little coffee shop where you could get a hot drink, relax, and take in the pretty valley view.
Adam and I only stayed 2 nights in Berastagi, so we didn’t get much of a chance to explore the region. We did have a great time seeing some of the sights in town, however. Berastagi is the main town in this very agricultural region, and it’s where farmers bring their produce to market. The daily market that starts in the late afternoon is where the price for produce in the region is set. Farmers bring whatever they’ve harvested that day, and the things that are plentiful have a lower price, while things that are in shorter supply are more expensive.
The other thing we enjoyed in Berastagi is getting to try out more local foods. We dipped our toes in the street food for real for the first time in Indonesia, based on recommendations from the helpful folks at Nachelle Homestay. The driver who took us from Lake Toba to Berstagi had told us about tuak, the local liquor similar to arak on Bali. When we saw some folks enjoying tuak at the produce market we decided to try a bottle. One ~500 ml bottle of tuak cost 15,000 IDR, or about a dollar.
The homestay owners recommended two food stalls in particular. One sold martabak telor, a type of savory street food made with eggs and very thin bread, as well as nasi goring. We ordered both, and they were fantastic! It’s possibly the most flavorful nasi goring we’ve ever had, except for what Adam makes at home. The other recommended stall made grilled fish, which is a regional specialty. That was another taste sensation, and was a fun dining experience being squished onto plastic stools at tables elbow-to-elbow with townfolk out for their evening meal.
But the best thing of the night for Angie was the roasted corn we stumbled upon while we were out looking for street food. These women were expertly preparing corn for full tables of diners. They boiled the corn in its husks, then the husks came right off when the ears came out of the water. Next, they roasted the corn on a grill while basting it with spicy sauce. Angie says it’s maybe the best corn she’s ever had outside of Iowa! Sweet, juicy corn deliciousness with a spicy caramelized coating. Yum!
It was a nice couple of days in Berastagi. I’ll remember the whooshing of the steam vents and the flavor of that corn for a long time to come!
