Made it to Medan I: Horas

The end of May was travel season for mum and I. Both of us joined Uncle J for a pilgrimage to Medan. Traveling with Uncle J is no-frills, but extremely value for money because he does not profit from it at all. He was our tour leader for Bali pilgrimage the year before. At 8:30 AM, we were all checked-into our AirAsia flight and were having a typical kopitiam breakfast at Kopi Kita. A very warm welcome was waiting for us at Kualanamu, arranged by Lucia, the same tour agency boss we engaged in Bali. Once we grabbed our bags, we were draped with ulos, a traditional Batak (indigenous people of Lake Toba) woven cloth draped over the shoulder and headgear, and greeted with "horas", an all-purpose greeting of the Toba Batak people. Who doesn't love playing dress up?

Deja vu-- Nasi Padang for our first lunch in Medan, just like on our Bali trip. The food at Restoran Simpang Tiga wasn't exceptionally good, but it was definitely a bit exotic. The meal would sustain us for the journey to Berastagi, a cool highland town which is quite popular. The road to Berastagi is challenging with a winding single carriageway and numerous spots prone to standstill traffic (and it's not even the weekend yet). Already 2 hours delayed due to traffic and difficult toilet stops. Really a lesson in patience. Thank goodness for the snack box that they gave us earlier. 

It was late in the afternoon when we arrived at Gereja St. Fransiskus Asisi, a church with a unique Karo design elements. The church is a perfect example of inculturation, the embedding of Catholicism in local cultures. The church features multi-tiered pointed roofs that are adorned with buffalo horns. Our first private mass was celebrated there. We were losing light fast, so we had to rush to the next location-- Rumah Retret Samadi Maranatha which is run by Suster Fransiskanes Santa Elisabeth (FSE). The religious sister were very friendly and welcoming. 

From there on, it was another rush to dinner because the restaurant closes at 8PM. A simple Chinese dinner at Restoran Asia. Turns out, we had another place to go before calling it a night. When we arrived at Kapel Kabar Sukacita, it was already dark. We spent some quiet moments in prayer at that octagonal chapel. Our hotel for the night was Mikie Holiday Resort & Hotel. The hotel is sprawling, so we had to drag our luggage for long distances. The room is large and modern though, and the floor's really cold. Slept like a baby!