will i am's delayed diary

Bright and early the next morning, we checked out of Mikie Holiday Resort & Hotel. During the day, one can get a clear view of Gunung Sinabung in the distance. Gunung Sinabung is an active volcano located on the Karo highlands. Our first destination of the day was Taman Ziarah Kerahiman Ilahi Puncak 2000 , a pilgrimage site dedicated to the Divine Mercy. As its located on a peak, the spiritual park offers peaceful and majestic views of the surrounding highlands. Private mass was celebrated at the chapel. The drive from Puncak Siosar down to Danau Toba was very scenic, especially when winding down the crater towards to volcanic lake. Our lunch was at Vhi Vhi Resto , featuring local catch from the lake.  When I looked out the window, I saw the local fisherman casting their lines at the water's edge. Not a pretty sight because the edge was lined with garbage.  From the water's edge, we went back up the crater for some sightseeing at Maulana Cafe . For a small fee, we cou...

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 ...