One day we rode our bikes around the island.  The views were beautiful and the people were very friendly as we exchanged "horas"--the traditional Batak greeting.

Two young Batak girls walk along the main road that winds around the island.

Some water buffalos enjoy grazing in the rice paddies.

Ambarita is a small village nearby where you can find traditional Batak homes as well as the famous chairs.  

The Batak people have a fascinating history.  They were cannibals.  However, they did not just go around eating each other.  This awful fait was reserved for criminals, such as murderers.  The criminal would be kept under the house with the animals.  After several days, the criminal was brought out before the king and counsel members who sat in these chairs.  They would then bring him out to a stone tablet and cut him up and eat him.  The entire village would join in on the cannibalism.  This is a fine example of fact being stranger than fiction.  Of course, this practice went out with the arrival of Christianity to the island.  

Now, one hundred percent of the population on the island are Christian.  We had the honor of attending the Children's Christmas concert at the local Protestant church.  The children were dressed in their best clothes and very excited for the show.  The church was packed full of people.  It was a priceless experience.     

The people of Danau Toba are very outgoing and friendly.  We made many friends.  This is our friend Viola and her two children.

Rich walks down the major thoroughfare on the island.  Life was very relaxing in Toba.  We could have stayed here forever--but time was running out and the road was calling.

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