Tuk Tuk

Is it that the people here have such a fatalistic belief in life-if Allah wills it-that lets them drive as they do. Or, is it that they drive as they do and need to have a fall back belief in-if Allah wills it.
From my Medan hotel I take a taxi to where I am to meet up with Anna and Shannon. After we drive for 15 minutes, he pulls over and tells me that where I want to go is right around the corner. I pay him the requested $3 and find myself totally lost. After calling Anna we realize I am now in the opposite direction from them. I begin walking, looking for a taxi. No taxi. Finding a security guard, who works at a corporate office bulding, he is delighted to practice his English and secure me a cab. This time I call Anna and hand the phone to the driver. She explains where I need to meet up. Off we go. 30 minutes later we pull up to where the gals are seated on their backpacks. Taking the same cab, we head for the bus depot. Hot, sticky, diesel fumes, but we arrive only to find that the bus we want has just headed out of the depot. The driver speeds after the bus, honking, waving, until the bus pulls over and we board. From Medan to Parapat-18000 rupiah. That equals $1.80 for a 4 hour ride. No AC. I'm sweating sitting next to a local man, mid-20s, in a seat only one should occupy. I thank God I am as small as I am. Well, it's not the smallness that counts here but the small butt. Indos do not have personal space as we do. If you press against each other, cheek to cheek, that is considered a sign of friendship. This guy is my best friend! His name is Faisal and he exits after about 1 hour. The man across the aisle and one up is smoking incessantly. Now in front of me, the man is smoking. Lord have Mercy!! Only when he sleeps is he not inhaling nicotine. A little grandma, small butt, sits next to me as I slide to the window "seat" after Faisal leaves. Next, a middle aged man sits with me, then an 8 year old girl. What courage it must have taken for her to sit next to this big butt foreigner. Next is a teenage girl who is selling things on the bus-on at one stop, off at the next. Bus hopping. She is so innocent. Anna and Shannon buy some cakes and pastries from her. Sitting across the aisle, both directly across and one up are women with infants. One of the women is breast feeding-there's a naturalness about such things. We enter the mountains and the jungle closes in. The bus grinds up the winding, potholed, narrow highway, this is the Trans Sumatran Highway. Descending into Parapat, we de-bus near the ferry which will take us to the island in Lake Toba. Lake Toba is an extinct volcano so the sides climb steeply from the water's edge. With 30 minutes before the ferry leaves, we order some light food, drink, and find the WC. Bus riding does not allow for watering holes or pit stops. On the ferry 7000 rp (70 cents) we bounce over the choppy waters for 30 minutes. We are dropped off at a dock in Tuk Tuk. Anna, Shannon and I make for the first hotel. No room. We have read of the Tabo Cottages, a 10 minute walk around to the left, and find the office. My first thought is, "God doesn't know about this spot." I take a room at 60000 rp ($6). The room is spartan (bottom sheet and light blanket) but clean. The toilet is a hole in the ground, Indonesian style, and a cold shower. But, the lake is pristine. I could stay here forever.