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Major Event, Full Music in a full Danau Toba
1.State of Events

The birds

Just about three weeks ago I reported on the start of the new nesting and mating season of all birds around Lake Toba and especially in Tuk Tuk. So far, as I can see and as the birds are concerned, everything is going to plan. Construction of nests is in full swing, some late comers and the occasional tourist bird watchers are still doing their preliminary movements, and I am very pleased to report today that the early bird made it in a record time. I am afraid thatthis tricky bird did not act according to my rules.


My rules telling the basterd not to start any action before the first of November. The bloody little fellow just did not listen to me, but who am I to tell these tricky birds when to start. So, instead of waiting for 19 or 21 days I am happily announcing today the coming of the next generation of birds. As far as I have observed there are four of them and the elders are really quarreling about the look alikes. For me I am not sure whether they take after the father or the mother, so let's wait and see. Of course you want to know which bird did the trick first. I have to apologise, I am just watching these creatures. The only thing I can help with is that the elders not really fly but just somewhat flap around. The little ones are first class swimmers and walkers. I am still very curious about their behaviour. Though they can swim first class, they don't like to swim. They just swim from one big waterleaf to another, sit and talk, and start going and swimming for another leaf. Meanwhile, the mother and father are flapping around, screaming like hell, most likely telling them to come home. The old ones are sometimes really panicking, like the are telling the little ones that the waters are invested with crocodiles, but be honest there are no crocodiles in Lake Toba, so why the fuss? Or would it be the the occasional Harrutung?.

 

The Level of the Lake


The last time I reported, on the first of November, the Lake was full. Luckily after that the waterlevel went down by some 1 cm a day. Reportly, due to some malfunction at the Si Gura Gura outlet/inlet. Luckily or unfortunately the report was not true or the malfunction has been repaired. Consequently, the fall in lake water level came to a gradual halt, if required details are available on request, not keeping pace with evaporation and precipitation. Our yesterday real tropical downpour which lasted from four in the afternoon till ten in the evening brough a little bit more than 10 cm. So far, this resulted in a waterlevel rise of 6 cm, so in the end today we have a little bit more than we had at the first of November. As compared with last year November, which is according to hear say the start of the wet season, we now recorded in Tuk Tuk in November till the 18 th of November 245 mm of rainfall, as compared with the 145 mm for the full month of November last year. In view of Tourism Development Samosir, Visit Indonesia Year 2008, the operators, or using more adequate terminology the controllors of Si Gura Gura are kindly requested to keep in mind that many people believe that now the wet season is starting and more rain may come in the coming months. As such to prevent tourists getting their feet wet at Parapat, Tomok or Adji Bata that you may please open your gates a little bit more. For sure at this moment there is enough water in the Lake to cater for your power needs in the coming 6 months. Let me assure you that BMG stories in Jakarta Post some time ago that there is a major leak in the Lake have so far not been found credible.

 

2. Full Music at Lake Toba


Of course all over the year it's full music all over the place at Lake Loba and especially in Tuk Tuk. There is almost every day in Tuk Tuk a major musical event, normally related to a wedding or a funeral. The good thing is that in the framework of Tourism Development Samosir, Visit Indonesia Year 2008, tourists are invited to join all of these festivities free of charge. Just join the fun and dancing in it's original performance, be my guest. Unfortunately, I forgot to inform you timely on our yesterday major musical event in Tuk Tuk. The event being that 30 newborn children were babtized in church, which brings a lot of special event related music. You could have attended the services at no special charge, apart from the regular required donation at your own discretion. I am starting to wonder how this happened and whether there is some kind of perfect season to start the preparation for this babtising ceremony. Is there a season to prepare for babtising in November in Tuk Tuk, and if yes, that should possibly happen some nine months before the occasion. Could that be a reason to come to Tuk Tuk in February/March to watch or even join in the preparation of such festivity?


O.K. let's face the music. You will get some idea of the wedding, the funeral and even the babtising music when joining one of the Batak Dancing and Music evenings in Tuk Tuk on wednesday or saturday or any other evening in any place of your choosing in a sing along evening.


For me, I just like tonight's special Lake Toba full music. It's the most pure Lake Toba music you can imagine. The good thing is that it always starts at the end of November and it will last till the end of the year. It always starts some three weeks after the beginning of the wet season and today was the day. It is the Frog Concert. I have no idea what frogs are doing, but I have to admit that during the last weeks I have noticed trillions of frog fisjes on the shoreline of the lake. I am sure that as the birds the frog parents knew that during these days there would be a lot to eat for their youngsters. As of today there are numerous very small young frogs around, which are happily jumping and swimming around, please be so kind not to step on them should you decide to watch them. They like to tend to sit on waterplant leaves or just hop or swim around. It's the hopping ones you should not step on. To celebrate this major event around Lake Toba the parents did put up tonight their first full frog music concert of the Season.


You are kindly invited to come and join the full music at Lake Toba and especially in Tuk Tuk. If you like you may march at your own drum.

 

 

Gandalf, Tuk Tuk, November 17, 2008



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