We were crazy to believe for the fact that we could walk over 11km over terrain to accomplish a task not many would deem sane. Yet we did it. Past many villages and townsfolk that were friendly and willing to help, the experience was worth it and I would (never) do it again. Hahaha The journey started from a town named Simbolon, where locals advised us to take the ferry, only costing 5000rp across the lake. A scenic 5-minute transfer it was to get to the other side. Once over, we realise that even Maps.me doesn't have roads in our location! So using intuition we kinda just, walk. Round and round the sides of the mountain range, we came across several beautiful sights that really took my mind off the weight of the load. In fact, I felt at peace with rice plantations amidst the rolling hills of Bukit Holbung and it's siblings. It was simply wonderful. I definitely had a sunburn and my hands were all red like tomatoes! Soon we were near Bukit Holbung and incredibly the view was AMAZEBALLS LEGIT. We settled down, laid out our tents before preparing a meal. The evening was fine. I remember seating down by the tent and admiring the landscape ahead. With cool air and wind bellowing towards us, I can't help but feel at peace. At around 8 pm, it started raining. Well, at least my tent can be 'washed'. It then rained for the rest of the night. With the rain clouds finally settled, we get a break from the rain and got out to stretch. The air was fresh, cool and chilly. In fact, my windbreaker wasn't good enough to withstand the cold. We saw the lights of the nearby city, Panguruan that shine in the distance. After some rest, the sun was up and man it was spectacular! No words can replace what I had observed in that morning. Early morning orange hues combine with blue hues to create a unique purplish colour that lit the sky with a warm and fuzzy mood. A full rainbow was observed since it stopped raining just a while ago. I lit the fire and warmed up some coffee, as we sat in our tents admiring the glowing sky. Coffee warmed our hearts and rest our soul while we slowly began the day. We gathered our essentials and began trekking for the summit. Past a series of hills, of untouched grasslands, we finally reached the summit. The summit (1300m), a treeless terrain with views of the northern part of Samosir Island and its plateau. Seemingly endless grasslands and natural bushes spot the entire landscape while agriculture and roads lined the coastal areas. As I look over my shoulder, I can't help but be mesmerised in the beauty of nature's landscape. Contrasts between Rolling hills, untouched natural areas and industrialised areas highlight the importance of keeping our environment clean while embracing what nature offers. At the micro level, Bukit Holbung was littered with tons of cigarette butts, wrappers and fire-pits that had been left after a night of burning. Although damage to the landscape isn't high, Bukit Holbung remains one of the cleanest hills I have been.
Descending from the summit, the landscape slowly develops, creating a beautiful portrait at every angle. We strike tents, and made our way to the main road, en route to Tuk Tuk.
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