MD wae OO eh . ' : , . woe - Aan EDITOR'S NOTE. THe author, a North Vancouver resident and former Carson Graham. student, recently spent a year | exploring the fascinating countries of scatheast Asia. In_ Sumatra -- the northern island of Indenesia -- he visited a 300: ‘square mile island lying in a hage lake amid the mountains. As yet it has ne Hilton, but the friend matives are learning fast about tourism.] ” ” ‘Sitting in the huge crater of a maiste, volcano is Lake Toba. Like an emerald in liquid turquoise is set Samosir Island ... the mountainous remains of. a smaller volcano that thrust from the lake’s floor. The rickety wood ferry. noses its way to the island. _ The bicycles crowding the. deck: lurch slightly as the boat wallows through the gentle waves. Someone down ‘below bails the ship with a ‘rusty bucket, the ancient “engine -sputters with re- ‘sentment that it should still . be forced to serve long past its retirement age. Segregation seems to be the social order on board. Men cluster in the stern while the women, wrapped in -Sarongs and children, sit in the bow amongst the piles of goods bought in town. Lake Toba lies locked in the mountains of North Sumatra. A land of. tropical laziness and rubber-time — where the ferries refuse to TRADITIONAL wooden. Batak houses, telling of an ancient culture [Bob McCann photo]. - Special $240. wdth. 62’’ hth. 78"' banish Watnut Spoclal CHANGE OF FLOOR SAMPLES 10% - 50% OFF Tablos, Chalrs, Bods, INSTANT FURNISHING 1773 Robsc ons St. 684. 7622 (Garrat Robron h Den Opposite Safeway Cys sey Parking Lot. era Prices subjoct to change ONELOCATIONONLY, . easy parking out of town write 10 to 6 p.m. dally Fri. to 9 leave until every inch of deck “space is filled, have enormous. leisure time taken at the expense of the women. On the shore of the lake lies Prapat.. . . it has carried the sleeping town syndrome ‘almost to the point of hiber- nation. International. high- rise hotels have yet to find it but accommodations to suit all tastes are available. ANCIENT CULTURE The ferries take you from Prapat to Samosir Island which is. a cornucopia of un- exploited .beauty. Swaying -palm trees and rolling hills. interspersed with shimmer- -ing rice paddies lead to the base of the mountains that ‘rise up on steep green slopes ‘to the island’s central pla- teau. Traditional wooden Batak houses, boatlike with ° “. their concave. roofs tell of an ancient. culture. Colourful - tombstones: dot the. placid hills. A shortage opportunity to escape from the jet-age: notion of speed and travel. - Meandering roads. and | ‘trails lead to hidden villages, . waterfalls:.and hotsprings, under the boughs of pine forests and over rice paddies labour. in. where women iF ‘woman 's jacket | $79.9 - fie | direct from our Factory | where men aMoUntS OT . of motor. “ivehicles has made Samosir a . . hiker’s delight .. . a perfect: photo]. backbreaking positions, past quiet bays where fishermen set their nets and through © fields where grazing water. buffalo view you suspicious- ly. There are stone tombs where ancient royalty now lie and a stone court, complete with carved tables and chairs, where the laws of the land were administered and -wrong-doers were executed ‘by a biow to the back of the neck. RELAXED ALL DAY The people present a more gentle picture today. A _ young girl, raising gentle clouds of dust, piggybacks ‘watches ~ you” _. intensely through his soft brown eyes. A woman sways past, bal- ancing a basket on her head with graceful ease; the lively . colours of her sarong rippling with each'step, her embroid- ered lace “kebaya’. an ‘exer- men’s jacket | 89.7 | ladies & men's. coats & jackets Made to measure to your color & sizo specifications, reguiar glzes at factory prices. ‘E 1388 Main St., North Vancouver CHARGEX OR MASTERCHARGE {just cast of Venice Bakery) Tues.-Sat, 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (closed Monday] 980-6813 MEMBERS OF BATAK celebrations. The Bataks are Christians and noted for their choir singing [Beb McCann — her bare feet. child: who _ TRIBE gather cise in frailty. A clattering bicycle carries a man from the cafe, where he relaxed away the day, to his home, where he will relax away the evening. _ The Bataks, the tribal name for the local people, are noted for their choir singing. Sunday morning breezes carry.the soothing melodies from the churches. page 11, April 20, 1977 - North Shore News for one of their frequent communal . Since the pecple belong to Christianity rather than the more strict Islam, they have no objection to taking the occasional drink. This is why you will find tuak shops ‘in most villages — usually the most informal ramshackle structure imaginable. guaranteed cleaning Let the spectalists at Roy’s Dry Cleaners handle your = =~ _ draperies. With rogular professional cleaning, your draperies will last. much longer. Our large volume lets us give you the best value on drapery cleaning. We guarantee no shinkage. % Spring Special 20 % off Drapes Free Pick-up and Delivery a special service for all your dry cleaning DRY CLEANERS | 648 Queensbury Ave., North Vancouver 987-3431 987-3233