Featured Post

What you will find in Tarutung City?

Overview:

(picture credit wikipedia.com, 2017)
Tarutung City is one of subdistrict in North Tapanuli of North Sumatra. And stand for the capital city of the North Tapanuli.  Although it is the smallest city in North Tapanuli, but it has the highest population density of all. And of course, it is located in Indonesia.
Do you know a fruit named DURIANIn bataknese language, durian means Tarutung. So, local people (which I means, the bataknese arounds the city) called Tarutung City as Kota Durian. Why? You can read the complete story here. Unlike me, Indonesian people tends to like this kind of fruit and states that durian from around the Tarutung City is one of the best. Why I don't like durian? Maybe because the smell is so disgusting to my nose and impact my brain (headache tends to strike me everytime I smell it). :D
But, enough for the overview about the city where I have been spending my 9 years life there. Now back to the topic! What will you find in this city? I mean from the traveller perspective. Here we go:

#1 Water Soda (Aek Rara) in Parbubu

(pic credit tripadvisor.com, 2017)
According to every information that I knew, heard, red and so on, there is only two kind of water soda in the world. In Indonesia, which is placed at Village Parbubu, North Sumatra, Indonesia and in Venezuela. Water Soda in Tarutung called by Aek Rara which is come from bataknese languange aek means water and rara means red (color).
Location:
Village Parbubu, approximately 1 km from the center of the town.
How To Get there:
From Medan, you can use many car travel to go to Tarutung City and arrive at the town's center for 200 km (approximately 6 hours later). From there, look for the public transportation named by number Silindung 04 or Aek Mual 04 and ask the driver to bring you to the Water Soda. 
What To See:
There will be pool containing natural soda water. Approximately 8 x 9 m2 in size. Around the pool, you will be greeted by paddy field,  rows hills of distant mountains, nice wheather, and markable sky (if you visit on the daylight to afternoon).
What To Do: 
Swimming and feel the soda water sensations. The water is believed can cure many kind of skin diseases. A good vibe from the paddy fields around, the sky, wheather, and of course the shade of Cross of Love Tarutung from the distance.
Price:Transportation :
- Medan to Tarutung : 50k - 80k
- Town center to Water Soda: 3k -7k
Ticket to enter the water Soda: 15k-30k

#2 Hot Water in Hutabarat

pemandian-air-panas-hutabarat-01
Sumber: na-passibona.blogspot.com
This hot water place in Hutabarat, Tarutung. The source of the hot water comes from the volcanic mountain called Dolok Martimbang by local people which is dolok stands for mountain.
The place offers you two kind of swimming pool,
- Room swimming pool for 1-5 people, 2x3 m2 in size.
- Big swimming pool for general.
But both of this kind of swimming pool separate the gender to male and female.
12256820_841951119257492_1422419345_n
An example of room swimming pool.
Location:
Village Hutabarat, approximately 1 km from the center of the town.
How To Get there:
From Medan you can use many car travel to go to Tarutung City and arrive at the town's center for 200 km (approximately 6 hours later). From there, look for the public transportation named by number Silindung 01 or Aek Mual 01 and ask the driver to bring you to the Hot Water Hutabarat (but you maybe need to rent the car to bring you there).
What To See:
There will be many place that offer you their best pool containing natural hot water. You can choose what you want to, either the general swimming pool or room swimming pool their offer. 
What To Do: 
Swimming and relax the body inside the hot water sensations. Just like the soda water, the hot water also believed can cure many kind of skin diseases. You can be inside the swimming pool as long as you need them. After that you can enjoy the meal that the shop offers like boiled eggs and hot tea and others.
Price:Transportation :
- Medan to Tarutung : 50k - 80k
- Town center to Hot Water Hutabarat: 3k -10k (according to the driver who bring you there if you rent them).
Ticket to enter the Hot Water: 5k-15k (but along ago, they don't make the price to enter the location, but after bathing you should buy some of their food as the return).

#3 Cross of Love Siatas Barita

154696026239
Sumber: pariwisata.frontroll.com
Cross of Love, Siatas Barita is a spiritual tourist spot and was created to commemorate the services of Christian missionaries DR.Ingwer Ludwig Nommensen for bataknese people, who came from Germany  (nearly killed there since spread Christianity). In that place Nommensen looking towards Rura Silindung (named for North Tapanuli by local people) underneath and prayed to God:
"Oh God, for life or death let me be in the midst of this bataknese people to spread Your word and kingdom."
Nommensen is the missionarist who succeeded to opened up the bataknese people  to accept the Christianity and by the time HKBP church was established.
salib-kasih_selamat-datang
The Welcome Gate and Nommensen Statue Inside
Location:In Siatas Barita Mountain approximately 5 km from the center of the town.
How To Get there:
From Medan you can use many car travel to go to Tarutung City and arrive at the town's center for 200 km (approximately 6 hours later). From there, look for the public transportation named by number Silindung 01 or Aek Mual 01 and ask the driver to bring you to the Simpang Salib Kasih. And then you will find many rent car that'll bring you towards the Cross of Love. 
What To See:
There will be many place that you can see to satisfy you mind, soul, and body. For the first time, you'll be greeted by many accessories shop. Inside the location of the Cross, you'll see the Nommensen Statue, the Pine forest, Prayer House, and so on.
What To Do: 
Enjoy the cool and nice wheather around the location. Take memorable photos, buy some accessories about the Cross of Love. Pray in the Prayer House, or you may join the worship there (usually held on Sunday and The Journey of Cross on Easter Day). Take a look at the beautiful scenery of Rura Silindung where Nommensen was pray there.
Price:salib-kasih61Transportation :
- Medan to Tarutung : 50k - 80k
- Town center to Simpang Siatas Barita: 3k -10k
- Simpang Siatas Barita to Cross of Love: 5k-15k (according to the driver who bring you there if you rent them).
Ticket to enter the location: 10k-30k
Acctually, there is more place to visit in Tarutung. But in this post, I'll just give you the best and the identical place to name Tarutung city.
And for the record, if you travel to one place, you should never forget about the traditional foods they have, right? And here we are, the traditional food that Tarutung City or maybe the bataknese people would love to serve you:

#1 Kacang Sihobuk

kacang-sihobukIf we talk about me and the peanuts, I'm not that kind of person who will enjoy eating peanut well. But for this kind, I will make my exception ;) Kacang Sihobuk is a brand that refers to the Tapanuli peanuts were cooked by unroasted them with sand. If me, the girl who never enjoy peanuts well, make the exception to love this one, how you the peanuts lover will enjoy them? You tell me!
You can find this Kacang Sihobuk everywhere in Tarutung City. It's price only 10k for the middle size.

#2 Putu Tarutung

12132694_1669846673264238_1808220895_nLet me tell you one of my secret yet my proud one, my grandmother from my daddy's side was one of people who sell this traditional food. And the proud information is every people in Tarutung City knows her eventhough she is in heaven now. But because of her, my family from my daddy's side is known in the city by Par-Lapo-TimusPar means people who belong to something; Lapo means shop or store; and Timus means fume. But this post didn't purpose to tell you about her and my family, right? So, let's stop here and shall we continue?
The raw material of this food was just the mixture of rice flour and sugar and cooked them by steaming. The color is clean white and it wasn't so special but the taste is memorable for everyone who already tasted them. Not everyone willing to make this food, but it's one of the reason which make it special, right? Beside my grandmother, you can find this food in the village's shop after Simpang Siatas Barita named Simorangkir which sell them. And you can enjoy them with a glass of coffee in the morning as a breakfast. What a lovely morning to enjoy, right? It's price only 3-5k for one piece.

#3 Ombus-ombus and Lampet

ombus4
The process to make ombus-ombus.
kuliner2bbatak2blappet
Kue Lampet







If you ask me what's the different between this two, I have to answer you that I don't really know. But in my perspective, Lampet's texture is the chewy one rather than the Ombus-ombus. Anw, ombus means blow. This cake is sold in hot conditions. That's why every people who buy them will blow them before eat them.
Both Ombus-ombus and Lampet is usually shaped like a pyramid and wrapped in banana leaves. Lampet materials content of rice flour, water from grated coconut for the outside and grated coconut, brown sugar for the inside. It's wrapped in banana leaves and steamed until cooked, and the process of making this cake is almost similar to baking ombusombus. It's price 1k-3k per pieces.
There so many more traditional food that I won't explain you, but I will mention them and please try to research about them first if you're willling to visit my Tarutung City. There are:
  • Pohul-pohul
  • Saksang (non-halal)
  • Traditional Pork Roast (non-halal)
  • Mie Gomak
  • Arsik 
So, it is the end of this post about my 9 years town and still on. Hope you enjoy them and willing to visit the place someday.

Thank you :)


Komentar