Simplicity. Remember when you were a kid and the family went off camping or to a simple cabin along a lake or even for an afternoon hike in a park? Away for a week or so, everyone left behind their worries, schedules, problems, and phones; just enjoying the simplicity of life out in Nature. Our life in a cabin along Lake Toba in Sumatra rekindles memories of these basic, fun, device-free, simple days our childhood. Have you ever thought about what is really needed in your life? People, places, things? Worth pondering.
Having just come back from Milan, Italy we were about to find out what a modern day simple life was all about. Crazy rumors were flying around social media. Mainstream news was non-stop fear mongering. Pandemic. Co vid. What exactly was happening?. No one knew. Truth or fiction?. The fact that within 3 weeks the whole world was basically paralyzed sent up red flags. The perfect storm plandemic. Masks. Social distancing. Quarantines. Injections. Virus Testing. Life ground to a halt. Fear gripped most people. Normally logical intelligent people took the bait and let fear rule their lives. Instead of questioning the un-tested dangerous injections being thrust at them, they obediently rolled up their sleeves. In some places fighting to get to the front of the line. A bad dream with bad consequences. People’s lives were changed forever. It doesn’t really matter what people chose, as long as there was freedom of choice. With each decision comes certain consequences. Basics freedoms slipped away from everyday life without notice. Only history will reveal the truth behind what shut down the world for three years. Never stop questioning.
Being in a remote location we just relaxed, observed the frenzy from afar and decided to ride out the storm in our little cabin along beautiful Lake Toba. Life is un-complicated here. Within a week of the Co vid scare, Batak locals around the lake started to plant more vegetables. Survival is something they live daily. Being told from higher ups what to do, the villagers around us carried out some feeble attempts at enforcing regulations but mostly life went on as normal. One day someone came up with the idea that since there weren’t any cases of this newfangled virus on our island, let’s just keep the dangerous outsiders away. And so they stopped allowing outsiders in. Samosir Island, in the middle of Lake Toba, in the middle of the island of Sumatra, in the middle of Indonesia,in the middle of the – sea, in the middle of South East Asia was officially closed.
We planted a garden, gathered some extra supplies, got a reserve of cash from the ATM and continued to write, read, update our webpage, swim, walk, cook, eat, REPEAT!
We stay at a little well run, quiet resort called Tuk Tuk Timbul. We have become friends with Nanda and her family, over the year watching births and deaths, weddings and funerals; sharing lives during our stays.
We always enjoyed Grandma. Born about 92 years ago Kelementina Sigoro loved the earth, farming hard work, and loved her family, Mother of 10 children and over 30 grandchildren, she ruled the roost but in her later years just made sure the durian was picked and the cloves were dried and the vegetable gardens produced. We shared that love of gardening and we would often sit together outside watching the grass grow.
One day she fell ill, and within a few days was gone. Surrounded by family she died peacefully on New Years Eve – just short of another year.. We watched with interest as Grandma was sent to the next beyond, observing the burial customs of the Batak people of Sumatra.
She was surrounded for 24 hours by family talking and reminiscing, all the while making arrangements for a funeral attended by 500 people. Bataks build elaborate tombs and Grandma took her place in the family tomb on top of the hill – off to that big garden in the sky.
Travel impossible or too complicated, we really enjoyed our simple life in Toba. Few people are able to live in simplicity. It was a gift for which we were thankful. After 9 months of peace and quiet the Indonesian government relaxed domestic travel restrictions and in 24 hours we were on a plane headed to Bali. And when the world returned to its senses – Bali and Beyond!
And so it goes…………………………………..Next back to Bali. Time for a change. Time for some stimulation, international flare, friends and community. Lockdown, what lockdown? Until then remember when life gets too busy, give yourself the gift of a day of Simplicity. Take care and thanks for keeping in touch!!
Love, Light & Laughter,
xo Nancy & Joseph
