Berastagi Sumatra Indonesia

Finally out of the city and into the mountains, it's cold, cramped and beautiful, just how I like it.
I climb sibayak tomorrow, an active and impressive volcano. Traveling with a guide and a german tourist who just finished uni, we will travel through the jungle chasing the hornbills, up the less traveled side of the fuming giant and down to the local hot springs for a cleansing.

I traveled here with a middle aged finnish man I met in Medan. He told me about the beauties of Berastagi and I don't mean the landscape. He had been here a year ago on holiday when I fell for a young muslim girl selling chicken soup in the market. He followed her for days until they developed a relationship. The fin fell in love and is now back a year later to ask her to marry him and move to Finland with him. He is meeting the family today and see if they approve. He will have to convert to islam and pay the family a hefty fee. I could tell he was nervous but he also seemed so convinced that this is the right thing for him. I am excited to hear how it goes, we are meeting tonight for some thai whiskey. I wish him the best of luck with the muslim father.