n. gymnamphora, starting of with young, difficult to identify plants and continuing with older plants hidden in the shrubs. The colour is deep red, despite the fact that the plants are hidden from the sunlight. At 1705 meter we find two - three plants which we cannot directly identify, so just take a couple of pictures and hope for the best. The plnats are localised on the side of the path and
occupy a space of not more than
10 by 2 meter. (Later, Jo Nerntz says they are the "true"
n.bongso.). There is not enough time according to the guide (one
of the students from Padang University) to reach the summit and
go back down the same day, as we lose time taking pictures and
looking for plants.
with enough variation
to look different at 100 meter height difference. The foreest
becomes high savannah, with grass that is man high. Small paths
cross, but they are to covered in vegetation to be used by humans.
We see a single n. inermis growing in a canyon, far enough from
the path to be difficult to photograph. The ridge continues and
goes all of the sudden very steep. At the windswept summit we
find a couple of small, weather stricken nepenthes 
which
could be a variety of n. talangensis but look like miniature n.
rajah (right). We camp on a small windswept plateau, there is
a pool with water and the whole night the stormy wind treatens
to take our tent away. Next morning our guides claim that tigers
appeared at night. In fact, the site of the n. inermis had this
weird smell hanging around, and almost every mountain in Sumatra
has a tiger population.
and
a lot of spices. However, we also manage a short trip in the Harau
valley and find n. ampullaria. In the canyons around the city
itself grows n. reinwardtiana, hidden in the ferns. The region
is covered with fields and plantages, we find pepper, coffee,
thea, sugar cane, cilli and a lot of spices.
Next stop is Sibolga, a city close
to the sea. There on the roadside (remarkable how many nepenthes
seem to grow just at the side of the road. As soon as the vegetation
is cleared the exposed cliffs seem to be colonised with nepenthes
and ferns.) we find what was called n. treubiana (picture right)
and something which looks like n. alata. (picture left) There
are plenty of n. ampullaria and n. 
gracillis
as the side of the road is steep and has a lot of small streams
coming down the mountain..
the rain forrest for days and
weeks) to Prapat at the shores of Lake Toba. And yes of course,
at the city limit we find n. tobaica.
"summit"
at 11.30 hrs. It takes from 1100 meter to 1700 meter before we
find n. rhombicaulis, hidden in the moss. Next we see n. spectabilis
hanging over the path, and when the path becomes less steep n.
ovata appears (picture left). It is surpisig how much this species
resembles n. veitchii, especially when 
the
peristome is not yet fully developped. Also the upper pitchers
(picture right)are totally different from the lower ones, and
one would think there are traces of n. maxima to be seen there....At
the summit we see what could be n. pectinata with teeth around
the peristome.
The surroundings of Lake Toba are
interesting, both because of the Stone Age remains and the Batak
culture with their own funeral rites and monumental reburials.
The open spaces are covered with burial sites doing honour to
the deceased, and the practise is to only erect the monument after
a long period of reflection by 
the family.
The Bataks have managed to keep their own culture against colonial
occupation and subsequent take-over by the Central Indonesian
State. They are a Christain island, still rooted in their matriarchal
traditions, in the middle of a staunch muslim country.