Danau (Lake) Maninjau

click to get a bigger image

The third day (Sunday, 8th July) we started from Lake Maninjau. Having spent the night before at Pasir Panjang Permai Hotel, we checked out at 8.30am to continue our journey.

Soon we were passing by terraces of padi, old houses (some of Dutch influence), mosques and scenic views. On our left was the hill and on our right was the lake. What a view!! I just didn't get bored looking at the greens of chillies, corns, potatoes and tapioca.


Our first stop was Hamka's birthplace, also known as the Museum of Buya Hamka's Birthplace (Museum Rumah Kelahiran Buya Hamka). Buya is an arabic word that carries the meaning of "my old man/my dad". His original home was a ruin, but a new house was built on exactly the same spot as the old one. It was nice to know that the re-construction of the house was mainly financed and supported by our own ABIM.

A colllection of his writings, and recordings of his speaches (in tapes/CDs) can be found in the house. If we had ample time, I wouldn't mind sitting there, listening to these tapes his talks. I was delighted to see some of his novels that I have read long long time ago, when I was maybe 10 or 11 years old.

The caretaker of this place is Khatib Hanif, who is actually Hamka's nephew. He was very helpful and friendly to us, volunteering information on the great man. Only when asked, did he reveal that Hamka is his uncle.

Khatib Hanif, PIL, MIL, me, Aina in Hamka's house with Hamka's portrait in the middle :-)

I was told that the small shop across the little road sells some of Hamka's books. Soon I headed to the shop. I bought my favourite "Tenggelamnya Kapal van der Wijck" and "Dibawah Lindungan Kaabah". "Merantau ke Deli" and "Di Dalam Lembah Kehidupan" were out of stock - and these are the novels that I have yet to read! :-(
His famous "Tasauf Moden" was also on sale, but we've already got a copy at home :-)

Well.... if we were not in a hurry, I wouldn't mind a drive round the lake, even though our guide Anas said that the road is no so comfy. But we had to leave... Goodbye Maninjau... I hope I will get the chance to come back - and hopefully in a not so rushing manner...

On the way back, as our vehicle climbed up the slope (in a zig-zag manner of course), we looked back and enjoyed the view of Lake Maninjau for the last time.... and I was reminded of a poem by the former Indonesian President Sukarna, which I saw in the hotel lobby, as well as Hamka's home:

Jika adik memakan pinang
Makanlah dengan sirih yang hijau
Jika adik datang ke Minang
Jagan lupa datang ke Maninjau
- Bung Karno


Hamka's poem in the hotel cafe:
An interesting blog about Maninjau and Hamka (in BM) can be read here.