This is Ibrahim he is nearly 90 years old. He is a bee keeper and as he clames, thanks to his profession he enjoys long, healthy and happy life.

As Sumatra is predominantly Muslim, many people pay attention to the direction of Mecca.

Sumatra is the first island where the first Muslims arrived in 13th century. Islam is the most rooted religion with the population of 90% , the northern province Ace has the highest population 98% .

Great Mosque of Medan or Masjid Raya Al Mashun, built in 1909 y.

Inside a Gurdwara Sahib, a Sikh temple in Medan. Sikhism is not officially recognized religion by the authority of Indonesia. But they are included to Hinduism one of the six officially recognized religions.

The second religion of Indonesia and Sumatra is Christianity. There are many denominations, mainly protestants.

The lake Toba and surroundings are mainly Christian. The local people who live there are called Batak with their own language and traditions. Their traditions had an influence on the way they build their churches and family graves like the one in this picture.

Of course, there are graveyards but many people maintain the habit of family graves near they houses.

Family tomb.

Family tomb.

Family graves are usually near the households but some may be erected in the fields (here corn).

Some of the tombs seemed to me very old.

North from the Toba lake, there is another ethnic group called Karo. They have different traditional architecture and this changes the style of graves.

This was another family grave which was inside this impressive housing.

A military graveyard.

This little petrol station sells fuel in plastic bottles or diectly from the pipes which are pumped by hand from barrels.

Another way to fuel a bus.

The 16 km. long Maninjau lake is inside a volcano caldera of the same name.

Maninjau lake.

Some people rear monkey as pets but some farmers train and use them to collect coconuts.

Rubber tree plantation. Farmers make cuts in the bark of a tree and this causes the tree to release the resin. The white resin drips to the caps made of coconuts, where it gathers and when full they harvest the half spherical shaped rubber.

Once a week the planters of caoutchouc, the raw rubber, gather on the market to sell their products.

Due to pandemic created situation, the planters get only half the price for their rubber of what they used to get.

Many small retailers buy products in bulk and then package it to small portions. Here they pour cooking oil from the blue barrels to small plastic bags.

In Indonesia there are popular locally made souses made of herbs, roots and all sort of spices.

A customer wanted just a cap of fresh blood from a hen. For this, the seller slitted her throat and poured the worm blood into a plastic bag.

This small retailer sells his hens straight from his motorbike.

In Indonesia many caged birds have to endure the strong equatorial direct sun.

For majority of people around the globe animals are just commodities, articles no different than the sack of potatoes or rice.

These little heaps, are tiny fish often used as seasoning.

Durian is called 'the king of all fruits'. And as far as my taste buds are considered, the title is indeed justified. And as well for many Indonesians, it is the apple of their eye.

Tobacco.

The demand for wild song birds is rooted in Indonesian culture. Almost 1 of households possess at least one bird. Some 'bird's lovers' like to have a whole collection that is proudly displayed under the baking sun all day long.

Children learn how to shoot to birds (animals in general) from the very young age. In the surrounding forest I regularly witnessed adults shooting to birds or other animals sometimes in presence of children.

Fried tofu or tempeh is very popular Indonesian snack.

Sumatra lies on the so called 'pacific ring of fire'. Volcano cones are part of the landscape.