As every year the Chinese New Year offers us the opportunity to leave a good week on vacation. This year the destination is the Indonesian Papua, also known as Irian Jaya. Accompanied by six friends, they are 6 days of discovery of the valley Baliem (Baliem Valley) ahead.
Link to photo album -> here
Friday
Program:
- Vol Singapore - Jakarta - Makassar - Jayapura
This departure on holiday begins with an hour late. The Air Asia flight that would take us from Singapore to Jakarta was delayed. An hour and a half later, we dine in a Japanese fast food at the airport in Jakarta after being acquitted of USD 25 for Indonesian visas. This will then 3:45 on Lion Air to Jayapura with a stop-over for 20 minutes at the airport in Makassar (Sulawesi).
Saturday
Program:
permit - Trekking in Jayapura
- Vol Jayapura - Wamena
arrival at Sentani airport of Jayapura, we note that the Papuans have a strong resemblance to the aborigines of Australia, the very same skin dark and the nose a little crushed. Just past the gate, we meet our first Papuan wearing his koteka (pelvic pouch). We take a car to the police station located 15-20 minutes from the airport. We must indeed permits to travel within Papua.
Having planned everything, we are already fitted with 2 passport photos and a photocopy of the passport. We make a photocopy of the visa in one shop and surrounding us put everything to the police. The visa is free and we have to wait an hour before being allowed. We took the opportunity to lunch at a greasy spoon near the police station. Once the permit in hand, we return to the airport for our flight Jayapura-Wamena. In line check-in, one encounters a Papuan who asks us to carry a bag of sugar in Wamena. We accept and ship in the small propeller airplane company Trigana.
Once at Wamena airport, we encounter Malvin, brother of the Papuan who told us the bag of sugar. He speaks good English and is presented as a guide. We learn later that he works at Wamena airport and has access to all listings passengers .. Easy for him to find the tourists to be addressed. Accompanied by his buddy Pelnius (Guide too) it takes us to the hotel opposite the airport. It is complete (and expensive) and we therefore ask our bags in Ranu Jaya II is 100 meters left out of the airport. We're leaving in a little room to talk business.
We define a program with him for 5 ½ days:
- Wamena - Kilise (medium car / mid-trek)
- Kilise - Vesagales
- Vesagales - Sogosimo
- Sogosimo - Itugi
- Itugi - Wamena (mid -trek / mid-drive)
- Kurulu (half-day to salt lake and ceremony Papuan)
This includes all food, car trips, porters, ceremony Papuan, the sacrifice of a pig. As against that excluded water and tips to be given to gentoo when taken in photos (Kretek cigarettes or Rp 2,000 tickets). It seems that there are rivers everywhere, we will use the purifying tablets wisely. The starting price for 7 people is 27 million rupees. It trades at 24.5 million. The price of 3.5 million rupiah per person is well below what we had seen on the websites of travel agencies. Malvin looks professional, he was trusted and accepted the program. You pay 10 million now and we will pay 14.5 million at the end of the stay. It gives us even a acknowledgment of payment.
We share dinner at 17:30. Nasi goreng-first stay. Not finding bémo drives to join the walk, return to the hotel and finish the evening with a game of cards. Please note that alcohol is banned in Papua.
Sunday
Program:
- Trek Wamena - Kilise
- Walk around Kilise
Sunrise 8. Awakening in the shower with a tub of cold water. Not sure we can wash in the mountains so we have to force yourself now. After breakfast, we take the car to walk to Wamena, a golf wave with a few vendors of fruit and vegetables and some shops. One buys a few bottles of mineral water. 30 minutes later, the car drops us off in the middle of a large rocky terrain surrounded by mountains .. the trek begins. It was not planned, but the porters carry our bags and all the food. With carriers, here's a little group of 14-15 people through the initial difficulties of the trek.
Only 2h30 walk to reach Kilise but the first part is really steep. Halfway through, I retrieve my bag .. it is really heavy and my carrier is already loaded. Climbs and little wooden bridges enchainent reassuring until we arrived in Kilis. We deposited our bags in the village and decide to walk in the hills of the village. 1 hour later, we joined a small village where we meet two Papuans who are equipped with their koteka. After a long photo shoot, they make us a demo to start a fire with straw and a piece of wood (20,000 Rp).
We then returned to our village. Melvin takes us into the village. It gets a big red fruit that will be served for dinner tonight. About our meal, it's almost always tea and cakes of flour for breakfast, vegetable soup and noodles for lunch and rice and vegetables for dinner.
At the end of dinner, we joined the carrier in the hut that serves as kitchen. A carrier gets the red fruit that has been boiled. He kneaded and pressed to separate the seeds. The result looks like a tomato coulis. Not bad. We then joined our little hut to sleep on the floor.
Monday
Program:
- Trek Kilise - Sogosimo
I get up at 6am. Too bad back. That first night at altitude was not a success for anyone: the cold, snoring, soil hardness, .. As bouquet Finally, we decide to wake up our 3 late in releasing a small pig in the hut. Our attempt was aborted when the pig shouted death to approach the hut, but the idea was good.
At 9:30 we resume our journey. The descent into the valley to a village. One can see a tree koteka. The koteka is therefore a fruit that Papuans are dry and empty of content. It arrives later in a river. One would ask a good time and take the opportunity to bathe in the water very fresh from the river before the amused gaze of dozens of children who have crowded around us.
The climb just after the river is very tough. Our bags on their backs, it will take us two hours to reach a small village before Sogosimo. Armed with his bow, the chief of the tribe welcomed us. He pretends to shoot us, we therefore eclipsed Sogosimo. Just arrived, the local cluster around the guesthouse. They unpack bows, axes, necklaces, .. the market is open. We have lunch and we'll walk along the River. A contest with ricochet kids later and we return to the guesthouse. The village chief precedent is there. He has his koteka, it adds a bone in his nose, was the picture of the holiday.
During dinner, Melvin explains why we are Sogosimo tonight instead of tomorrow. We're not going to Vesagales. He found that some of us will struggle physically. The ride-Kilise Vesagales is very short but very tough. This will ultimately not make a worse day trek in less.
After dinner, Yohann and Marc begin negotiations for a bow and an ax. Negotiations take time in Papua so we invite them to resume talks in the morning.
Tuesday
Program:
- Trek Sogosimo - Itugi
Surveys at 7:30, we take our bath in the River. Back at the guesthouse, the negotiations for the bow and ax end, the Papuan yield on prices. It is that 2,000 tourists a year in Papua and we are not in the tourist season (summer) so they have few opportunities to sell to tourists.
We leave at 9:30. This day is still very tough. We arrived around 14h a small source or we fill the bottles. 40 minutes later and we arrive at Itugi. Opposite, we see the starting point of the trek, we are on the opposite side of the valley.
Wednesday
Program:
- Trek Itugi - Wamena
- Wamena min - Kurulu
Two options are available today:
- follow porters for 1h30 walk to the starting point of the trek
- 3:30 walking on the side of the valley before joining the starting point.
Having had a day's trek least we decided to take the second option. So at 10am we're on the road.
The first two times are very rough. Then we arrive at the top. The scenery is beautiful up there, happy that he chose this option. There remains only the flat or downhill to reach the car. Once in the car, stop at the Wamena market for a well deserved Sprite. At lunch, we meet Jali. It is a tribal leader who organized the ceremony of us tomorrow. It already features his paintings of war, tomorrow promises.
We then took the car to Kurulu. We walk a little in the village. At dinner, Jali comes to visit us. He is really excited by this ceremony. But we try to make the most of our vacation and trying to put a visit to a salt mine before the ceremony. The problem is that it takes 3 hours round trip and we're not there on the world soon morning. Jali is more upset that we do not trample the ceremony as priority number 1. As this is so, we forget the salt mine and we will concentrate on the ceremony. Communication is restored with Jali. We play some music before going to rest for tomorrow. After crushing
thirty spiders in the bedroom and lying on it.
Thursday
Program:
- mummy
- Convocation Papuan
- journey Kurulu -
Wamena After breakfast we leave the village next to the guesthouse. We will shows a 385 years old mummy. Then we leave for the ceremony.
A long trail takes us to a clearing. Jali ahead atop a watchtower. He shoots an arrow at a few meters from us, we approach somewhat reassured. Soon a dozen warriors arise in the meadow and a mock battle. Conflict is still present in Papua but rather rare. In short, once the battle was over, they joined in the village. A few dances later and it's time the sacrifice of a pig that Melvin had bought for the occasion. Only 2 feet of the animal, Jali let fly an arrow in the heart.
Once dead, the Papuan cut off his ears and tail. Then the pig is placed on a fire so that it slightly burn the skin so it is easier to remove. The pig is then emptied its bowels. During this time, the stones of fire are placed in a hole. It adds a thick layer of leaves on which are asked sweet potatoes. Then it adds leaves and hot stones. The pig is then raised to the top. Papuans call leaves all around and let cook for 1 hour. Hot stones will actually cook the vegetables and pork steamed, the leaves prevents steam from escaping easily ... very clever. The ceremony then concludes with a tasting of sweet potato and pork, as well as selling necklaces and axes. These axes were actually used to cut the phalanxes of women. The tradition was to cut a knuckle to his wife that you lost a loved one, but this tradition is now gone.
Back in the guesthouse, we give to each holder Rp 100.000 to thank them for the trip. We return to the hotel Ranu Jaya II Wamena. We pay 14.5 million to Malvin and give it additional Rp 200.000 to thank his trip very well-organized.
Friday
Program:
- Vol Wamena - Jayapura
- Lake Sentani
Malvin still with us at the airport. It gives us the tickets back to Jayapura and we make the trek permits. We return to Sentani Airport. 10 minutes walk and we put our bags at the hotel Mansapur Rani. We then take a mini-van (ojek) for Lake Sentani (6km, 100,000 Rp). It arises in a restaurant on the water for a very good meal of fish.
We then take a boat to walk on the lake (3h, 450,000 Rp). We first went to the first village. Just got it begins to rain. So we end up stuck under the roof of the hall of the village. We only have to wait for a lull and leave Wamena.
After a week of noodles and rice, we spend our last evening in a pizzeria in Wamena. It explodes the bomb there before returning to the hotel.
Saturday
Program:
- Vol Wamena - Makassar - Jakarta - Singapore
The day Saturday was devoted exclusively to return to Jakarta and Singapore.
Major expenditures:
- Indonesia visa: USD 25
- Domestic Airport Tax Jakarta: Rp 150.000
- Jayapura-Wamena flight: Rp 830.000
- Vol Wamena-Jayapura: 400,000 Rp
- Tax Wamena Airport Domestic: Rp 35.000
- Hotel room: Rp 130.000 / person
- guide / porters / food: 3,500,000 Rp / person
- Boat Lake Sentani: Rp 150.000 per hour
Budget: Rp 6,500,000 count / person
Link to photo album -> here
Friday
Program:
- Vol Singapore - Jakarta - Makassar - Jayapura
This departure on holiday begins with an hour late. The Air Asia flight that would take us from Singapore to Jakarta was delayed. An hour and a half later, we dine in a Japanese fast food at the airport in Jakarta after being acquitted of USD 25 for Indonesian visas. This will then 3:45 on Lion Air to Jayapura with a stop-over for 20 minutes at the airport in Makassar (Sulawesi).
Saturday
Program:
permit - Trekking in Jayapura
- Vol Jayapura - Wamena
arrival at Sentani airport of Jayapura, we note that the Papuans have a strong resemblance to the aborigines of Australia, the very same skin dark and the nose a little crushed. Just past the gate, we meet our first Papuan wearing his koteka (pelvic pouch). We take a car to the police station located 15-20 minutes from the airport. We must indeed permits to travel within Papua.
Having planned everything, we are already fitted with 2 passport photos and a photocopy of the passport. We make a photocopy of the visa in one shop and surrounding us put everything to the police. The visa is free and we have to wait an hour before being allowed. We took the opportunity to lunch at a greasy spoon near the police station. Once the permit in hand, we return to the airport for our flight Jayapura-Wamena. In line check-in, one encounters a Papuan who asks us to carry a bag of sugar in Wamena. We accept and ship in the small propeller airplane company Trigana.
Once at Wamena airport, we encounter Malvin, brother of the Papuan who told us the bag of sugar. He speaks good English and is presented as a guide. We learn later that he works at Wamena airport and has access to all listings passengers .. Easy for him to find the tourists to be addressed. Accompanied by his buddy Pelnius (Guide too) it takes us to the hotel opposite the airport. It is complete (and expensive) and we therefore ask our bags in Ranu Jaya II is 100 meters left out of the airport. We're leaving in a little room to talk business.
We define a program with him for 5 ½ days:
- Wamena - Kilise (medium car / mid-trek)
- Kilise - Vesagales
- Vesagales - Sogosimo
- Sogosimo - Itugi
- Itugi - Wamena (mid -trek / mid-drive)
- Kurulu (half-day to salt lake and ceremony Papuan)
This includes all food, car trips, porters, ceremony Papuan, the sacrifice of a pig. As against that excluded water and tips to be given to gentoo when taken in photos (Kretek cigarettes or Rp 2,000 tickets). It seems that there are rivers everywhere, we will use the purifying tablets wisely. The starting price for 7 people is 27 million rupees. It trades at 24.5 million. The price of 3.5 million rupiah per person is well below what we had seen on the websites of travel agencies. Malvin looks professional, he was trusted and accepted the program. You pay 10 million now and we will pay 14.5 million at the end of the stay. It gives us even a acknowledgment of payment.
We share dinner at 17:30. Nasi goreng-first stay. Not finding bémo drives to join the walk, return to the hotel and finish the evening with a game of cards. Please note that alcohol is banned in Papua.
Sunday
Program:
- Trek Wamena - Kilise
- Walk around Kilise
Sunrise 8. Awakening in the shower with a tub of cold water. Not sure we can wash in the mountains so we have to force yourself now. After breakfast, we take the car to walk to Wamena, a golf wave with a few vendors of fruit and vegetables and some shops. One buys a few bottles of mineral water. 30 minutes later, the car drops us off in the middle of a large rocky terrain surrounded by mountains .. the trek begins. It was not planned, but the porters carry our bags and all the food. With carriers, here's a little group of 14-15 people through the initial difficulties of the trek.
Only 2h30 walk to reach Kilise but the first part is really steep. Halfway through, I retrieve my bag .. it is really heavy and my carrier is already loaded. Climbs and little wooden bridges enchainent reassuring until we arrived in Kilis. We deposited our bags in the village and decide to walk in the hills of the village. 1 hour later, we joined a small village where we meet two Papuans who are equipped with their koteka. After a long photo shoot, they make us a demo to start a fire with straw and a piece of wood (20,000 Rp).
We then returned to our village. Melvin takes us into the village. It gets a big red fruit that will be served for dinner tonight. About our meal, it's almost always tea and cakes of flour for breakfast, vegetable soup and noodles for lunch and rice and vegetables for dinner.
At the end of dinner, we joined the carrier in the hut that serves as kitchen. A carrier gets the red fruit that has been boiled. He kneaded and pressed to separate the seeds. The result looks like a tomato coulis. Not bad. We then joined our little hut to sleep on the floor.
Monday
Program:
- Trek Kilise - Sogosimo
I get up at 6am. Too bad back. That first night at altitude was not a success for anyone: the cold, snoring, soil hardness, .. As bouquet Finally, we decide to wake up our 3 late in releasing a small pig in the hut. Our attempt was aborted when the pig shouted death to approach the hut, but the idea was good.
At 9:30 we resume our journey. The descent into the valley to a village. One can see a tree koteka. The koteka is therefore a fruit that Papuans are dry and empty of content. It arrives later in a river. One would ask a good time and take the opportunity to bathe in the water very fresh from the river before the amused gaze of dozens of children who have crowded around us.
The climb just after the river is very tough. Our bags on their backs, it will take us two hours to reach a small village before Sogosimo. Armed with his bow, the chief of the tribe welcomed us. He pretends to shoot us, we therefore eclipsed Sogosimo. Just arrived, the local cluster around the guesthouse. They unpack bows, axes, necklaces, .. the market is open. We have lunch and we'll walk along the River. A contest with ricochet kids later and we return to the guesthouse. The village chief precedent is there. He has his koteka, it adds a bone in his nose, was the picture of the holiday.
During dinner, Melvin explains why we are Sogosimo tonight instead of tomorrow. We're not going to Vesagales. He found that some of us will struggle physically. The ride-Kilise Vesagales is very short but very tough. This will ultimately not make a worse day trek in less.
After dinner, Yohann and Marc begin negotiations for a bow and an ax. Negotiations take time in Papua so we invite them to resume talks in the morning.
Tuesday
Program:
- Trek Sogosimo - Itugi
Surveys at 7:30, we take our bath in the River. Back at the guesthouse, the negotiations for the bow and ax end, the Papuan yield on prices. It is that 2,000 tourists a year in Papua and we are not in the tourist season (summer) so they have few opportunities to sell to tourists.
We leave at 9:30. This day is still very tough. We arrived around 14h a small source or we fill the bottles. 40 minutes later and we arrive at Itugi. Opposite, we see the starting point of the trek, we are on the opposite side of the valley.
Wednesday
Program:
- Trek Itugi - Wamena
- Wamena min - Kurulu
Two options are available today:
- follow porters for 1h30 walk to the starting point of the trek
- 3:30 walking on the side of the valley before joining the starting point.
Having had a day's trek least we decided to take the second option. So at 10am we're on the road.
The first two times are very rough. Then we arrive at the top. The scenery is beautiful up there, happy that he chose this option. There remains only the flat or downhill to reach the car. Once in the car, stop at the Wamena market for a well deserved Sprite. At lunch, we meet Jali. It is a tribal leader who organized the ceremony of us tomorrow. It already features his paintings of war, tomorrow promises.
We then took the car to Kurulu. We walk a little in the village. At dinner, Jali comes to visit us. He is really excited by this ceremony. But we try to make the most of our vacation and trying to put a visit to a salt mine before the ceremony. The problem is that it takes 3 hours round trip and we're not there on the world soon morning. Jali is more upset that we do not trample the ceremony as priority number 1. As this is so, we forget the salt mine and we will concentrate on the ceremony. Communication is restored with Jali. We play some music before going to rest for tomorrow. After crushing
thirty spiders in the bedroom and lying on it.
Thursday
Program:
- mummy
- Convocation Papuan
- journey Kurulu -
Wamena After breakfast we leave the village next to the guesthouse. We will shows a 385 years old mummy. Then we leave for the ceremony.
A long trail takes us to a clearing. Jali ahead atop a watchtower. He shoots an arrow at a few meters from us, we approach somewhat reassured. Soon a dozen warriors arise in the meadow and a mock battle. Conflict is still present in Papua but rather rare. In short, once the battle was over, they joined in the village. A few dances later and it's time the sacrifice of a pig that Melvin had bought for the occasion. Only 2 feet of the animal, Jali let fly an arrow in the heart.
Once dead, the Papuan cut off his ears and tail. Then the pig is placed on a fire so that it slightly burn the skin so it is easier to remove. The pig is then emptied its bowels. During this time, the stones of fire are placed in a hole. It adds a thick layer of leaves on which are asked sweet potatoes. Then it adds leaves and hot stones. The pig is then raised to the top. Papuans call leaves all around and let cook for 1 hour. Hot stones will actually cook the vegetables and pork steamed, the leaves prevents steam from escaping easily ... very clever. The ceremony then concludes with a tasting of sweet potato and pork, as well as selling necklaces and axes. These axes were actually used to cut the phalanxes of women. The tradition was to cut a knuckle to his wife that you lost a loved one, but this tradition is now gone.
Back in the guesthouse, we give to each holder Rp 100.000 to thank them for the trip. We return to the hotel Ranu Jaya II Wamena. We pay 14.5 million to Malvin and give it additional Rp 200.000 to thank his trip very well-organized.
Friday
Program:
- Vol Wamena - Jayapura
- Lake Sentani
Malvin still with us at the airport. It gives us the tickets back to Jayapura and we make the trek permits. We return to Sentani Airport. 10 minutes walk and we put our bags at the hotel Mansapur Rani. We then take a mini-van (ojek) for Lake Sentani (6km, 100,000 Rp). It arises in a restaurant on the water for a very good meal of fish.
We then take a boat to walk on the lake (3h, 450,000 Rp). We first went to the first village. Just got it begins to rain. So we end up stuck under the roof of the hall of the village. We only have to wait for a lull and leave Wamena.
After a week of noodles and rice, we spend our last evening in a pizzeria in Wamena. It explodes the bomb there before returning to the hotel.
Saturday
Program:
- Vol Wamena - Makassar - Jakarta - Singapore
The day Saturday was devoted exclusively to return to Jakarta and Singapore.
Major expenditures:
- Indonesia visa: USD 25
- Domestic Airport Tax Jakarta: Rp 150.000
- Jayapura-Wamena flight: Rp 830.000
- Vol Wamena-Jayapura: 400,000 Rp
- Tax Wamena Airport Domestic: Rp 35.000
- Hotel room: Rp 130.000 / person
- guide / porters / food: 3,500,000 Rp / person
- Boat Lake Sentani: Rp 150.000 per hour
Budget: Rp 6,500,000 count / person
Contacts
- Manapur Rani Hotel (Guesthouse Sentani)
Jl Yabaso Sentani 113 90 (200 meters from Airport)
Sentani - Papua - Indonesia
Tel: 591219
- Malvin (guide Wamena)
Malvin Kogoya
Alama Wamena, Agen Apiastar, Papua, Indonesia
Tel: 62-81344032671
