November 2 - 6, 2022 - Wamena, Syokosimo and Kilise - People, Places
It was Sunday morning at the Baliem Valley Resort, where we spent our final night in the valley before flying off to Jayapura at 1pm.
As we sat down for breakfast at 9am, I routinely did the online check-in once I made a connection to the wifi of the reception area.
Sipping my avocado juice, I nearly choked. The flight was cancelled.
The airline had booked us to an earlier flight leaving at 9:55am.
It took us 5 minutes to pack and when we hopped on the car, the driver accelerated his speed to the maximum throughout the 35min ride towards the airport.
We were back to life with the symptoms of modernity.
Access to new resources
Four days back in time.
Philipp and I had arrived in Wamena, the Indonesian-made city in the Baliem Valley. Until today, the airport is the only entry point to the valley.
After a night‘s sleep, we met our guide Wendy from the Lani tribe and our trekking crew and drove to the police station.
Foreigners must obtain a travel permit (surat jalan) to stay in the region and gladly we had the papers ready.
Our 3 days / 2 nights hike started at Kurima, where the road into the south of the Baliem Valley ends.
We passed the first hanging bridge, passed Sweet potato fields and made our way towards Syokosimo, the Dani village where would rest for the first night.
During the first day of hiking, Phil fell down a steep bushy edge. My heart skipped a beat. Luckily he only got a few scratches and bruises.
Wendy explained to us over dinner, that a new road is currently built into the Mugo Valley where Syokosimo lay.
You could see the changes in Syokosimo. Houses built with concrete, access to electricity and music blasting from mobile phones.
Societal shift
We played an intensive 2 hours game of Volleyball that first day with the local youth, while Usuk, a village elder came to watch us.
Usuk and Usupagga are the last elder in Syokosimo, who wore the traditional penis sheath, made from gourd.
On the day of our departure, they both came down to our house. The obligatory pictures were worth 50‘000 Rupiah per person.
Thinking about the road, Wendy explained that local traditions disappear in these areas. Truly traditional tribes would move towards the land of the Yali communities, a 3-4 days foot march from Syokosimo.
Changing diet, changing routines
On our second day, we made our way back into the Baliem Valley to reach our second night‘s quarter, the Dani village of Kilise.
Along the way, we crossed hazardous looking bridges and found a waterfall to shower.
Upon our arrival, we were invited to join the local women for an ubi dinner. Baked Sweet potatos are the major staple in the valley and they are served for breakfast, lunch and dinner accompanied by a dish of sweet potato leaves and cabbage.
Most of our meals that our cook Terol prepared where made of so called „Java Food“: White rice, instant noodles, canned beef, sugar, oil and salt that where introduced to the valley upon the arrival of the Indonesian population in the 60s.
Along with cigarettes, beetle nuts, alcohol, candies, biscuits and snacks packed in colorful packaging, that lay around the paths throughout the valley.
Wendy suggested to us to bring pens for the children rather than sweets wrapped in plastic, or Gula Gula in Bahasa, which we diligently left at the respective teachers in both villages.
Counting on the next generation
Wendy, just like Hans in the Arfak Mountains, learned English while working with tourists.
They both now educate their people in the English language and in the need for preservation of nature, the jungle and the local traditions.
Both their eldest sons are going to university.
„It‘s much harder to learn all these things as an adult. I am happy that I can pay for my children to go to good schools now“, Wendy told us on the third day as we hiked back towards the road.
Along the way we had our final lunch next to the Baliem river.
The local women washed string bags (called noken) full of laundry in a small river next to us, while the men sat in the shade.
My first reaction was to complain to Philipp about the hard work that women in the Dani tribes still have to do despite all the obvious changes in the region.
They care for the children, carry the heavy harvest and tend to the fields, wash and cook and often also run the side business of selling goods and vegetables.
Philipp looked at me and countered: „It‘s often the women that better cope with change. They still have a purpose and easily adapt to the new realities, where lots of work is to be done. Men are not allowed to hunt for birds anymore nor are there any fights with other tribes to be fought…“
And it was true, despite the hardship and burden of manual labor, many of the women had a wide smile and eyes glittering with purpose and pride.
For once, I had nothing to add to that argument.
So, as we were thrown back to the „so called modern world“ as we managed to board our flight that Sunday morning and also as I‘m now boarding my flight back to Switzerland, I truly remain hopeful that the many sparkling eyes that I saw in Baliem Valley and across Papua as well as broader access to education will be part of the reality for the next generations in Papua to come.
Regardless of their gender.
Or their race.
The future generations of the Arfak Mountain area
A child of the extended family of our guide Sem in Nabire
A grandson with his grandmother in Baliem Valley
A boy fishing with his friends on Wundi Island
So very wonderful 🥰