|
West Papua
Province ( previously called IRIAN JAYA) somewhere in the southern pacific.
There have not probably many people known the Papua very well except for those
who like adventures. West Papua
Province comprises the western half of the huge island of New Guinea situated
just northern tip of Australia. The eastern half of the island is another
country of Papua New Guinea. West Papua
stretches 1,200 kilometers from east to west and is Indonesian largest province,
covering 414,800 square kilometers (160,150 sq. miles), which is also the second
largest island on earth, after the Greenland.
The population of
this province is about 2 million. About 10 percent of the population live in the
cool central highlands of Baliem Valley. Almost half of
this province - was once base of the American and Allied Force during the
Pacific War led by General Douglas Mc Arthur - is hilly or mountainous and about
ten major peaks reach over 4,000 meters. The tallest is Carstensz Pyramid (4,884
meter above sea level/16,023 feet from which flows a glacier.
THE
PEOPLE AND WAY OF LIFE
The indigenous people of this province are Melanesians with black skins and
curly hair. They generally have a root crop subsistence agriculture based on
sweet potatoes and taros.
The people of
Papua obtain their starch from the sago palm which gives and extremely generous
yield for remarkably little effort. Feral and domesticated pigs on the island is
originally came from Southeast Asia was an event which has had vast cultural and
ritual significance for its people. Pigs are often treated as members of the
family and are sometimes suckled by women.
While many other
people of the world were still hunters and gatherers, Papua people had begun to
garden. After fairly recently, many of them lived with a simple Stone Age
Culture wearing little clothing and decorating their bodies with paintings,
shells, pig tusks, feathers and skins. There is a plethora of language in the
province, perhaps some 250 in all, each representing a tribal group which mixes
little with the others. Some of the more remote groups still have virtually no
contact with the outside world. In recent years,
Indonesians from elsewhere in the country have come to this province.
THE
FLORA AND FAUNA
Papua island may have the richest wildlife and concentration of plant life in
all of Indonesia, or perhaps the world. No other islands in the archipelago can
match its various kind of Birds of Paradise, Parrot families, pigeons and
Flightless Cassowary.
This province is
also home of 150 species of lizards, 30,000 species of beetles, 200 frogs and
800 spiders. A high percentage of the island's 100 snake species are poisonous,
including all 17 species of sea snakes.
There are
altogether some 2,700 species of orchids found in Papua Province, 600 species
that are medicinal importance and over 124 endemic genera. The lush vegetation
of the province is in fact a deceptive cover over poor soils badly leached by
heavy rain and containing no rich volcanic materials. Mangroves and Nipah Palms
ensnare the brackish estuaries of the coast.
BALIEM
VALLEY
This valley has been the most visited part of the island, especially in recent
years. The Dani Tribes speak related Papuan, or non - Austronesian language and
live in the high central range of Papua Island, the most eastern province of
Indonesia.
Until the last
decades the Dani tribes were some of the most isolated populations by swamps and
mountains. They grew root crops, raised pig and used polished stone axes and
adzes. They didn't make pottery (which means "sign of the modernity"),
but otherwise their technology was very much like that of the Neolithic of the
Old and New Worlds.
There may be
250,000 Dani living in the central mountains, many live scattered among the
steep mountain slopes. The Valley has one of the highest densities of population
in Papua Province. The Dani Tribes build their huts in a compound nicely express
both environmental adaptation and Dani's character. The men's and women's huts
have thick thatched roofs which keep rain, yet retain the heat from the earth,
along with just enough smoke to discourage the mosquito.
The temperatures
of the highland are ranged from 26 degrees Celsius at the day time and 12
degrees at night. The highlights of
sightseeing are Dani Market in WAMENA Town, WAUMA Village and, which can be
easily reach on foot or by car from Wamena. Further out are AIKIMA, with its 250 years old mummy,
SUROBA, JIWIKA and neighboring villages. With 2 hours
climbing, you can see the salt spring where the Dani women make salt in
primitive way fashion for centuries. Outer adventures
are southward to KURIMA area, where the Dani and Yali Tribes' way of life mixed
into a unique combination.
THE
YALI TRIBE
A 30-minute chartered flght to Angguruk or Kosarek area, it's about 35 miles
southeast of Wamena live another tribe called Yali. The Yali live on hills and
flat terrain deeper in the Baliem Valley. The temperature of this area is 20 C -
30 C in the day time and at night 10 C - 15 C. The total population of this area
is 30.000 people.
This tribe has
similar way of life like Dani but is shorter and "cleaner". The Yali
tribesmen wear "koteka", the penis gourd, straight to front instead of
straight up like the Dani do. The Yali practice
less sophisticated cultivation techniques than Dani and keep fewer pigs. They
provide the Dani with decorative bird feathers as well as tree kangaroo and
cuscus pelts and fine rare woods, long disappear from the Baliem Valley itself. Yali tools have
not changed in a thousand of years - stone axe of pointed shards wrapped tightly
onto a wooden stick, net carrying bags supported from the forehead, thick bows
five or six feet long, and arrowhead carved to a purpose -broad and flat for
large game, a triple barb for birds, notched and tapered black for setting
tribal disputes.
There are two
actually main tribes in the area: Yali and Yalimo.Compared with the Dani people
this tribe is much more primitive and less visited. They are also less
influenced by outside world. There are no land transportation and accommodation
available here, all must be trekked on foot.
The only air
transportation to Angguruk or Kosarek is served by missionary small flight, that
has to booked early in advance. Upon arrival in Angguruk, there're just only missionary's house, teacher's house or even local
people's hut for accommodation. Food material must be taken along with, as there
is no shop available in this region.
Introduction
The Republic of Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago and is the fifth
most populous country, with 17,700 islands streching 5,120 kms (3,200 miles)
between Australia and the Asian mainland.
Population
and Language
200 million
people are distributed throughout 27 provinces. However, 55% of these people are
concentrated on Java, Bali and Madura, on only 7% of the total area.
Climate
A tropical
country, with humidity ranging from 69% - 95%, there are two seasons: Dry
Season, from May to October and Wet Season, from November to April. It should be
noted that occasional showers do occur during the dry season; similarly, during
the "rainy" season it is more likely that heavy tropical down-pours
are interspersed with sunshine. Average temperatures range from 68?to 86?or
20?to 30?
.
Passport and Visas
Visitors must
arrive in Indonesia with passports valid for at least six months after arrival
and with onward or return tickets. Visas are not required for nationals of:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece,
Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta,
Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, New Zealand, Singapore,South Korea, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States of America and West
Germany.
A non-extendable tourist pass for citizens of these is issued for a maximum of
60 days with entry and departure through:
Airports: Medan, Batam,
Pekanbaru, Padang, Jakarta, Bali, Manado, Ambon, Biak,Kupang, Pontianak,
Balikpapan and Surabaya;
Seaports: Medan, Batam, Jakarta, Surabaya, Semarang, Riau, Bali, Manado, and
Ambon.
Through other
ports, a visa is required. Nationals of countries not listed above can obtain
30-day tourist visas from any Indonesian embassy or consulate abroad.
Health
Certificates
International
certificates for smallpox and cholera are not required and yellow fever
vaccination are necessary only for visitors coming from infected areas.
Customs
Each adult is
permitted to bring, on entry, a maximum of two litres of alcoholic beverages,
200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 grams of tobacco and a reasonable quantity of
perfume. Photographic equipment and typewriters must be declared and are
admitted provided they are taken out on departure. Prohibited from entry are the
fol lowing items: narcotics, arms and ammunition, TV sets, radio and radio
casette recorders, pornography, fresh fruit, printed matters in Chinese
characters and Chinese medicine. All movie films and video casettes will have to
be deposited for review by the Film Censor Board. There is no restriction on
import and export of foreign currencies and travellers cheque; however, import
or export Indonesia currency exceeding Rp 50,000,- is prohibited.
Airport
Tax
Airport tax
levied on passengers for international travel is Rp 22,000,-. While for travel
within Indonesia it varies from one region to another with an average of Rp
11.000,- for each departure.
Transportation
An airconditioned
airport-hotel shuttle service, operates frequently scheduled trips to/from major
hotels to coincide with flights from Jakarta's international airport at a cost
of approx Rp 4,000,per person. Taxis at a higher rate, are also available with
metered taxis operating only in Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Semarang and Solo.
Elsewhere, other forms of transportation, which required setting the fare in
advance, include minicars for two passengers, "bemos" or small buses
covering regular routes and "becaks" powered by human energy. Trains
operate in Java and parts of Sumatra. Garuda Indonesia has an extensive
networkof dailyflights toallcitiesinthe 27 provinces. These flights are
supplemented by domestic air services on Merpati, Nusantara, Mandala and Bouraq
.
Currency
The local
currency is the Rupiah. Foreign currencies, either banknotes or travellers
cheques, are easily exchanged at banks and money changers in major tourist
destinations. Credit cards are accepted at most hotels and restaurants in main
cities. It is advisable to carry sufficient amounts of Rupiah when travelling to
smaller towns or outer provinces.
Tipping
Major hotels add
a 10% service charge to bills. Where it is not included a tip of between 5% to
10% of the bill would be appropriate if service is satisfactory. Airport
poterage is Rp 500,- for a small bag and Rp 1,000,- if weighing more than 20 kg.
Tipping taxi and hire-car drivers is not mandatory, but Rp 500,would be
sufficient for a taxi driver, but more for a hire-car driver.
Clothing
Dress is
generally informal in Indonesia. Light fabrics are recommended due to the warm,
humid climate. For men, a jacket and tie is considered appropriate when making
officials calls or non formal occasions. Or, follow local custom by wearing a
long-sleeve batik shirt. It is recommended to bring a sweater or light jacket
for travel to mountain areas. Shorts and beachwear are not considered
appropriate except at sports facilities and on the beaches, and never
appropriate for visits to temples, mosques and other places of worship.
|
