Biak Island

The title of this post was supposed to be "Wamena and the Baliem Valley", but as you can see, it's not...

This place I have wanted to get to since first coming to Papua three years ago, the Baliem Valley, remains elusive to us... We arrived in Jayapura to meet Cecilia (a wonderful reunion in Indonesia - it was almost exactly two years prior that we travelled to the same town together for the Danau Sentani Festival).  But with a mysteriously missing reservation, broken planes, and no possibility of flying into the highlands of Papua (even with the various Missionary Aviation services, like MAF), we were forced to change our destination.  We looked for alternatives to Wamena and our highlands hike... and as you can see, found a very satisfactory one - BIAK!

Although we spent probably the same amount of time 'on the road' as we had originally planned with our Baliem Valley hike, the FORM of transportation was different... where we were planning on some rigorous hiking in the Baliem Valley, we actually ended up on busses, minivans (angkots or pete-pete as they're sometimes known), ojeks (motorcycle taxis), boats, and fin (for swimming)... instead of on foot.







Did I mention the main reason for this?  Biak is HUGE!  (We weren't expecting this, and of course, thought we would see all the sights in our mere five days there - ha!)  We did get all the way up to the North Biak and Supiori Reserves, and out to the Padaido Islands (you can see our approximate route in red).

Our first day on the island we did a little sight-seeing around the small city of Biak; it is pleasant and much cleaner and more orderly-seeming than other cities in Papua (and Indonesia, for that matter!).  But hotels are outrageously expensive for what you receive!  The markets were similar to most markets... a variety of fruit, veg and fish...  I found these 'ready-made' packets of veggies particularly cute.

... and i had never seen sagu packaged so neatly...

At 7 am the next morning we headed over to the main market to catch a bus to North Biak... the 2 hour bus ride was hot and cramped, but the people were very friendly and helpful.  They sort-of dumped us out at a cross-roads and just said to wait for a next bus... well, just there was a nice-looking little path out to the beach, so we thought we'd check it out... but not 50m from the road a police truck pulled up saying we had to report our presence.... ?  Ok, so we reported ourselves at the Police Station - a formality, really - and a way to keep Papua a little less accessible, and under 'control'.  We didn't have a proper "Surat Jalan" (takes valuable time to process, and seems ridiculous to me... I've never had one), but that wasn't a real problem, especially because we could speak and schmooze in Indonesian.  We checked out the beach just beyond the canal separating Biak and Supiori Islands, had a quick bite to eat and then jumped on a 2 hour ojek tour to Yengarbun in Supiori Reserve (Taman Pulau Supiori).  We thought we would go to Wapur, at the farthest North/West point of the island, but Yengarbun was already far and our butts were sore from being on the motorcycles!  We stopped along the way at the popular Wafur beach.  It was deserted.

One of my favourite parts about our trip (other than the company), was my great motorcycle taxi driver cum guide... he taught me a lot of bahasa Biak along the way as well.

There are no hotels in North Biak, so we expected to be staying with the people in a simple home, but arrived in Yengarbun to find a pretty swank, out-of-place, set of cottages owned by the Vice-Head of the Regency.  Unfortunately (or fortunately, I guess, after finding out the exorbitant cost of staying here), we found the 'cottages' closed up, but the caretaker offered us to stay in the house on the other side of the road... We actually ended up staying on the porch of the beach house (and not sleeping a wink, between the hard ceramic floor and the mozzies)!

We enjoyed a sunset walk along the lovely beach at Ayami village next door... This picturesque island bridge sits just in front of the village.

We bought supermie (instant noodles) at the only little store in town and cooked it for ourselves for a complete dinner.  Mmmm... appetizing, no?

The next day we enjoyed an early morning walk through Sagu plantations (hoping for hike, and a chance to inaugurate my shiny new white shoes, but our guide didn't show).  We expected this area to be relatively pristine forest, since we were in a 'reserve', and all - I should know better, after this long in Indonesia...

Anyway, it was a nice walk, and our hosts, a group of Sagu farmers that invited us to join as they cut and worked a Sagu Palm (Tokok Sagu).  It was great to learn more about this traditional staple of Papua from these kind and fun men!

We also each took a turn trying our hand at pounding the sago pith into mulch...

A giant stick bug showed up for the work bee as well...

... careful not to get pricked by the sagu spikes, we picked our way through the forest...

Then we enjoyed the long, bumpy bus ride with lots of interesting passengers along the remote North Supiori Road - pitted and potholed, steep drop-offs to exquisite secluded beaches...



We got off in North Biak Reserve at Wasur Waterfall (Warfasak)... this place was magic.  Absolutely gorgeous... fossilized coral and seashells hundreds of meters up at the big waterfall.  Something about the porous nature of the limestone over which the water falls makes it look frothy, or foamy or 'soft'... it's hard to describe, but it was unlike any other waterfall I've ever seen!  Our guide was the greatest - an ancient little man who was nimbler climbing up the watercourse than we, all less than half his age!  Here he is up by the falls (you can see the scale of the waterfall, and the tree!).

It was a butterfly-filled walk up to the inner falls, and we all got a chance to walk on water!

The next day, we chartered a boat to the Padaido Islands.  It was slow-going with our single 15hp outboard motor, but nice to be on the water.  We ended up going to Rurbas kecil for a fresh fish BBQ on the beach; coconuts with local family and swimming in the turquoise waters.

impromptu fish bbq on the beach...

... i've never actually eaten sitting IN the water before... such decadence!

a nimble local kid scaled the tree to get us some fresh coconuts to go with our fish lunch...

... you see where the get the name 'island of the fuzzy hairs'!?

Then it was off to Rurbas besar for some snorkelling.  It seemed like a nice site, but with the current and waves, better for diving, I think!

Our final day was most tiring; after a 4am wake-up and check-in in Biak and flight to Jayapura we had about 4 hours to kill in Sentani.  So, we sweet-talked our way into leaving our baggage at Lion Air (yes, I know I said I would never fly with the airline whose motto is "We Make You Fly", but ... never say never!), and we spent a few unsuccessful hours trying to see a little more of Sentani.  We disappointed by the General McArthur Lookout Point at Gunung Ifar - the view of Lake Sentani was nice, but we had planned to hike, and given that it it was just an asphalt road on a military base, we were uninspired...  so we paid our motorcycle taxis to just take us down again.

We ended off our Papua tour with a walk around town, and a very popular, entirely traditional Papua meal... at Dunkin Donuts!?

Love Juice!

If someone offered me some love juice, I’m not sure whether I would be so shocked I would just do a double-take, or whether I would be so utterly offended I would slap them!?!  But here you have it… in Indonesia you can buy it bottled - it even comes in a variety of flavours!

Sand Beds

In Ayau, the remote little atoll archipelago in the North of Raja Ampat, there are 2 certainties in life… sun and sand.

And their sand is so decadent… it’s the softest, smoothest, whitest substance... I would say it is akin to the most luxurious baby powder in existence…  and it stretches for miles and miles and miles...

The people of Ayau didn’t used to have houses to speak of… they slept in the sand under the trees on the beach… well, “if it aint broke, don’t fix it”!?!  When they started building houses (still simple shelters, split bamboo or rattan or grasses or wood with grass rooves… not much time spent inside, you see… ), they kept their beds as usual…

Beds look like what I would previously have thought to be a kids' spacious sandbox, actually… and the sand is brought specifically from the most comfortable, clean beaches in special trips to fill them with.

Special resting places are made under trees on the beach as well, to make the most of the on-shore breeze mid-day.  That's where you'll usually find the ladies of the village hanging out with their children while the men are out fishing.

Appropriate Tshirt

The translation of the phrase on this ladies' tshirt is "Coming together to push ahead/move forward"...  how appropriate, no!?!  This lady was such a great subject I couldn’t get over it… fishing with the kiddies on the jetty in the blaring sun.

Senat

Senat is the name in Indonesian for these special rattan mats...

I remember at our cottage growing up we had precisely these as blinds on the windows... the way the morning sun reflected off the water and through the slats to wake me up each morning is a peaceful feeling I will never forget.

Here, they are the central entity in any home... the central point around which life revolves.  Discussions get heated, bread gets broken, plans are hatched, and babies are born onto these mats.

Anyway, here in Indonesia I’ve sat on them many many times, but never witnessed all the work that goes into their creation...

...often it means a trip to the 'kebun' (farm), which may be several kilometers away by boat...

...then another distance on foot...

... then the rattan has to be dried, split and shaved...

(and sometimes further treated as well)

... then each individual piece gets added on with woven threads...

And the central instrument of life is finally complete...

Turtle Rescue

In the village of Waisilip, as we were coming back from a field trip with the students, we passed a sea turtle, which, upon closer inspection I found to be alive.

He was helplessly on his back.... barely breathing.

Ironically only a few hours previously we adjusted the schedule so that we would be studying about sea turtles and their vulnerability to extinction the following day.  Even so, not only the students, but also the educators, just walked right by!?

Have they not been toting the conservation line for two years now???

Anyway, I couldn't ignore it, and directly asked if we could find the 'owner' to see how we could rescue this turtle before he became sausages (as we know would happen)...  my thought being that even if we had to buy the turtle in order to release it, we would do just that...

After speaking with the fisherman who had captured the turtle, he agreed to release it.  We explained that we were there to teach the students about sea turtles and conserving nature, and did he know that Raja Ampat is one of the few places that sea turtles still seem to be in abundance (and even then, the anecdotes tell the tell of drastic population declines)... that they are protected internationally because they are in danger of extinction.  We got him to agree that it would be a great lesson for them to see the turtle released.... and he seemed understanding... and we didn't even have to offer anything.  Whether from embarrassment, or comprehension, at least the turtle avoided being on the menu that day!

Unfortunately, we know that every year hundreds of his cousins aren't so lucky...

Anchovy Fritters

A neat new food find… right onboard!

These little fish, called ikan teri/ikan puri (similar to sardines, I guess they're actually a kind of anchovy) make for a pretty tasty snack… now you would think preparing a fish this size would be a royal pain in the a$%… but not at all!  If you chop the head and pull all the innards just slip right out… and they are cooked (and eaten) with the bones in!  Our cook made his specialty: Fish Fritters!

Anchovies make up part of a popular 'bar snack' here also... dried anchovies mixed in with peanuts.  Not my favourite, but people seem to really like it!?  I'll have to remember to take a pic so y'all believe me!

This one is not a sardine, but a juvenile box fish that came with the batch of small fish!

A side note:  I have the next few posts set up to go automatically, so don't get confused... yes, I am in the wilds of Papua doing my trek, and will let you know all about it when I get back!

Another kind of 'floating school'

There are lots of more serious problems with the education system here in Raja Ampat and in Indonesia in general… But I must say, it surprised me, when we went to the virtually new village of Waisilip (created to be the seat of the local district in 2001)...




The school floods at even the slightest rain.  Many people refer to our boat-based environmental education program as 'the floating school' or the 'floating education station'... but now that phrase takes on a whole new meaning!

It's no wonder, actually.  The entire village area is sitting on reclaimed land from mangrove swamps.  Nature always wins and takes back what's hers.  The surprising part is that the design and development of this village was done in complete and total ignorance!?  The school is brand new (no more than 5 years), but no one can go to school if it rains... which it does for about 6 months of the year.

This was only a light afternoon shower... just imagine once the rainy season really hits!?

The Islands of West Waigeo

Just having returned from another trip aboard the Kalabia education vessel, I really feel like I’m getting to know Raja Ampat… or better said, to know how much I don’t know!  Each region we visit is quite distinct, each group of students, and each community very different, not only in the language they speak (there are about 10 different languages, with some of them having several different dialects depending on the region around the islands), but also in their manner, attitudes, behaviours, etc.

Anyway, I just wanted to share a little bit about the area we visited, apart from the Kalabia program itself (which I have written about in my reports, and the Kalabia blog – hope to be published soon!).

Our Route:

Our route took us from Sorong to the small villages of Waisilip, Meosmanggara (and Manyaifun), Gag, Fam (and Saukabu).

The single dive we got the chance to do was at a site called Melissa’s Garden… one of the most famous sites in Raja Ampat… quite lovely, and within 2 kms of a village we did a program in.  So we got up extra early and did one dive before the program even got started.  Even thought it was first-light, and it felt like the reef was ‘still sleeping’…. we encountered a few interesting things… flatworms, a wobbie (wobbegong shark)...

... and lots of crinoid shrimp commensals (you can see some pics in my previous blog - my camera fogged up, unfortunately, so I didn’t any great shots).  I was disappointed that the only thing left of the giant clams I’d heard about were their empty shells...

When we were in the village of Fam/Saukabu on the Kalabia, the biggest news was a story of a diver who had been lost last month (mid-May?), thought to have been eaten by a giant octopus... Just one dive-site away from Melissa's Garden.  The villagers said there were four liveaboards all gathered attempting to 'free her'....  Their story was somewhat fantasical (included rescue efforts botched by giant octopus ink sprays, diver-to-surface tele-communications (where the victim was able to communicate that she was trapped inside the cave by the giant octopus, and running low on air), body nor any gear ever seen again...).  They are also now terrified of this giant octopus and the diver's ghost, that they think must now be haunting this particular area... I am attempting to corroborate the story, and hopefully get them a more accurate version!?  We saw an octopus while snorkeling in Waisilip, but he was not of a proportion to be in any position to devour a human... and he was much more intimidated by us, than we needed be of him, changing colour and texture several times as I tried to snap an in-focus shot of him... check out this sequence:

Snorkeling with the students was a lot of fun, as usual, and we usually saw both relatively healthy reefs, alongside evidence of destruction.  Martin found an unexploded bomb in one spot, and a potassium poison spray bottle on another!

Anyway, although the program was as full as always, we tried to find a little time for a little exercise (volleyball, whatever you call what Martin is doing here, and even yoga – which the entire village came out to watch!?!)

The head of Gag village was the most incredible man - obviously open-minded, and much more ‘worldly’ than many of his counterparts I have met on previous occasions.  Even though Gag is targeted for serious nickel mining exploitation, he is set upon doing everything possible to minimize the impact of those activities on the local environment.  Whether that's possible or not is another question?  When it rained, the bays flooded murky with red mud, and the mouth of the river has quite a build-up of silt... and they haven't even opened up the uplands yet.  You can see the red hues of the nickel in the hills even in the Google Earth map above!

As we were docking at the village, he saw me, and said, in flawless English… Welcome to Gag Island… Small, but nice!  Then after his closing remarks at the program closure, he proceded to serenade us with a song of remembrance - in English!

The head of the village from Saukabu village was just as charismatic, but in a much more local Papuan way… he’s the first village leader that has come snorkeling with us and the kids, and in fact participated in almost the entire program... he even dressed up in our Kalabia mascot costume!  There were lots of other interesting characters in this village as well, including this old fisherman who regaled me with stories of 'the old days'!

Mostly in these villages, the favourite (if only) pass-time is fishing (young and old)... In most of these communities they are still able to catch decent-sized fish right from their jetties...

There are a few more individual posts from this trip yet to come...

HAPPY DAY!

Wouldn't even know it's Canada Day here... bummer!  Oh well, I hope you're all enjoying festive celebrations!

HAPPY CANADA DAY EVERYONE!

And more importantly...

Happy 38th Anniversary, Mom and Dad!!!