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East Timor/ West Papua
  • skip's retirement travel
May 2023

East Timor/ West Papua

A 16-day adventure by skip's retirement travel Read more
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    May 16, 2023
    skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelEast Timor/ West Papua

    Kupang, West Timor, Indonesia

    May 17, 2023 in Indonesia

    Kupang is an Indonesian provincial capital located on Timor Island. It is a multiethnic city whose economy relies most heavily on the service sector and government spending.
    The 1st picture is the Tirosa monument, one of a number of monuments in the city. The 3 men represent 3 main islands of the province.
    The next 2 pictures are at the waterfront. The 2nd is the waterfront esplanade with the lighthouse in the background, and the 3rd looks along the beach in front of the esplanade at low tide.
    The next 4 pictures capture a bit of the Dutch history here, thanks to the Dutch East India company. The 4th picture is a graveyard that tends to get overgrown during the wet season which just ended. The 5th and 6th pictures are the old Dutch church from the colonial days, albeit renovated. They did maintain the original design. In the 6th picture, look at the columns. One of the designs looks like stick figures. I'm told this is a traditional art form showing the resurrection.
    The 8th picture is in a downtown night market. This market was mostly street food vendors. The 9th picture is of what I'm told are a small species related to tuna that are a staple for much of the population.
    The last picture is the entrance to Kristal Cave. It is a small cave with a lake inside. Access is by climbing down the native rock surface, partially using ropes. Sadly, my knee wasn't up to it.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelEast Timor/ West Papua

    Roslin Orphanage

    May 18, 2023 in Indonesia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Roslin Orphanage at Kupang is not what we usually understand an orphanage to be. The kids are from a parent or parents who don't have the resources to raise them. ISTM that this is more akin to a boarding school for the poor, at least from my understanding of the terms.
    The mission of Roslin is to educate. And so the children live here through university. They do not age out at 18. If parents withdraw the kids before graduating, they must repay the costs.
    Parents visit on occasion, and there is housing for them.
    I'm told that there are 31 kids here now and that more than 150 have passed through the program. They have doctor's, lawyers and more among their alumni.
    The 1st 3 pictures are in the central space of the orphanage. In the 3rd picture, the Roslin Kids (see another post) have gathered to entertain us.
    The other 3 pictures are views of the eco-farm next door. This is part of the orphanage where they raise much of their own food.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelEast Timor/ West Papua

    Roslin Kids

    May 18, 2023 in Indonesia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    The kids of Roslyn Orphanage (see another post) sang and danced for us. This video is one example. I'm willing to bet that many of you will recognize the song if you listen closely.
    The instrument is called the angklung, an instrument of the Sunda people of western Java.Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelEast Timor/ West Papua

    Oé-cusse, Timor-Leste

    May 19, 2023 in East Timor ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Timor-Leste is the proper name for East Timor. This is the least visited country in Asia, and Oé-cusse is the least visited part of the least visited country.
    While not unique, Oé-cusse is separated from the rest of Timor-Leste as an enclave surrounded by indonesian West Papua.
    The 1st picture is the original monument at the location where the Portuguese first landed on Timor Island in the 16th century. The 2nd picture is a newer monument that has a ship, sailors, natives and more to commemorate that event.
    The 3rd picture is a bit of the beach in the main town across the street from the old Portuguese administrative building in the 4th picture.
    The 5th and 6th pictures are of the old Portuguese church dedicated to Saint Anthony. The building has been renovated, but much of the original architecture is maintained except that the building was white stone. This is now plastered.
    The last 2 pictures are at the waterfront enclosure dedicated to Mary. The entry is guarded by 2 angels (picture 7). The 8th picture is a statue of Mary, the mother of Jesus. An annual town festival centers here on a Mary feast day.
    The last 2 pictures are at the airport. It's a beautiful new building, obviously built for future growth. The last picture is the departure board for all the day's flights: our domestic flight to Dili.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelEast Timor/ West Papua

    Dili

    May 20, 2023 in East Timor ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Dili is the capital of Timor-Leste, the smallest and newest country in Asia. And this is the least visited country in Asia.
    The 1st picture is the Christ the King statue on a hilltop overlooking Dili and the harbor. It is reminiscent of Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio.
    The 2nd picture is the presidential palace, and the 3rd picture is a portion of the parliament building. The 4th picture is of a former presidential house that has been converted to a museum commemorating the life and presidency of Jose Ramos-Horta. Mr Horta received the Nobel Peace prize which is show in the 5th picture.
    The 6th picture is one of several traditional markets in town.
    The 7th picture commemorates a dark time. When the people is Timor-Leste voted overwhelmingly for a independence, the anti-independence group went on a rampage and scorched earth retreat. It became a genocide. This cemetery is when those killed at the time are buried. This particular monument is to a journalist who brought news of the killing to the world community, cementing international support for independence.
    The 8th and 9th pictures are of the Roman Catholic cathedral.
    The last picture is of the headquarters of the political party and that became the party of the early national government. As is typical of revolutions, the group leading the rebellion often takes power in the new government. That is the case here, and this is the party descended from that group. They remain a political party, albeit in opposition these days.
    Our visit coincided with both the national (independence) day and national elections. So many places were closed    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelEast Timor/ West Papua

    Atauro Island

    May 21, 2023 in East Timor ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Atauro is a inhabited, oceanic, volcanic island about an hour and a half by boat off the coast of Timor-Leste. It is a relatively untouched island with an ecotourism reputation. That rep includes diving and snorkeling.
    The 1st picture is the view from my front porch. The 2nd picture is along the beach looking back towards where my cottage was located. The 3rd and 4th pictures are scenery on the island. The last picture is along the road in the town of Beloi. Most of the roads on the island are unpaved    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelEast Timor/ West Papua

    Jayapura, West Papua

    May 23, 2023 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Jayapura is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of Papua. It is on the north coast of the Island of New Guinea. It was originally known as Hollandia when it was established by the Dutch.
    The 1st 2 pictures are of houses originally built by the Dutch. The 1st had been remodeled, but the one in the 2nd picture is original. It is the only one left that retains its original design and construction.
    The 3rd picture is of the new St. Paul's church, taken from the street with the Dutch houses
    The 4th picture is the new executive offices of the Papua Province government.
    The 5th picture is an overview of the city and its harbor from a nearby ridge. During world war 2, there was a naval base here. The 6th picture is of a park where guns had been emplaced to protect the harbor. Today, there is an old Sherman tank and other WW 2 weapons placed on the site.
    Jayapura is also known for its stilt houses. The 7th picture looks across the harbor to one of the islands with stilt houses standing out from the shore. The next 2 pictures look at a bit of how they get around the communities of stilt houses. That walkway is as rickety as it looks.
    The last picture is of a fishing vessel out in the harbor. I'm told they fish using nets, but I'm not clear on how the vessel operates. I can say that I've never seen anything quite like it.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelEast Timor/ West Papua

    Beliam Valley, central West Papua

    May 25, 2023 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    This is a 360° panorama taken from atop a rocky mound in this valley in the mountains of the island of New Guinea. New Guinea is divided roughly in half with Papua New Guinea to the east and West Papua, Indonesia, to the west. I've heard that this is a beautiful area. It's not an understatement.Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelEast Timor/ West Papua

    Suroba Village

    May 25, 2023 in Indonesia ⋅ 🌧 24 °C

    Suroba is a village of the Dani tribe in the Baliem Valley near Wanema (see another post) in the central mountains of West Papua.
    The 1st picture is one of the bridges over the Aike River along the path to reach the village. There is only access by footpath. The rest of the pictures are in and around the village.
    The 2nd picture looks toward the village as we approached. The 3rd picture shows the wall around the village and the main gate.
    The 4th picture is of the women's compound. The long building to the right is the pig house. Pigs are released to forage during the day and return here for the night. The building to the left is the cook house where meals are prepared. And the small huts to the rear are sleeping spaces. The 5th picture is also in the women's compound looking in the opposite direction. You can see a gate the lifts to allow pigs to enter.
    The 6th picture shows the entrance to the men's compound. The entrance to the women's is similar. Note the Y shaped stick under the door. This is a step up over the protective wall to keep out unwanted critters.
    The 7th picture is of the men's compound. Here is where the initiation of boys to manhood takes place. The hut to the back is for single men    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelEast Timor/ West Papua

    Wanema Traditional Market

    May 25, 2023 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    If you've been following my posts from my travels, you know I have a thing for traditional markets. The 1st 4 pictures are in an older market while the last 2 are in a newer one.
    The 1st 3 pictures show some of the breadth of what is available for sale here, from fruits and veggies to handcrafted goods. Those items to the right in the 2nd picture are carry bags where the load is carried on the back with the head through the opening and held on the forehead.
    The 4th picture is of the small fish market. These are species caught in the local rivers.
    The 5th picture is in the small meat market. The animals shown are tree kangaroos.
    The last 2 pictures are in the newer market that includes a similar set of fresh produce plus a few small shops in the adjacent building.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelEast Timor/ West Papua

    Contilola Cave

    May 26, 2023 in Indonesia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Like many caves, this one was used as a refuge by the local tribe, especially when warring with their neighbors. The local village was able to keep it secret. So they could simply disappear when others came looking for them by hiding in the cave.
    The 1st picture looks to the cave entrance that is well hidden. The rest of the pictures are various views from inside. Note particularly the 4th picture with a bit of cave art.
    This cave is an especially good refuge as it has multiple levels, a water supply and lake farther back, and another outside access to the forest behind the hill.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelEast Timor/ West Papua

    Beliam Valley Miscellany

    May 26, 2023 in Indonesia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    These are random pictures from around the Beliam Valley to give a bit more detailed look at the area than what the panorama in a previous post provided. It is a beautiful area.

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelEast Timor/ West Papua

    Pyramid

    May 26, 2023 in Indonesia ⋅ 🌧 21 °C

    Our word pyramid has nothing to do with this village. That is simply the village name in the local language.
    Other posts have shown villages of the Dani tribe. Pyramid is located where the Dani tribal lands adjoin the land of the Lani tribe.
    It happens that the traditional buildings here are typical of the Lani rather than the Dani.
    The 1st 3 pictures are views of the village. The 4th picture looks between buildings at some of the vegetation, both agricultural and forest.
    The 5th picture is a mission school in the town that I'm told actually functions like a boarding school. The school was founded by a church mission, but eventually the government took over.
    The last picture is the view that the people of Pyramid enjoy.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelEast Timor/ West Papua

    Jiwika Village

    May 27, 2023 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Jiwika is a Dani village where we enjoyed a day-long introduction to their local culture. The entire village was traditionally dressed. The welcome was rich and deep. In fact, this will take several posts.
    As we approached the village, we encountered the village chief atop a lookout column or pedestal where he challenged us. Then there was a simulated battle (see another post).
    After the battle, we walked to the village being continuously welcomed until we reached the village gate in the 2nd picture. Following this challenge and welcome we entered the village where we experienced 2 welcome dances, one by the warriors and the 2nd by the entire village.
    A feast followed. However, we didn't just eat. We saw the entire process, from live pig to meal. 1st they caught and killed the pig for the feast (see another post, but be forewarned that the pig being killed is shown). The pig was butchered (picture 3). The next 5 pictures are preparing using the cooking process. The 5th picture is the fire where stones are heated. A cooking pit lined with grass is prepared and the hot stones are carried from the fire using long wooden tongs (picture 6). The process builds up in layers with taro, sweet potatoes and corn on the cob in the layer above the rocks. Then more vegetation, especially potato leaves, and hot rocks are added, and the pig is placed on that. Finally, more hit rocks and vegetation are added, and the grass lining is folded up and tied in place. The 8th picture is the finished operation. The 9th picture shows the village women removing the taro, potatoes and corn. I confess to being so interested in eating that I forgot to get a picture of the meal.
    In the last picture, the people showed us many traditional crafts which were also for sale.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelEast Timor/ West Papua

    Traditions of War

    May 27, 2023 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    A simulated battle was enacted for us after the chief challenged us as we approached. This video is a sample of the demonstration.
    The pole with the steps wrapped around it is the pedestal that the chef was standing on when we arrived.Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelEast Timor/ West Papua

    The Pig for the Feast

    May 27, 2023 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    This is the killing of the pig for the feast honoring their visitors (us). Be forewarned again: this video includes the killing.
    While it may seem more cruel to sacrifice the animal this way rather than cutting its throat, the local culture requires that the animal be killed through the heart. Thus, the chief shoots the arrow into the pigs heart.Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelEast Timor/ West Papua

    Mummy of Jiwika

    May 27, 2023 in Indonesia ⋅ 🌧 22 °C

    The mummy is the preserved remains of Win motok Mabel, the founder and 1st chief of this region. I'm told that it's more than 370 years old. Mummification is not routinely done in this culture. In fact, there are only 4 such mummies in West Papua. The only people mummified are important people in the tribes history, heros in war etc. They are preserved as reminders of their role model lives.
    The method of mummification used here is different, too. It seems they coated the body with pig oil and then smoked the body dry for at least 200 days. This accounts for the black color.
    The young man holding the mummy is a descendant of the mummified chief.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelEast Timor/ West Papua

    Hulesi Village

    May 28, 2023 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Hulesi is a village of the Hubla tribe located along the Baliem River. This is the main river through the valley with all others tributary to it. The village is located away from roads, requiring a hike of over an hour to reach it.
    The 1st picture is at the beginning of the path to the village. The next picture is of the river and a bit of the scenery in this part of the valley. The 3rd picture is a suspension footbridge over the river, leading initially to fields marked with fieldstone walls reminiscent of the northeast US that you can see in the 4th picture.
    Eventually the village comes into view. The 5th picture is a central area with their church to the left. The 6th picture is inside the church. This is the only local church I was able to visit. I'm told that the village built it themselves. The 7th picture looks at some more of the village. ISTM that the people of this tribe are good at building stone walls as they are everywhere.
    The 8th picture is of an area called Longsor. This is an unstable area on the side of the river valley that is subject to flash floods and landslides. It seems that the gorge in the background is the culprit.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelEast Timor/ West Papua

    More from Jayapura

    May 29, 2023 in Indonesia

    This post is of a few sites in the region around Jayapura.
    The 1st 4 pictures are taken in the Museum located at the University in Jayapura. The collection consists of 2 parts. The 1st 3 pictures are in the central gallery that houses the Michael Rockefeller collection from his visits to the Asmat tribe. The collection was repatriated from NY.
    The 1st picture centers on the most important piece there. That is a 9 meter tall statue carved from a mangrove tree. The upper part is actually the mangrove roots. Note the upturned projection. This is a male fertility symbol. The 2nd picture shows war costumes, shields and more.
    The 3rd and 4th pictures are in the other gallery. Thus is a collection of local artifacts. The 3rd picture shows a cabinet with miscellaneous artifacts. The 4th picture shows models of 2 ancient local ships. The upper is a trading vessel. The lower is a warship. This is a small museum with a lot to see.
    The 5th and 6th pictures are in the large local market in the town of Sentani.
    The last picture is taken from the top of 'Teletubbies" Hill. I'm told it has this name because the area looks like where the Teletubbies live. I've heard of Teletubbies but haven't seen the show. So if any of you have seen the show (and are willing to admit it), you may wish to confirm or contest this.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelEast Timor/ West Papua

    Lake Sentani

    May 29, 2023 in Indonesia ⋅ 🌧 30 °C

    Lake Sentani is a large relatively shallow lake near Jayapura (see other posts). Most of these pictures were taken from a boat cruising a bit of the lake.
    The 1st 3 pictures are various views of the lake. The 2nd and 3rd pictures show more stilt houses much like the ones captured in the Jayapura post. The 4th picture is of a community house on one of the 21 islands in the lake.
    Assei Island is the island we visited. The people here are known for bark painting. Several examples of their work are shown in the 5th picture. The 6th and 7th pictures are of the church at the top of the hill on Assei Island. This church was built in 1950 (a very good year) to replace the older church that had been bombed during world war 2 by the Japanese. The 8th picture is the view from the hill by the church.
    The 9th picture is of a boy paddling a traditional canoe.
    The last picture is a view over another part of Lake Sentani. This was taken from the top of "Teletubbies" Hill (see the More from Jayapura post).    Read more

    Trip end
    May 31, 2023
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