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4. Alex this is for you. I hope you enjoy it!
,
With my love,
Dad Z
6 7
5. THE DEAD
PIG DIARY
PREFACE
GETTING THERE
IN THE INTERIOR
GETTING BACK
DEAD PIG APPENDIX
“INDONESIA, Land o f Di versity ”
“PAPUA, Indonesia’s Crow n Jew el ”
8 9
6. PREFACE
For several years now, three friends, and experienced many things almost On our second day out of Tomosiga and kilometres, which is almost the size of
John Cutts, George Tahija and I have beyond belief. probably only four or five days from the Iraq. Because of its wild and difficult
lived and trekked for one or two weeks finishing line in Bugalaga, I was hit by a terrain, only two million people live in
It has all been worthwhile.
each year with members of the Moni debilitating fever that left me helpless. Papua. That is less than one percent of
Tribe in their traditional lands that John Cutts, a second-generation the population of Indonesia occupying
Thanks to John and the Moni porters
lie deep in the interior of Papua, the American missionary, has lived amongst over 20% of the country’s total land area.
we were able to make our way back to
remote easternmost frontier province the Moni for most of his life and with-
Tomosiga and relative safety. For me, it From the snow capped peak of Puncak
of Indonesia. out him, the treks would certainly not
was a very humbling experience and a Jaya, via the equatorial Carstenz glacier
have been possible. George Tahija is
Our first trek back in 2003 from deep disappointment. through spectacular bare limestone karst
an Indonesian businessman and a
Bugalaga to Pogapa was to be the start landscapes, down to rich rainforests
longstanding friend and colleague with For most of the trip, in fact for all of it
of a quest that we have called ‘The and lowland swamps, and finally to the
a great interest in promoting Indonesia except the failed part, Alex was with
Moni Trail.’ We have travelled on foot famous coral reefs of Raja Empat, the
and sustaining its diverse natural envi- John and I. It was a great opportunity
and sometimes on all fours along this landscape of Papua is truly wondrous.
ronment to the benefit of its people. to experience the interior of Papua with
route around the tribal lands of the
my daughter. That Alex was interested The Moni tribal lands lie in the remote
Moni people in a big circle, and in due Both are great travelling companions
to come along and spend some quality mountainous interior of Papua which is
course, fate permitting, we shall close and on the trail it is true to say that we
time with the ‘old man’ was wonderful. the setting of ‘The Moni Trail’ and this
the circle and end up back at the village have almost literally been to the ends
Dead Pig Diary, that covers the period
of Bugalaga, where we first started. of the Earth together and in the process Papua is extraordinary. Stretching 1,200
April 15th–May 4th, 2009.
have developed a strong bond with the kilometres from east to west it covers
Over the past seven years, we have
Moni environment and with each other. a land area of over 422,000 square
covered around 80 percent of the Trail.
Starting from Jakarta, this has taken Unfortunately, George was not along
about 80 days. More than 100 hours on this trip in 2009, but my 20-year old
have been spent in the air in a multitude daughter, Alex, was, and we planned to
of aircraft and a variety of helicopters. complete the most rugged and remote
We have trekked and climbed for about section of the Moni Trail from the village
200 hours, equivalent to five official of Tomosiga, back to the village of
working weeks (which for the record Bugalaga, and so complete the quest.
don’t exist in Papua), and we have seen We—or more accurately, I—failed.
10 11
7. GettinG
there
It was the last stage of our journey. All in all, Jakarta is a good place to
The engines of the aircraft droned avoid. It is a vast sprawling city of
on and on, as we dozed in our seats perhaps 12 million people, polluted
on the overnight flight from Jakarta. and crowded, and has terrible traffic
Outside, it was pitch black and we jams. For part of the year, the city is
could see nothing. Had we been able boiling hot and dry, and for the other
to see something, it would have been part it is wet and frequently flooded.
jungle or sea, or one of the multitude Tourists, quite rightly, tend to bypass
of over 17,000 islands that make up it for the delights of Bali.
the tropical Indonesian archipelago.
I still spend a lot of time in Jakarta
Alex, had wanted to see Papua, due to my work and have a flat there,
and having recently finished school on the south side of the city. This is
now was her chance to do so at the where we headed after our long flight
start to her gap year or gap years. from the UK, and having spent a few
The two of us had flown together days relaxing and getting prepared
from our home in Jersey to Jakarta, we were ready to fly onwards.
where I head up a small Australian
gold exploration company.
Earlier in our lives, Vivien, my wife,
the three kids and I had spent nearly
ten years living in Jakarta as a family.
Alex, her younger brother James (who
was born in Jakarta) and her older sis-
ter Kate had all gone to school there.
12
8. Wednesday, 15 April, Jakarta
The day of departure was spent
packing, before taking the evening
flight from Jakarta on the Indonesian
national airline, Garuda. The flight
from Jakarta in western Java to Papua
at the eastern extremity of Indonesia
takes around eight hours and is
broken by two stops: Makassar on the
island of Sulawesi, and the island of
Biak to the northwest of Papua.
14 15
9. Thursday, 16 April, Sentani John, a long time missionary, is one And so we spent most of the hottest biblical sense, before going off into
of the few outsiders to speak the Moni part of the day at the local police the interior. It provides a fantastic
Just before our journey ended, it
language. The tribe, which today station to have our entry point to last meal before we change our diet to
grew light as we approached Sentani,
numbers around 25,000 people, live in the Moni land, Pogapa, added as an sweet potatoes and vegetables. When
the airport of Jayapura at 7 am. The
the highlands in the interior of Papua, approved destination to our permits. we come back, the Manna House
two-hour time difference between
which is just about as remote a place is also our first port of call for our
Jakarta and Papua highlights the After a late lunch, we visited the
to be found anywhere in the world. ‘first supper.’
size of the country. John Cutts met ‘Sekolah Papua Harapan.’ Operated on
Like me, John is in his mid-late 50s;
us at the airport amidst the usual a voluntary basis by John and other Finally, after some late evening
unlike me, he looks about 35. He must
Papuan hustle and bustle. Sentani is missionaries, it provides a place for packing we had a good, but very hot,
be the fittest man I have ever known
not exactly Heathrow: it was just like Moni children to come from their night’s sleep.
due to working and trekking in the
a shed beside the airstrip. Bags are villages to get an introduction to the
interior. His hard regime has made
thrown off the plane onto hand carts outside world. They learn reading,
him very strong, not a body-builder’s
and there is always a wild scramble
muscle bound physique but just lean writing and arithmetic, and gain some
as the passengers try to retrieve
and without an ounce of fat. Lean, but experience of town life. Probably none
their belongings.
definitely not mean. of them would ever have seen a car or
John and Joy Cutts are based in a sealed road before. Inevitably, the
Just the day before John and Joy had
Sentani, which is about 15 kms from traditional village way of life will be
been to Papua New Guinea to get a
Jayapura. Like many other Papuan opened up to the wider world so this
new visa. The land border had been
towns, there is something of a ‘Wild experience of town life helps them
closed due to political tensions. By
West frontier’ atmosphere. General and their families to prepare.
some miracle, their paperwork was in
stores, workshops that make pretty
order, and the visa was obtained. After a brief late afternoon nap,
well anything, board-built houses
we went to our favourite spot in
with tin roofs and people and dogs We were also about to discover a prob-
wandering around everywhere lem with our Surat Jalan (permits issued downtown Sentani, the Manna House
looking busy and fierce at the same by the police to travel). Foreigners need Restaurant. It serves excellent
time. There are, as in many places in these permits if they intend wandering Chinese-style food, and we go there
Indonesia, lots of motorbikes as they off the beaten track in Indonesia and for what we call our ‘last supper,’
are cheap and easy to use on the pot- there are some specific security con- although hopefully not in the strictly
holed roads. cerns in Papua due to separatist groups.
16 17
10. John and Joy Cutts outside their
house in Sentani.
Manna House Restaurant where
we have our ‘last supper.’
i
The main street of Sentan
ountain.
perched below Cy clops M
18 19
11. Friday, 17 April (in Timika) breakfasts for the jungle meet their logistical organiser, Ian around Grasberg back in the 1980s,
treks. All this Cherry very Watson. Ian showed us the biggest the current mine would probably not
At 9.40 am, we took the 50-minute
efficiently had bagged up drill core shed I have ever seen, like have been created. Alex and I met with
flight from Sentani on the north coast
for us and delivered to an aircraft hangar, and we browsed Dave before the trip and we knew he
to Timika on the south coast, and flew
the airport. through maps and satellite photos of would be keeping a watchful eye on
over the Moni lands in the middle of
Freeport’s extensive exploration areas. our progress as he always did in case
Papua. On arrival, we stored our bags We then hired a local
of emergency. Thanks Dave.
at the Missionary Aviation Fellowship Kijang taxi and dropped The exploration teams are covering
(MAF) hangar in preparation for John and Joy in Kuala large and remote areas, and every day Then we returned to the hotel and
Monday’s flight to Pogapa and Kencana for the shuttle vehicle to have to face huge challenges with swam in the tropical hotel pool. To
then checked in at the Rimba Hotel Tembagapura where John was to logistics and diverse tribal groups finish the day we watched a film and
(formerly a Sheraton) amidst many speak to a church group. The towns that have a very different perspective had an early dinner in a deserted
big military brass assembled for of Kuala Kencana in the lowlands on the world. It is not work for the hotel. No beer was on offer due to
a conference. and Tembagapura in the highlands faint-hearted, but exploration is what local elections and the effect alcohol
were built by the American Freeport makes mining companies. Were it not has on how Papuans express their
Around midday, we shopped at
mining company to support their for the determination and persistence political opinions!
Cherry’s store for supplies for the
massive copper and gold mine in the of explorers such as Dave Potter, a
trip to the interior. Cherry’s is like a We went to bed at around 10 p.m. and
heart of Papua. The mining operation dear friend and fellow geologist, who
general store in a Wild West town, enjoyed a good night’s sleep.
is one of the engineering wonders of led and championed exploration
selling everything for the explorer.
the world and the current Grasberg
The amiable Chinese lady who runs
pit is at an elevation of over 4,000
the store provided us with sacks of
metres and perched just below the
rice, tins of biscuits and sugar, boxes
Carstenz glacier.
of instant Indonesian noodles, and
most importantly, John’s oatmeal, Alex and I then went to Freeport’s
which provides him with his power lowland exploration office, to
20
13. Saturday, 18 April, Timika if we were somewhere in the English the hotel restaurant, an offer we fessed it made her feel sick. That’s the
home counties, but it bears repeating readily accepted. way the ‘cookie crumbles,’ but it was a
We got up at 9 a.m. My mobile phone
that all these amenities were built by great evening.
had died overnight, so I spent the The company was great, but the food
Freeport to attract employees to live
morning in Timika getting it sorted was shocking. Alex had ‘white grease’ We went to bed with the alarm set for
and work in this remote place. It ob-
out. Alex stayed at the hotel relaxing chicken Teppanyaki which she put up 5 a.m. for the weigh-in at MAF and the
viously works.
by the pool… good for her. a good show of eating or at least push- flight to our final destination, the little
After our meal, it was back to Ian’s ing around the plate, but later con- community of Pogapa.
I found a Nokia shop, got a new
compound for a surprise, but very
phone and got all the numbers trans-
welcome, rum and coke nightcap
ferred. Yes, even in Timika, a place
not far from the middle of nowhere,
and then back to the hotel to watch
Desp ite bein g near the middle of now here,
some more films before turning in
there is a mobile phone shop that
around midnight. the Nokia phone shop gave grea t ser vice.
provides great service.
A good night’s sleep for me, but not The technicians wer e excellen t and the whole
Back at the hotel, after some more
tough hours by the pool, we went to
for Alex who wasn’t feeling well. job was a lot of fun and done in one hour.
I hoped it wasn’t anything serious.
the gym to loosen up and much to
Alex’s delight, torrential rain started
Sunday, 19 April, Timika
to pelt down just as we were outside
going back to our room. We got up late and spent the day by
the wonderful tropical pool. It’s a
After a quick shower, we headed to
hard life, all this jungle stuff!
the golf club in Kuala Kencana with
Ian, but as there were many military John and Joy arrived from Tem-
guards hanging around in the car bagapura mid-afternoon and John
park, we went to a nearby Chinese joined us at the pool, while Joy wisely
restaurant instead. We were the only took a nap after their journey.
customers, but the meal was good In the late afternoon, a friend from
and Ian was great company. Freeport, Joe Macpherson, invited us
Golf clubs, hotels and restaurants to join him and his boss, George
make this part of the world sound as Macdonald, for an early dinner at
24
14. Monday, 20 April, Timika–Pogapa a high-pitched ‘Moni whistle’ from he is ready to leave. He isn’t yet ready The airstrips are generally constructed
John at the reception desk, saying but I wonder if, having spent so much on ridges where flattish spaces can be
Alex had a restless night, and when
‘let’s go.’ The Moni language is spo- time with the Monis, he ever will be? created, or wherever there are natu-
she woke up she had a mild fever and
ken by very few non-Monis, but John rally flat areas such as on the banks of
swollen glands in her neck. Fortunate- We eventually took off for Pogapa
and Joy are able to change easily the larger river valleys. Minimum
ly, she is a fighter, and after two Pa- in the trusted Cessna 208 Caravan.
between Moni, English, Bahasa and dimensions are only around 400 me-
nadol tablets, we were up, showered, The 40-minute flight was thankfully
‘whistling.’ What a gift! tres long by as little as 20 metres wide
and down to breakfast at 5.30 am. uneventful; the weather was fine and
and the strips are generally steep, up
At MAF, we checked in, with our Alex sat comfortably in the co-pilot’s
At the MAF hangar, a large, noisy, to an angle of 25 degrees.
packs that weighed around 75 kg and seat. The scenery below was spec-
and very agitated crowd was block-
also took with us some 75 kg of relief tacular. We flew over mountains and Up slope, there is usually a jungle-
ing the way to the building. A plane
supplies for Pogapa, which would wiggled our way up many valleys and covered mountain, and down slope, a
had crashed the day before at the
come in useful following the recent across narrow mountain passes. steep drop to a jungle-covered valley.
village of Ilaga in the interior, kill-
landslides that had devastated many Landing is uphill to slow the aircraft
ing all eight passengers and the two Without the network of jungle air-
of the food gardens in the region. down, and take-off is downhill to aid
pilots. People in the crowd wanted to strips that have been constructed over
acceleration. The plane then hurtles
go and recover the remains of their The food gardens are planted on hill- the past decades, many areas would
over the edge, falling well into the
relatives. Our flight was delayed so a sides, and bear some resemblance to still be inaccessible without weeks, or
valley below before gathering enough
small group could fly to Ilaga to see, allotments in Britain, but at a very even months, of hard walking.
speed to pick up altitude. For obvious
but not recover, the remains. MAF much steeper angle. As landslides had
Everything gets in and out via these reasons, the weight load needs to be
policy is not to fly human remains; destroyed their gardens, the people
airstrips: medical and food supplies, carefully calculated and passengers
if they did, sadly there would be so were now desperately hungry and fac-
teachers, missionaries, equipment, need a strong stomach, but above all,
much demand that other air traffic ing the task of replanting from scratch.
government officers and the sick (if complete faith in the pilots.
would grind to a halt.
By now, the crowd at the airport was they are lucky enough to be able to get
The more remote airstrips are built
So, we went back to the Rimba ho- even more agitated and trying to get to a strip and get a seat). Even now,
by the local tribes using only muscle
tel for a second breakfast and called more and more people onto the flight many villages are over a week’s walk
power and very simple hand tools
Amy, John’s sister, in the US. Amy, to Ilaga. Many had not taken ‘no’ for from the nearest strip, and flights are
which can take many years to com-
too, has spent much of her life in an answer, and were warming up to infrequent and often aborted due to
plete. At most, there is a very limited
Papua and knows the terrain well. She throw rocks at the building. We kept bad weather.
window to get in and out before the
reckoned the current leg of the trek well out of the line of fire.
MAF is a non-profit missionary or- cloud mass builds up and the light
from Tomosiga to Bugalaga would be
During the seemingly endless wait ganisation that services many remote planes can’t see to land.
our greatest challenge so far. Com-
for the flight, John encountered a tribal areas. It uses a variety of light
ing from someone who had grown But we landed safely, on time, on the
member of a rival church group that fixed-wing planes and helicopters.
up here and like her brother was steep grass airstrip at Pogapa.
was trying to have him thrown out of The skill and dedication of the pilots
super fit, that was a worry!
Indonesia. This ongoing saga worried who daily put their lives at risk to help Our real journey was about to begin.
Joy suddenly jumped up and said John very much. Papua is his home others is extraordinary.
John was impatiently calling us. I had and there is so much more he wants to
heard nothing, but Joy could hear achieve with the Moni people before
26 27
15. ika
Getting r eady to lea ve Tim
r the
in the Cessna Car a van fo
John, Joy and Alex enjoying their
second breakfast at the Rimba Hotel.
flig ht to Pogapa.
28 29
16. Alex took the co-pilo t’ sea t for
s the
40-minu te flig ht from Timika to Pog
ap a.
The remo te and mo un tainous jun
gle
scenery below was breathtaking
and
pr ovided a pr evi ew of the kind of
ter rain
we were going to be cr ossing on
foo t in
the next few days.
30 31
17. AIRSTRIPS
The jungle airstrips are remarkable.
They are built by the local tribes people
using only basic hand tools. Construction
is a village affair involving everyone;
men dig, women and children remove
the dirt and those too old to work
provide moral support.
Landslides frequently hamper
the progress of work and
32
completion can take decades.
33
18. In The
InTerIor
Monday, 20 April, Pogapa (continued) ing Homeyo landslide of August 1984. Three weeks after this forced move, Having done that and settled in, Alex
John and Joy’s home had been de- Joy gave birth to another daughter, and I took off into the surrounding
Pogapa is at an elevation of 1,980 m.
stroyed in the night and most of their Jenna. John then built a new house country and walked for an hour or
I checked my Garmin GPS with the
worldly belongings had been swept at Pogapa in only four months en- so to the nearby Government school.
MAF instruments and all tallied.
away. Joy was pregnant with the sec- tirely from local timber that he cut The air was cool and clear, the views
It pays to be careful in this part of
ond child but they and their young himself. Not one to sit idly by, at the were spectacular and along the way
the world.
daughter, Jaime, got out alive. They same time he also organized con- we met an old man quietly plant-
The village has around 2,000 inhabit- had to move from Homeyo to Pogapa. struction of the Pogapa airstrip. ing coffee seedlings beside a shaded
ants who mostly live in small wooden It is a frightening tale of the power of stream. This was Alex’s first experi-
The house is beautiful. It is built on a
huts that huddle around the sloping nature that shows how resilient the ence of the interior of Papua.
grassy slope overlooking the lower part
grass airstrip or on the steep slope Cutts family are to have stayed here.
of the airstrip. A balcony on stilts at the Alex was still not feeling well, so after
below the airstrip that runs some 300 In John’s words: “It is only our faith
front of the house provides a place for an early supper of greens, rice and
metres down to the wild Kemabu in God and our sense of His purpose
John to meet and discuss issues with chicken curry Alex went to bed. For
River. The people are predominantly for us that has kept us here.”
the Pogapa villagers. The Cutts’ home this to hit her out here was a real test
Monis who live a subsistance lifestyle
Just imagine it being pitch dark, in is very much like a Swiss ski chalet. of character. I slept on Alex’s floor
on a staple diet of sweet potatoes and
the middle of nowhere, having no just to keep an eye on her, although I
yams. There is very little contact with John fixed the water supply to the
communication with the outside am sure she didn’t need it.
the outside world. house as the pipe bringing water
world, with a young child to look after
from the mountain had been cut by We both had a good night’s sleep in
As we were unloading our supplies, and suddenly your house slides away
the locals, as often happens, so they the cool mountain setting under two
John told us the story of the devastat- in a torrential downpour!
can get fresh water without walking blankets.
to the Kemabu River.
34 35
19. We landed uphill on the grass airs trip
at the village of Pogapa. On the right is
Pogapa Pone (Moni for mountain) covered
by some of the steep food gar dens that
pro vide the stap les of sweet pota toes
and yams. On the lef t is the 300-meter
slop e dow n to the wild Kemabu River.
The Cessna departed
and we had ar rived
in the inter ior.
36 37
20. The wooden house
with its sloping tin
roof is like a ski
chalet. Upstairs are
John and Joy’ house sits on the slop e at
s four bedrooms and a
the base of Pog apa Pone abo ve the low er bathroom. Downstairs
end of the airstr ip. John cut the timber is a kitchen with a
wood burning stove,
and built the house over 25 years ago a gear room and a
in 1984 when their previous house in the living/dining room with
village of Homeyo was des troyed in the a fireplace. I t can
middle of the night by a landslide. be pretty cool in the
evenings in Papua.
38 39
21. Tuesday, 21 April, Pogapa near John’s house where the five- Alex’s stay with Lois and Mary, had hindsight had we stayed a little longer
year-old pupils were being taught been arranged by John, and she was in Pogapa for Alex to become better
John and I got up early and went to the
mathematics and singing. going to help them in their various acclimatized she would undoubtedly
market to buy vegetables and we also
nursing activities while John and I have managed the trek successfully…
managed to pick up a beautiful tradi- We then walked down to the Kemabu
did our trek. But, when we arrived in and no doubt better than I did!
tional net made from local bark string River for a wash. Well, what a walk!
Papua, Alex had decided she would
and coloured pink by native dye. One hour scrambling down, a brief My satellite phone was not working
like to join us on our trek.
wash, and then nearly two hours well, but eventually I got through to
Nets are string sacks that carry all
climbing back up, with two hair- Sitting on the pig fence after the Ke- Vivien in Jersey and left a message to
important possessions. They may be
raising crossings of a swinging vine mabu ‘wash walk,’ Alex was starting to say we were both OK. I had hoped to
small, equivalent in size to a super-
bridge thrown in for good measure. have doubts. She was worried that if get news about Kate, who was about
market carrier bag or larger, like a
she had to do more than three times to have a baby, but this reassurance
cement bag. They are carried by plac- On the way back, we stopped at a
what we had just done, every day for would have to wait.
ing the handle over the head with the pig fence for a rest and a chat. Alex’s
a week, she wouldn’t make it.
bag trailing down the back. A net will original plan had been to stay in a vil- We all had a good night’s sleep with
normally contain shells in a smaller lage called Tomosiga with two Cana- Back at the house, we talked through the alarm set for the inevitable pre-
woven bag (currency), some tobacco dian missionary nurses, Lois Belsey Alex’s concerns with John and Joy dawn start.
and leaves for cigarette papers, betel and her colleague Mary. and in the end Alex decided to stick
nut (a mild narcotic), some cooked with her original plan of staying with
Lois was a nurse and midwife from
yams, taro, or sweet potatoes (food), Lois and Mary in Tomosiga. It was
Ontario, who had been living with the
and even babies. And that is about it, obviously a tough but very mature
Moni people for over 30 years, and
a Moni is ready for the journey ahead. decision on Alex’s part.
was fluent in their language. Before
When we returned Alex was still in coming to Indonesia, she had worked Later on, towards the end of our time
bed but feeling much better, so we in Vietnam, but had been forced to together in Papua, we did that very
visited the small kindergarten school leave in 1975 at the end of the war. same walk without any problem, so in
40 41
22. MONI NETS
Ever yone has a net and some have several.
The nets may be huge and car ry ever ythin g
from firewood to food to babi es or they may
be smaller and car ry tobacco, traditional
shell money, betel nut and a packed lunch ’ of
‘
cooked sweet pota to. Traditionally, they are
made locally from nati ve bark string but
modern, brig ht colo ured nylon versions are
becoming mor e common.
42 43
23. Alex looked very much at home
o
wi th the kinderg ar ten children wh
were very smar tly turned ou t
in their blue uniforms. Thr ougho ut
a
our time in Papua Alex acted as
magnet to children.
44 45
24. A bridge across the Kemabu. These bridges
are of ten the only way to cross the fast-
flowing rivers in the interior and they take
a bit of getting used to. One has to walk
down towards the middle of the bridge and
then up again towards the far bank swaying
all the way for good measure.
46 47
25. Af ter the walk do wn to the Kema
bu,
I t was a relief to be back in fr
on t of
the warm fir e in the living room
of John
and Joy’ ho use. Still no t feeling
s well,
Alex talked abou t her plans wi th
Joy and
af ter a lot of discussion, she de
cided to
stay in Tomosiga ra ther than ac
comp an y
John and I on the tr ek.
48 49
26. Wednesday, 22 April, to Tomosiga hanging over the hills. As they say ters! The price was 200,000 Rupiah Moni Bible that had originally been
in Papua: “What’s inside a cloud? A per day per person, equivalent to translated by John’s parents.
Bad weather delayed our departure to
mountain.” The flight time was only about 20 US dollars.
Tomosiga until around 1 pm. Following a sermon by Pastor Simson,
around 30 minutes, but the same dis-
After dark, Lois and John held a some of the men in the congregation
Waiting on the airstrip, we were tance would have taken up to a week
church service in the little wooden stood and made speeches. They all
watched by a pair of young identical on foot.
church. It started with beautiful Moni sounded positive, despite the harsh
twins, not often seen in these parts.
Lois and Mary met us on the partly chanting and people drifted into the tone of the Moni language, and many
Until recently, one of the twins would
completed airstrip at Tomosiga and church until it was filled with about of the dialogues included reference to
have been killed by being buried
we went to their small compound 150 villagers. Alex sat on a low log John and his parents. The Cutts fam-
alive, as the Monis believe that one of
area. Lois was staying in a single pew surrounded by children and ily has long been a central part of life
them is the devil disguising himself
room hut and Alex would stay with women carrying babies in their nets. throughout much of the Moni area.
as a child. Fortunately, for this pair of
Mary in a two-room hut only a few She looked very comfortable. Men
twins the belief is changing, courtesy Looking at the congregation, the
metres away. They shared a private and boys, wearing gourds, sat sepa-
of teaching by the missionaries. thing that struck me was the intensity
outdoor toilet, which was a real lux- rately from the women. The men had
of the clear brown sparkling Moni
Our wait on the airstrip also unfortu- ury. The little church compound was left their bows and arrows outside as
eyes in the lantern light.
nately drew the attention of a Java- very homey and like a village within a a sign of respect.
nese policeman stationed in Pogapa. village. This would be Alex’s home for
After singing, clapping and shaking
He questioned me at length about the next few days.
hands, there were readings from the
our reasons for being in Pogapa and
Alex set up her room and after a meal
was obviously very suspicious about
of fresh sweet potatoes and greens we
M ONI E YES
something. As foreigners, I think, he
went down to the ‘nearby’ river for a
felt we might have been journalists
wash. That was another one of John’s
there on some secret mission. We
‘nearbys’ and after the climb back we
weren’t of course, but he didn’t seem
were dirtier and sweatier than when
to trust our reason for being there
we started.
which was simply to experience the
Moni life. In any event, he let us go Next on the agenda was to hire six
on our way. porters to accompany us. John reck-
oned the trek would take five days,
Our pilot, Gunther, eventually flew
but the porters thought seven was
us to Tomosiga the long way round
more likely. My bet was on the por-
via Bugalaga, as bad weather was
50 51
27. We had a long wait on the airstrip
of Pogapa for the helicopter to arrive
as the surrounding hills were covered
in cloud. Alex spent the time surrounded
by women and children, including a pair
of identical Moni twins, while I passed
the time explaining our presence to the
local policeman.
52 53
28. Tomosig a
P og ap a to tan ce
ht fr om same dis
o p ter flig bu t the
The heli c min u tes, airs tr ip
30 ek. The
took only to a w e d ou t
c o uld take up e n w as he
on foo t en tly be d w in g
sig a had r ec take fixe
a t Tomo o uld no t for the
r ain s and c p r oblem
by hea v y w as no
t, b u t ther e
air cr a f er ior.
cop ter. to the in t
MAF heli r ther in
e m o vin g fu
W e w er
54 55
29. Lois and Mary surrounded by a crowd of villagers
met us on the airstrip at Tomosiga. Af ter a quick lunch
of vegetables, Alex set up her room in the hut that she
would share with Mary in the little church compound.
Then, we hired six porters for the trip that would
start the next day.
56 57
30. Thursday, 23 April, Tomosiga– and most of the afternoon was spent place by a string under the scrotum have been plenty of food, judging by
Kumbugetadi, 9 hours. climbing a ridiculously steep drain- and another around the waist. They the size of their very fat pigs!
age filled with large boulders and vary greatly in size, from a few inches
After a rough night’s sleep on Finally, some villagers took pity on
fallen trees. But every time I fell, a long on younger boys to over two feet
the floor of the Camat’s (a local Govt. us, and provided us with some greens
Papuan hand grabbed me in a vice- long in grown men and they always
Officer) building, our temporary and tapioca for a reasonable price,
like grip before I could do any seri- point upwards. The upper opening is
home, John and I got up at dawn and and we were very relieved to have
ous damage. filled with a ball of leaves so that the
packed up our gear. I called home, at least some real food to propel our
contents remain a mystery.
and finally got through to Vivien. While the terrain was rough, the team onward for the following day’s
Fantastic news! Kate had delivered weather was fine, and for most of All the men were sporting bows march to the next village of Dapiaga,
her baby at 7 a.m. the day before: a the day we were sheltered from the and arrows and chewing betel nut a rugged day’s walk away to the west.
boy, Jack, weighing in at an impres- fierce high-attitude sun by dense and the women were bare breasted,
As the village chief, Hasabudi, sat in
sive 10 lb 4 oz. Everyone was OK, but rainforest canopy. wearing traditional string skirts and
the village clearing watching us, his
at that size it must have been a bit of a surrounded by their many children.
The dry conditions made the treach- son stroked his arm gently and looked
struggle for Kate. Grandchild number There were lots and lots of wild looking
erous trails a bit more navigable and lovingly up at his dad who held him
two was alive and kicking! pigs everywhere, and the atmosphere
the thundering rivers that needed in a protective hug.
was a little dark and foreboding.
Auntie Alex was also thrilled at the to be crossed were less dangerous.
The villagers could be so tender and
news and we talked for a while about The day’s march provided a good Our team was starving after the gru-
yet at the same time think nothing of
Kate, James, and Vivien. As Alex left chance to get to know our six Moni elling trek. We had some dried food,
demanding such outrageous prices
for the gardens with the women to porters who would stay with us all but when John asked the village chief
for basic supplies. Still, a quid is a quid
collect vegetables, I gave her a huge the way to Bugalaga. Two of them about buying some food from their
and sources of income are few and far
hug and said goodbye. were women and every bit as tough gardens, we were told they could only
between in a place like Kumbugetadi!
as their husbands, and were certainly part with a bunch of bananas, and it
It felt strange leaving Alex in Tomo-
expected to carry an equal load and would come at the whopping price The central part of the village was
siga, in the middle of Papua. I would
work just as hard, if not harder. of 400,000 Rupiah, or about 40 US small and bare, no more than 30m x
miss her very much, but we were to
dollars! Those are prices that would 30m and the few surrounding huts
meet again soon. We arrived at our first stop, Kumbuge-
make you blink in a supermarket back were all made of local rough cut
tadi, in the late afternoon after a gru-
We finally hit the trail at 7.30 a.m. home, but absolutely unheard of out timber with palm frond roofs. There
eling nine hours on the trail. The small
here in the jungle! John is not one were only four huts in all: the men’s
It was a very long, tough day. Many village of less than 50 people was one
to be speechless under most circum- hut, two family huts for wives and
steep inclines and declines, as al- of the most remote villages we had
stances, but this floored him. young children and the Ugai, or
ways seems to be the case on day visited so far. The men were wearing
dance house, which was very much
one of any expedition. Flat ground ‘koteka,’ the traditional penis gourds It was clear we were not really wel-
the centrepiece of the village.
doesn’t exist in the interior of Papua that cover the penis and are held in come in the village but there must
58 59
31. the tr ail felt pr etty
As alw ay s, the first day on
ain,
w ith the steep terr
ro ug h as w e gr appled
d sw in ging br idges
Society is structured so that men That night, there was no dance and
spent their nights around a fire in the we were allowed to sleep in the giant
hungry le eches, full ri vers an
men’s house that they often share dance house on the trampoline floor,
with some of their prized pigs. The well worn from the hundreds of feet for over nine ho urs.
men tell stories late into the night that had danced for many nights in
and sometimes through to dawn, past rituals.
dozing off from time to time. The
John and I camped in the dance room
women and children sleep separately
and our porters slept in the kitchen
in the family huts and deliver food to
and kept the fire burning all night to
the men through the night to sustain
provide protection from the spirits.
their storytelling.
John put up his mosquito net, but I
The Ugai is unusual in both con- didn’t bother. Malaria is common at
struction and use. It comprises a these altitudes and is by far the big-
kitchen and a sleeping room with gest cause of death in this region, but
earth floors by the entrance and the I felt lucky.
focal large inner ‘dance room,’ with
As we settled down, Chief Hasabudi
its raised, bouncy floor made of
walked into to our ‘bedroom,’ and see-
young springy saplings.
ing I had no mosquito net, shrugged
People walk huge distances from and said: “No matter, the mosquitoes
surrounding villages to visit this in Kumbugetadi always stay outside.”
Ugai and often stay for several days. That night, he was proven right.
At night, under the low light of a
It rained most of the night and
couple of native bamboo torches,
the Ugai roof leaked exactly above
they sing and dance and jump up
where we were sleeping. We
and down on the bouncy floor until
moved, but not before our sleep-
the small hours so the whole building
ing bags were nicely moist.
moves and shakes.
At these ‘night dances’ boys and girls
meet and greet each other, exchange
gifts and, unseen in the dark by their
parents, set up liaisons and sexual
encounters. This is the Moni version
of speed dating, and is one traditional
ritual that does not sit comfortably
with the church.
60
32. The ‘Koteka ’ or penis gourd is grown
locally and may come in various lengths
and widths to suit all needs. Interestingly
they always point upwar ds. Sometimes,
a ball of leaves is stuffed in the top
opening so that the conten ts which, apart
from the obvious, may also include
tobacco, traditional money and other
valuable possessions, remain a myster y.
62 63
33. The Villag e of Kumbug etadi is tin y.
d
I t is in the middle of no wher e an
we
pr obably the most remo te villag e
re
had visited so far. The atmosp he
was dark and foreboding.
64 65
34. The village chief, Hasabudi, tenderly held his young
son as he sat in the centre of the village watching
us as we arrived. He didn’t look too pleased to
see us, but nevertheless allowed us to sleep in
the ‘Ugai ’ (Dance House) which was very much
the centerpiece of the tiny village.
66 67
35. Friday, 24 April, Kumbugetadi– Suddenly, my ‘wheels’ fell off.
Kumbugetadi, 6½ hours
I collapsed, shivering, dizzy, feverish
We got up, damp but cheerful, at first and so weak that I could not stand.
light, had breakfast, packed up our What on earth was going on? I had
wet gear and set off at 7 am, feeling had malaria several times, but had
fine and looking forward to the day. never experienced anything like this
We set a good jungle pace that would in more years of jungle work than I
get us to our goal by mid-afternoon. care to remember.
First was a one-hour descent that Five weeks previously, I had a bout of
was so steep we had to use tree roots Dengue Fever and was hospitalised
for steps and handholds. Leaches in Jakarta for several days. Maybe, I
continued to pounce on us, as they hadn’t fully recovered. Whatever the
had the day before, and sucked what reason was, my body just gave up.
blood they could, until we discov-
Should we try to press on or cancel
ered them clinging to our arms, legs,
the visit to the remote villages, and
stomachs and where ever else they
instead, figure out how to get a sick
could grab a bite. Ripping them off
man back to the village we had left
left the spot itching and bleeding,
that morning?
helping the next batch of leeches to
hone in on the scent of fresh blood. After a long and pretty emotional
discussion with John, it was decided
We rolled out our ma ts on the spr ingy
At least, I suppose we served as part
of the food chain. that we had to turn back and try to
sap ling floor of the Ugai and apart from At the bottom of the descent, John
reach Kumbugetadi. While it would
have nothing tangible to offer it was
getting wet under a leaky roo f we had
, and I performed our morning ablu-
tions before we crossed the main
at least in the right direction towards
a reasonable and spr ingy night’ sleep
s help. To keep going further into the
river for the ascent on the other side.
interior, further from help, could have
af ter the firs t day’ gruellin g nine hours
s It must have been over 300 metres
put everyone at risk; not an accept-
down and 300 metres back up again,
able option
on the trail. probably about equivalent to down
Of course, that was the only decision
and up a couple of 40-storey build-
ings—except there are no stairs in the circumstances, but I was furi-
or handrails! ous, delirious and devastated all at the
same time. In all likelihood, it felt like
By mid-morning, we had covered
I was giving up my only chance to
some serious ground and were mid-
complete the Moni Trail, and with only
way up the next mountain to the sky.
four days to go to the finishing line!
69
36. I staggered off into the forest to deal The reality was we either had to make I tried to clean myself up as best I dragged, they thought that another
with my feelings in private. From his the steep climb back to the ‘dark’ could in a stream and then rolled hunting party ahead of them had
expression, it was clear that John village of Kumbugetadi or else sleep out my mat in the Ugai, and tried to killed a big pig in the forest and
understood what was going on and out for the night. Sleeping out would sleep. The Ugai was dark and the high dragged it down to the river to clean
he waited patiently on the track, chat- probably not have been fatal, as apart smoke-blackened ceiling kept it rea- it in preparation for cooking. When
ting with the porters. from snakes, there are few dangerous sonably cool. they found no pig entrails by the
creatures in this part of the world, but river, they were puzzled and couldn’t
After about fifteen minutes, having After a while, the room filled up with
being under cover from the rain at figure out what had happened.
gained some sort of control, what seemed like the whole village,
night had many obvious advantages! Now, they had their answer.
I returned to the group and apolo- led by Chief Hasabudi. Hasabudi
I was the ‘dead pig.’
gised for my awful performance. So once again, we set off at a means ‘Empty Power’ or ‘Powerless.’
crawl, across the river and up the A strange name was given to him by
It was time to turn back!
mountain that at that point looked his parents to protect him from evil
Together, we set off in silence back insurmountable. spirits and the devil. Many Monis be-
down the steep path to the river. The lieve that a horrible name will protect
The return journey took over three
Moni porters were a lifesaver and their children from the devil.
hours with many stops, sometimes I shall never forget Kumbugetadi,
supported and held on to me all the
every few metres. I certainly would The villagers were very concerned wild, remote and untouched, but
way, but by the time we reached the
not have made it at all, but for the about my survival and they sat and sadly, in my mind, it will always be
river, I was beaten.
Moni hands that pushed and pulled chatted around me so that I would not the place that ‘may’ mark the end of
While John and some of the porters me along the slippery, winding, be alone. I felt very secure surround- the Moni trail, at least for me.
watched over me, the others climbed vertical path. ed by tribesmen with their bows and What would happen next? That was
back into the forest with their bush arrows, bare-breasted women and
The hours dragged by as I swayed like the 64-thousand dollar question. We
knives. When they returned, they many curious children, but rarely had
a drunken sailor on a rough sea, but somehow had to try and make it back
were carrying stacks of large leaves I felt so ill and sick at heart.
by late afternoon there were signs of to Tomosiga over the next few days,
and ferns which they made up into a
human habitation and it was with as there was little food in Kumbuge-
bed on the riverbank.
great relief that we finally inched tadi. How would the fever play out?
As I lay there willing myself to re- our way into the village and made a I would have to be carried, so plans
cover so that maybe, just maybe, we beeline for the dance house… Home were made for six men from the vil-
could turn around and head back sweet home! In the early evening, a travelling lage to carry this oversized ‘wild pig,’ a
towards Bugalaga, John lifted my feet
I knew that I would be told ‘I told Moni hunting party arrived in the vil- task they performed often. A stretcher
from the river and placed them on
you so’, going to Papua so soon after lage. They had walked along the same would be made and four men would
a rock out of the water. I will always
dengue, but I had done this kind of path as us and when they learned carry while two men caught their
remember that gentle gesture.
thing for much of my working life what had happened, they looked at breath, and then they would rotate.
No luck with the mind over body as a geologist and wasn’t worried. me and roared with laughter:
As fortune would have it, it rained all
stuff and after two hours on the side Trips like this are not to be given up ‘So that is the dead pig!’
night long and the fever developed
of the river, the shaking and vomit- lightly, and nor is an opportunity to They explained excitedly that when further. Not a highlight of my career
ing started. complete the Moni Trail. Still, we live they had seen the damage to the and night is always the worst time,
and learn, regardless of the advanced paths, where I had fallen and been when fevers generally spike.
age we reach!
70 71
37. The ‘Dead Pig ’ passed out on a bed
of leaves by the river. Af ter a We went straight back to the Ugai to rest
coup le of hours, we had no choice and hope for a recovery. Chief Hasabudi
but to continue the struggle towards and the villagers stayed close to keep an
Kumbugetadi if we wer e to arri ve eye on things.
before dark. Soon a hunting party arrived and joined us
72 in the Ugai. 73
38. Saturday, 25 April, Kumbugetadi– It was a staggering sum of money in ing betel nut and watching intently. eat your rectum), to Aga ndola sigiga
Wolambimbuta, 6 hours these remote parts of the jungle, and Why was he here? pa nua (I will eat your sore red rec-
when John told me of the ‘generous’ tum). If the greetings go that far you
It was a great relief to see some early Ignoring Hasabudi, we greeted the
offer, I bolted, or more accurately know you are really good friends!
light. As I was still a mess, we decided gathered villagers in the traditional
rolled, off the stretcher as John told
to stay in Kumbugetadi for another Moni way. It is difficult to compare ‘I will eat
the chief that we would somehow
day, but eventually concluded that it your breast,’ let alone the more
make it without his help, even if we The Moni ‘handshake’ is not like ours.
would be better to try to push on intimate Moni greetings with ‘The
slept out in the jungle. It is performed by crocking the index
back towards Tomosiga in case things weather is quite chilly today’ in an
finger and putting it firmly between
got worse. A hush fell over the village as we English village, or with ‘G’day you old
the crocked index finger and second
set off like a troop of ants, with the bastard’ in a small Australian town.
We went for the plan that six people finger of the person being greeted.
meanest-looking, most muscular por- Lots of room for misunderstanding as
would carry me tied onto a simple Both participants squeeze hard, and
ter, Lukius, given the job of being my cultures mix and certainly after living
stretcher made from two poles and simultaneously pull their fingers
minder and main source of strength with the Moni, the words ‘Hello, how
some rice sacks. When the stretch- away, producing a loud clicking
and propulsion. After an interest- are you?’ and a cursory handshake will
er was built, I tested it for size. A tight noise, similar to the sound we make
ing start to the day we were lurching now forever seem rather mundane.
fit, and I would have to keep my legs by clicking the thumb and second
along the trail by 8 a.m.
and head well tucked in and hold on finger together. As we were making our polite ‘eat my
pretty tightly. After around four hours and many breast’ greetings, Hasabudi shouted
This is repeated many times while
collapses later, with a lot of pushing loudly to John. I didn’t understand
My bottom had just touched the slapping ones chest with the other
and dragging, we came to a small a word, but it sounded bad. In any
stretcher when Chief Hasabudi, who hand and saying ‘Amakane.’ Amak-
ridge-top village. With five huts, it event, I didn’t have much fight left
had been watching the proceedings, ane does not mean ‘hello’ or even
was not unlike Kumbugetadi and once in me, so we would just have to face
approached us. He demanded one ‘how are you’ as one might expect.
again there was much betel nut chew- whatever was coming.
million Rupiah per man for carrying It means: ‘Eat my breast,’ and is the
ing, many gourds, bows and arrows,
the stretcher to the next village, and ‘least intimate’ of all the vivid Moni To my great relief, Hasabudi broke
bare breasts and pigs everywhere.
that was less than half of the way to greetings. With increasing familiarity into a big red betel nut smile, spat an
Tomosiga. In total, he wanted six mil- Chief Hasabudi, the ‘six-million-Ru- the greetings become more colourful. impressive red betel nut spray that
lion Rupiah or around 600 US dollars. piah man’ had taken a different path The familiarity scale moving swiftly must have travelled a couple of me-
and arrived before us, and he now on through: Aga ba nua (I will eat tres and said he had just come along
Good timing and Hasabudi had cer-
squatted on the edge of the grassy vil- your faeces); Aga ndolapa nua (I will to check that we were alright and he
tainly picked up the smell of a com-
lage with his bow and arrows, chew-
mercial opportunity.
74 75
39. didn’t want us to be angry with him. enough but, as he explained, to help
What a diplomat! cure her, the villagers had slashed her
open many times around her kidneys
With the best smiles we could man-
using their bamboo knives to let the
age we assured him that we were
‘bad blood’ out. Our companion was
not angry with him, although from
in no doubt at all that having had
my viewpoint I am not sure that was
‘proper’ medical treatment she would
entirely true. Nevertheless, it was a
now be fine.
relief and we rested and chatted for a
while and then pushed on. We had heard of many cases similar
to this on our travels. Generally, the
By early afternoon, after many more
husband is not punished in any way
bone-wrenching ups and downs,
or even regarded as having done
we arrived at Wolambimbuta, a very
anything wrong. By Moni tradition, a
beautiful and safe village of a few
wife, who has been bought and paid
huts and a little church set around
for by pigs, shells or whatever, is her
a central grassy area. The village
husband’s possession and he can do
was all but deserted as everyone had
with her as he pleases.
gone to Tomosiga for a pig feast. The
village was surrounded by rich gar- Our new friend was himself travelling
dens and we ate very well on papaya, with two of his wives, his sister and
sabi (Moni asparagus) and jambu (an several of his children.
Indonesian fruit).
We had a reasonable night’s sleep
Sitting outside the church where we on the wooden church pews. Fortu-
would sleep, an old man with a bird’s nately, we had draped our tarpaulin
beak through his nose and a very im- over the entire building in case of
pressive gourd came and sat with us. rain, which of course did come. This
was not like rain in England; it was
He explained that in the hilltop vil-
made, I laid on i t
When the stretcher was
torrential and deafening, and felt like
lage we had passed through earlier, a
n came the six million
the entire annual rainfall of England
ready to be carr ied. The
man had beaten his wife so badly that
had fallen on the little church in
for tha t plan!
he had nearly killed her. She was left
barely conscious, badly bruised and
one night.
Rupiah pr ice tag. So much
set of f on foot wi th
with internal injuries and bleeding.
We had no choice bu t to
The beating would have been bad the task of dr ag gin g
Lukius Igapa being given
76
me along the tr ail.
40. Lukius provided much needed
support all along the way.
Without his help who knows what
would have happened.
He certainly saved my bacon,
or maybe even saved me from
becoming bacon.
78 79
41. This Moni gentleman had
certainly mastered the art
of creating a harmonious
family unit. He was travelling
with his two wives, several
children and his sister as well
as his bow and arrows just in
case of problems.
80 81
42. With great relief we reached the colourful
,
village of Wolambimbuta af ter a challenging six
hours lurching along the trail. We covered the
little wooden church with our tarpaulin in case
of rain. The low wooden pews that we slept on
were quite a contrast to the dance floor of
82 the Ugai in Kumbugetadi.83