October 27, 2012, arrived at Sentani Airport, Jayapura, Papua. First time ever to set my foot on this exotic region ... it was pure, green, clean from top ....beautiful.
Took a "taxi" from the airport to the city, the heat was there ... but the great beautiful Sentani Lake was the view of the day.
My Raja Kelana mind started to analyze the view ,,, what if tourists who come to Jayapura, upon arrival at Sentani Airport, instead of riding a car to Jayapura, take a boat ... to the nearest point of Jayapura, and from there proceed by car ... Imagine this, from the airport, by boat through the Sentani Lake, WOW !!!
I believe I am the first and the only one on earth who came up with this idea ...
In the evening, after a very delicious seafood dinner by the Jayapura Bay, out of curiosity, we stopped by a crowd of young boys and girls, talked to them and asked them what they were doing... apparently it was "Saturday night" gathering on the street, they were very nice, very polite, everything was ok, everybody was having fun and was full of laughter ...
It was nearby a police station, when suddenly 2 trucks full of cops entered the police compound out of nowhere ... one of the cops, young, jumped out of the truck ... shouting ... with a long wooden thick stick chasing a handful of youngsters who happened to sit and chat cozily in front of the compund, outside the perimeter...
We stood there frozen ... adrenalin pumping into my head ... what a disgusting and a very shocking view to us, who just came in from Jakarta ... I was angry, raged, but did nothing and could do nothing ....I waited ... expected someone from the "crowd" to throw a stone or something into the police station ... thanks GOD that didn't happen ... I asked the boys who were running and screaming ... I asked one of the youngsters: WHY ? ... I said to myself, if such thing happened in Jakarta, there would be a riot and burning ...
On the next day, the 28th, we launched the event at Aston Jayapura, and on the 29th a "Motivational" Seminar. Nothing like what I expected, the audience was great ! Not a full house though ... anyway, young, old, mother and son, a lone mother, a young entrepreneur ... all were there and listened to our Seminar ...
The local event organizer, our partner, was perfect, a young guy named Martin... energetic, smart ... and his team was excellent.
My message when casually talked to the young Papuans was, Papua is a great "land", you, Papuans, should preserve it, don't let anybody take if from you ...
Contrary to their looks, dark complexion, curly hair, the Papuans are very polite and friendly !!!
It was hard to part with Papua, a short three memorable days, wish I could come back again, and stay longer, and see other parts of the land...
On the 4th day in the morning, we headed for the airport ... we bought some Papua delicacies, and some bags of coffee ... PAPUA ARABICA COFFEE ... it was perfect ...
Our flight back to Jakarta transit by Timika ... the "gate" to Freeport ... we got out for about 20 minutes to strecth out a bit .. it was full of soldiers at the Timika Airport, and security a bit tight, a Regional Military Commander just arrived ....
Seeing a "camouflaged green" military plane (Hercules) with troops lining at the airport was like being in some "foreign" military base .... strange creepy feeling ...
On the bus back to the plane, a caucasian guy sat next to me, I asked him "So ...what have you been doing here, are you with Freeport ?" ... he said: "No, we are tourists, I just brought a group of Russian tourists from Denpasar, Bali, for diving .... here, near Timika" ... and pointed out at a group of caucasian men and women standing nearby ... one of the lady looked like a model, beautiful leggy tall, tan, short hair ... wearing a tank-top and a very short jeans hot-pants ... showing her perfect curves and her perfect "behind" ... and she was standing there, her back towards us, once in a while she took a glimpse of us, questions in her beautiful eyes ....wondering, perhaps wondering who is this dirty old man talking to my guide and stares at me like a wolf ... well, I am not made out of a tree .... full flesh and blood and very normal dude .... and she was a perfect lady ...
Afternoon, around 3 o'clock we landed back at the jungle ... Jakarta ! Welcome home ?
Oh yeah, almost forgot .....so, what about the Papua coffee ?
Different, nothing like Toraja nor Aceh nor Sidikalang ...
different .......... it tastes like Papua .... exotic ... delicious ...
