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Published: April 26th 2017
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Once upon a time... Or no. This January we were happy to visit our papua friends in Jayapura. Sitting on a coach with a hot cofee, we were chatting about our life. Word by word, we told Yulia (she is a papua girl who we met our last trip and made a friend) about the movie we watched one evening in Germany. That was "Jungle child" about Sabine Kugler - the girl from Germany, who spent many years with her family in the Fayu tribe in the jungles of West Papua. It was interesting to see, how european people could manage the life with the native tribe.
- Oh! - smiled Yulia and pointed the house opposit, - That is the house of Sabina's father and I know Pastor Teis, who was the student of Pastor Kugler. I can invite him here.
- Great!!!! Of course, we would like to meet and open for us the world of Fayu.
In 20 minutse we heard the knock at the door. The old man entered the room. It was Pastor Teis. He told us a lot about Fyju and showed us the pictures.
- I have an offfer for you, guys, - he
told. - It will be the trip there in 8 days and if you wish, I would be glad to take you.
Of course, we wished. And in 8 days the small plane came for us. I was very affraid to fly with this small jet, as I have never flown with such a tiny airplane in my life. But the views of the merald jungles, embroidered with the curve rivers below the wings were unbelievable. In 2 hours we got the place and a small crowd of tribe people came to wellcome us. They were shying at the first time and after we shaked the hands and invited us to the small meeting to represent each other.
They told us the stories about their tribe, about Sabine Kugler and his father. Sabina was almost the saint for them. It was very interesting to see some faces of tribe people abot whom it was written in the book by Sabina Kugler and even those faces who acted in the movie.
So the first evening flew away very fast and we went to sleep. It was very weis that we took mosquitos nets wit us, as there were a
lot of creazy flying bastards, who could eat us easily:-)
Morning has begun with wild howling dingo dogs. I never heard such tragic howling. So our dogs don't howl, having even guessed the dead man in the house. AUUUVAVVAUUUU! From the different places this howl had reaching us. It was like a war has been starting and all sirens in unison announced a trouble. But it was only the morning ritual of dingo dogs. It is necessary to get used to It. Having woken up and having killed the mosquito which has seized an anklebone, I have started wandering to wash myself on the river which flows in 5 meters from the village. What this pleasure is!!! The purest water which can be drunk without thinking about fear to catch some ilness. . And the most important: you won't see any gabbage there. Fayu don't litter where they live, like imany inhabitants of our planet do that
The crowd of children followed us to the river as tourists did not visit this place before and it was so interesting to take a look that white people would do. One of the boys waved to us with a hand
and having shown the sign "Wait Here", dissapeared in the deep jungles. In a couple of minutes he came running, sparkling snow-white teeth. In hands it had an oblong orange fruit.
"Papaya!!!" - Asaego!!!
Asaego - in the local dialect means a set of words. But depends on intonation. Asayego can mean and hi, and thanks, and please!
Unusually tasty papaya satisfied hunger.And birds of paradise flew around, competing in speed with each other, wind and huge butterflies. Multi-colored parrots, singing something, rushed on their affairs!!!
In the evening the concerts and a boiled river turtle were waiting for us. Of course, it was a pity for the turtle. But I cried and ate. As in life everything should be tried.
In the morning we were woken by shouts of men and women, squeals of pigs, howl a dingo and crowing of roosters. All this cacophony of sounds already became pleasant morning accompaniment..
"Hey! Wake up! we have killed a cassowary! We want, photo- photo" - have shouted voices. While we slept tight, men with bows and arrows descended on hunting and have killed (a mammoth) a cassowary. The poor bird was right there plucked and was sent
to a pot to become a lunch for all village and us.
On a photo live cassowary. The dead one I didn't want to make a picture.
Unusual softy meat, something reminding a veal. If you have an opportunity, surely try. And then we were learned to shoot with a bow. Frankly speaking, I couldn't pull a bowstring from the first. I puffed, suffered, but didn't manage to do that. Followed by a tribe laughter, they brought me children's small bow, which is used to teach small children to shoot. Well, that I could manage and with an applause we have gone for hunting to the jungle. But, as we aren't professionals, nothing has happened. Traditionally in the tribe, men always sit separately from women. But everybody hunt with bow and arrows like equal. Any woman can kill a wild cassowary or a boar. And every child already in the childhood is accustomed to shoot. But I think, the next time I will shoot better.
After a lunch, in the deep jungle Fayu men showed us dances of the tribe. On the heads they had crowns from feathers of Paradise Birds. They danced, flying into a passion and
playing the long bamboo tubes, creating an unusual music. It is worth seeing. Forever they will be in my heart .- this wild, mystical dance of the nude men.
I didn't want to go back to civilisation, but it was time and our plane came to pick up us.
Bere, Johannes, Korovay, girls and children. We will miss you and we look forward to meet you again. Next year.
Farewell was so touching. Each of the tribe approached, shook hands and rubbed with their foreheads to our foreheads, showing their friendship and saying that we became a part of this tribe on the far river Deru, in the deep jungle in the valley of the river Memberamo.
If to describe all impressions of the meeting with this tribe, then several pages will be needed. And the person who are interested on learning the traditionsof Fayu, life, to learn to shoot the real ancient bow, to hunt a cassowary or a wild pig in the wild jungle, we offer join us in the following trip.
All information is here:
https://www.facebook.com/Stoneage-hunting-131978867338194/