RAJAH AMPAT 2004 - LOCAL PAPUAN VLILAGES AND BIRD WATCHING
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Village Visits and Bird Watching (Papua Diving) - Jenwaupnor and Marandanweser Villages

Wonderful village visits!. Unlike the villages I went to visit in the Solomon Islands, these villages were not trying to sell us carvings and trinkets.


max ammer and bird expert nico
A guide from Jenwaupnor named Nico met Max and me at the jetty of his village just after 5am in the morning (it was a proper jetty because an aid organization "trades" things like jetties, proper wells, and school buildings for the promise that the local reefs will not be destructively fishes), and we tramped through the jungle for half and hour to a spot where a bird observation platform had been built up in the trees. At the top of the forest canopy, two birds of paradise were showing their bright red colors and making lots of noise. Nico can imitate their call. We also saw many hornbills whomping their way overhead. When we returned to the village, all of the kids were there to greet us. It was amazing to see their response to a camera. As soon as I raised it to my eye, a swarm of kids would crowd together and try to get into the frame. As soon as they heard the click of the shudder, they would rush over and

village kids love photos
cram their heads around to see the image on my camera's LCD (but I noticed that they were careful not to touch it).

By now, they are so used to digital cameras that they know that they'll get to see photos after they are taken! I find the faces of the local Papuans to be amazing (especially those of children and older folk). And everyone is so nice.

The other village we went to was just about to start church services (they are Adventists and have service on Saturdays), and our wanderings around the village were accompanied by hymns in the distance. On the way to the village (on the boat), a small school of about 100 jacks leapt out of the water in succession three times just next to the boat. It was one of the coolest things I've seen, and still burns in my mind with crystal clarity (the small jacks each sparkled in the sunlight and threw off droplets of water that froze in the air, the ocean's rippled surface gliding by).

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SELECTED VILLAGE VISIT PHOTOS

Crossing a bridge in a local village
A bridge in a local village
The bridge back to the village
Shelters built on dugout canoes
Eric Cheng with local kids in a Papuan village
Local kids
Local kids
An old dude and local kids in the village
Papuan village
A local Papuan Village
A local Papuan Village
Showing photos to local kids
Houses in the local Papuan village
The kitchen of a local Papuan village
Steve and Hiro by the garden
Eric Cheng
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Rajah Ampat 2004
- Rajah Ampat Home
- Best of: Photos
- Bali & Makassar
- Diving Rajah Ampat
    - Abstract
    - Anemonefish
    - Blennies & Gobies
    - Cephalopods
    - Conservation
    - Crustaceans
    - Fish (Misc.)
    - Nudibrances & Worms
    - Pearl Farm
    - People, Underwater
    - Pipefish
    - Pygmy Seahorses
    - Reefscapes
    - Scorpionfish
    - Sea Stars
    - Sharks & Rays
    - Clams & Shells
    - Supermacro
    - Sweetlips
- M/V Pindito & Staff
- Papua Diving Resort
- Local Papuan Villages
- Leave a Message!

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