Monday morning and it’s a 4am start for both of as we need
to get to the chopper to get down the mountain to go and get our KITAS for
being here (immigration/work permits). So we get picked up at 445am to go wait
it out at the heliport (which looks like over sized tin shed that has blown the
doors off). We are all checked in and on the first chopper down, which is
always good. But today the choppers were only flying for business only as the
mine workers were starting strikes at 9am down at OB1 and OB2 (yes I made a
very cool joke about I know OB1’s dad darth vader – and the joke was wasted)
which was just next to where we had to get our KITA’s.
So down the mountain and off to the hospital with the drive
that collected us from the airport. When we got to the hospital it’s was so
hard to try and remember everyone names. We were taken to the building for the
KITA’s and that took to whole of 20 minutes. So the day was ours to go and have
a look round Timika.
I have to say I am not a great fan of Timika, I would much
rather spend the day in Jakarta but hey it’s a day out round the shops. So with
the very few shops to go to we do manage to find a store that I can get a wok
from and other bits we need for the house. And then Gobey asks the driver to
stop at a carving / handmade Papuan store for a look. We end up buying a 4
Papuan men riding in a boat, a bark painting and a bow and arrow set all for
£30 if that. So shopping down and it’s time to head back to the hotel for the
evening. And we need an early night as it’s another early start again tomorrow
for the chopper to get back home and Phill has work to go to.
