Via Twitter, one of my friend was asking my story when I visited the traditional local market in Jayawijaya highland in Papua, and asking if I could send him some photos. So trying to find my old photo collection when I lived in there, kind of reminds me the old life that I have, till I found one of this old story I wrote on my old Friendster Blog in here :D
So enjoy this old writing of mine...and now I am really hoping that I could visit lovely Wamena and their unique traditional market of Jibama again....:D
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Pasar Jibama, Wamena
Before left Papua, my hubby and I spent some few days in the cold city of Wamena at Jayawijaya highlands. We were there to attended one of my best friend’s, Ratih’s son 1st b-day, but also to bit farawell to our friends, extended family and also my partners in that area. And to again enjoying the beauty and unique culture of the highlands community.
So in between our tight schedule, I took my hubby to the traditional market called Pasar Jibama. This market is located at the valley of Jayawijaya mountain, about 15 minutes by Becak from the city of Wamena or from my friend’s hotel [Putri Dani' Inn]. The differences we can immediately noticed from the market are the traders and buyers are almost all local Wamena’s people. Its very rare to see people like us [whom they called "pendatang"]. I guess some “pendatang” are bit scared to visit this market 
but for my self, this market is one of my favourite hang out place in Wamena [hehehe]. I can bravely came alone to this place, or I used to bring my “bule” and other Indonesian friends here, just to introduced them with the local wamena market and its livelyhood. I can take many pictures, talked with the people specially with the women or we used to call the women “mama”, enjoying my self buying some local produce such as fruits like markisa [very nice !], carrot, tomato and other item that I used to buy for gift such as noken bag and other local made handycraft, without feeling scared and in doubt. It is sometimes Wamena people look menacing, but I guess it just because they are innocent and also because they seldom see other peoples. My hubby also looked scared and worried when he first time visited this market. He sounds unsurecure there but after took him around the market and let him negotiated in buying some fruits, he started feeling more confident [hehehe] and start enjoying the atmosphere there … specially when he saw people buying and selling pigs from piglet to the size of “bajay” dont know why but my hubby looks excited. He perhaps imagining what of “Obelix” imagined
but for my self, this market is one of my favourite hang out place in Wamena [hehehe]. I can bravely came alone to this place, or I used to bring my “bule” and other Indonesian friends here, just to introduced them with the local wamena market and its livelyhood. I can take many pictures, talked with the people specially with the women or we used to call the women “mama”, enjoying my self buying some local produce such as fruits like markisa [very nice !], carrot, tomato and other item that I used to buy for gift such as noken bag and other local made handycraft, without feeling scared and in doubt. It is sometimes Wamena people look menacing, but I guess it just because they are innocent and also because they seldom see other peoples. My hubby also looked scared and worried when he first time visited this market. He sounds unsurecure there but after took him around the market and let him negotiated in buying some fruits, he started feeling more confident [hehehe] and start enjoying the atmosphere there … specially when he saw people buying and selling pigs from piglet to the size of “bajay” dont know why but my hubby looks excited. He perhaps imagining what of “Obelix” imagined It just a short visit we can see the original tribes people interact with each other. If someday I can comeback again to visit the highland of Jayawijaya, will I still see the same ????
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