An extreme operation in any every sense, the mine pit is situated at 4000m above sea level.
The mine towns are situated at about 2500 meters and we needed to take a cable car to reach the pit and processing area.
The mine is also a natural and environmental disaster the rivers have been pumped full of tailing's which run grey in colour. The security is extreme.
The Indonesian army is contracted to protect the site and we had to got through about ten army checks.
The local pupuans have the worst deal they mine the river illegally but they have to sell to the army the army in turn is supplying them with the equipment to pan the river. The army controls the illegal operations buying the gold in exchange for money, food, alcohol and cell phones . Two years ago when the the mine was looking to bring in a private security firm the army instigated an attack on a bus in which a US teacher was killed .
The are several tribes that live in the valley the mine provides them with a clinic. ( managed by SOS)
We had to be careful because these tribes still have small wars using stones and bows and arrows. On Tuesday the mine sponsored 60 pigs to be slaughtered as peace festival??? Which resulted in a few tribesman exchanging arrows and spears, in this part of the world a pig is more valuable than your wife. The SA doctor in the village had is hand's full removing arrows and patching up the local headhunters.
The tribes generally leave the SOS doctors alone but that's not stop them drinking to much local brew or smoking mountain cabbage and running amuck in the town.
The gold is then piped in the form of a concentrate from the top of the mountain to the coast which is about 100 miles away. We had to catch a ferry to the clinic which situated at the processing plant near the port. We had to be on the look out for crocodiles. ( sea going monsters) We didn't see any and I presume the army would probably kill any if the came across any crocs.
A view of the mountains of west Papua.
Jason and I at 4249 meters above sea level.
A view of the largest gold mine in the world. There is a link to the Freeport website on the blog, should you be interested to find out more about the mine.
This is how the local tribes women carry their babies around. Yes, there is a baby in the Satchel.
Posing with local tribesman; notice the traditional weapons that the "headhunters" are carrying.
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