Group of young men from village assisting our trip.

Dressed in their finest. The “cloth” hanging off their heads is actually made from tree bark. They use as a rain coat and a ground cloth to sleep on.

Typical hut on stilts. This elevation was 6,000 feet above sea level and yet it rained nightly. Typical “cloud forest” environment.

Two young boys from Bianu village walked to the grass airstrip with me. The grass airstrip can be seen as the bare piece of ground behind the boys. When we see the strip from this distance it means only 2 more hours of walking!

Along the trail people had put in pipes in areas where the water was clean. We would stop clean our utensils and fill our canteens.

Many a time the locals would come to see “the white man” and would help with my camp site for the night. These men were digging ditches around the tent to channel rain water away from me during the down pours.

Bainu village boys who followed me for a week.

Crossing foot bridge. About 15 feet above the water. I always felt safer when there were two logs to walk across!

These log bridges were everywhere. Some were in good shape, others were scarily rotten.

One of my packs for the month supplies,which the 15 year old girls carried for eight hours. Up and down the trail with hardly breaking a sweat. Amazing

Family from Bainu village. Mr. Zion’s family who let me stay at the “high garden” site. His father was the last person eaten by the village in the 60’s.

Almost to the “high garden” site. Where I will spend the next two weeks researching. 6,000 feet above sea level.

My guide Joseph’s sister working her garden. The garden is on a steep slope. There is a new born baby in the sack on her back also.

Just part of the terrain as we hike to Bainu village.

Joseph. My guide. Had good contacts in this area as his sister had married into the tribe. Spoke little English, but we communicated well enough.

Group ready to leave and go search an area I was not allowed to go. Thought they saw something, but I felt the report not valid enough to make the all day trip and maybe cause trouble.

My 15 year old girl porters. The men consider it woman’s work to carry anything, so I could not find men to carry these packs. The girls were amazing in the strength they had to carry this weight (75lbs) for 8 hours. Especially with the load on their necks!

See how well I can cross on a two log bridge! The single log bridges could get slippery!

One of the oldest women in the village. Said she was in her 60’s

Tawa village across the grass airstrip which is in the middle of the picture.