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Accessible only air or a month's steamy wa thick jungle, representatives of this area periodically emerge +rr'�"'� he forests. In 1990, such a group surfaced. Ambassadors of th ribe, evidently shocked by what they saw, immediately disap red again. One of the world's last isolated cultures hangs on in e remote jungles surrounding Irian Jaya's Grand Baliem Valley, re Dani tribesmen wear only penis gourds-early-model joc ps made from dehydrated yellow squash shells that are fitted r the genitalia and fastened skyward by thin strings tied around waist. Irian Jaya is the western half of equatorial New Guinea nd Indonesia's least-populated territory. It is a spel lbinding hold ut for some of Earth's last pristine jungles, mountain ranges and l':" .. indigenous people, most of whom were "discovered " by missionar- 'es in the '60s and '70s. Today, many of these tribes are succumb- ing to government directives like "Operation Penis Gourd, " designed to get them out of their traditional getup and Western clothing. I spent a month trekking in these highlands, a zone doesn't exist in contemporary terms. The terrain is a fabu checkerboard of Dani vil lages su rrounded by stone fences and neatly-kept sweet potato gardens, canals and terraced mountain sides. The Dani live in little thatch and wood, grass-domed called honays. Trekking here is a blend of va lley walking, high endurance climbing and harrowing cl iff scaling. The terrain is rugged and often muddy. The walking routes make up a prolific de tra il system. Occasionally I had to pull over to allow a trio bow-and-arrow-toting hunters to pass. The awe-inspiring mountain ranges in the central part of island are permanently covered in snow and ice, while the low- ing areas to the north and south maintain great tropical jungles. Torrential rivers plunge from the mountains into gorges and lush lowland ra inforests, then out to coastal plai ns. Palm tree-li ned, white sand beaches rim the island. A raft of bohemian types have fi ltered in and out of th va lleys since 1938. But I'm not sure if anyone else encountere Ruuf, my Dani guide. He led me, calm and wise, leaping ba from log to slippery log. When I lost him, I tailed his footprints in he mud. A billum bag slung around his head contained potatoes, a palm-leaf mat that doubled as a rain poncho and com pressed tobacco and leaves for rolling cigarettes. re In the Jungle I contemplated my deviation from the essential . One day, monsoon rain splashed down abruptly. Pausing . r:"----�---_.,.---...,....,.,Ⴀ.--- i ed by flooded shoes an I«''''""T-coaked raincoat, I looked across the trail at Rufus iling under his thatched poncho-ha bit, not even a dro water on his petrified squash. human nce. � Rufus and I shared many bowls of rice. He ni bbled small finger fulls and gazed around the forest identifying singing birds. It's difficult to process the rugged, amazing beauty of these Melanesian people who only disca rded stone axes for steel in the mid-1900s. They continue to hu nt and gather, spending their days as del iberately as nature. Traditional ly, men fought battles and guarded e women while they ra ised children, pigs and sweet potatoes. Today, women still bear the brunt of the field rk while the men generally walk around, chat, pose for urists and smoke cigarettes. Intrepid archetypes indeed ! e men also tend the gourds that grow according to the pe of the weenie sheath they fancy. I slept, and reflected, in Dani honays. Men and omen sleep and pass time in separate ones. A whole, egg shell atop the roof indicates that there is a sick person inside. Particular huts are the privilege of Dani men who've establ ished themselves as warriors. These alpha-male sanctuaries are fertile pastures for the imagi- nation-all around hang animal heads, spears, weaponry .. __ _ and charms. 'I" Dani converse in very soft tones, if they speak all. We sat in a ci rcle, enveloped in smoke, illuminate only by a fi re, smoking clove cigarettes and noshing on soft, warm sweet potatoes. I accepted the si lence as med .J- _ �