Baliem Valley changes

Sadly, the primitive bridge in Irian Jaya’s (West Papua’s) Baliem Valley, described by two readers in the October issue (page 42), no longer exists.

I was in Papua, Indonesia, in July 2010, and the bridge is gone, having fallen into disrepair after that section of the river became fenced off by a hydroelectric facility and no longer accessible.

Our guide showed us another primitive bridge in the valley, but it’s much more difficult to get to and not nearly as photogenic. Ah, the price of progress!

MICHELE BURGESS

Huntington Beach, CA