Blogs from East Timor, Asia - page 3

5.min pred zazvonim budika sa zobudzam. Na ranajky si davam fajn tuniaka v konzerve, uz len chleba chyba. V noci ma zobudila burka. Nastastie uz neprsi a mojim smerom je obloha jasna. Na opacnej strane vsak zatiahnute a blesky. Vyzera to paradne ked sa osvetlia oblaky. Ak by boli prve naznaky dazda okamzite prerusujem turu. Fakt sa mi nechce riskovat neaky ten blesk v horach. Par minut po tretej hodine rannej vyrazam. Celovka, gps, endomondo zapnute hor sa na horu do vysky 2963m. Avsak tentoraz startujem z vysky 1900m. Nie ako ked som siel na egon prakticky z nuly na 1650m. Cesta uplne v pohode, klasicka polna cesta pre auta. Skoda, ze osvetlenie co je tu vybudovane nesvieti. Pomalicky opustam dedinu, cesta furt v pohodicke. Celovka svieti, hviezdy predomnou, blesky za mnou. V tme vidim svietit ... read more

Po budicku vyplacam dalsiu noc, dostavam zlavu jeden dolar. Domaci ma posielaju na laundry do velkej bielej budovy cez hlavnu cestu. Je to daky hotel. Ale vravia, ze z toho asi nic nebude, bo je nedela, katolicky sviatok. Nabieham do dvora, pranie nie je problem, 3usd za kg. Tak nic teda, skusim ine mesto. Este ma napadlo sa ist spytat do daterra (rua de lautem). Pracovnicky vravia, ze toto poskytuju len hostom, mam sa spytat sefa. Ten akurat vstava, suhlasi a vraj mam dat potom zenskej tolko penez kolko uznam za vhodne. Ako fakt super majitel, po navrate z hor sa tu na noc ubytujem. Pesi presun k vziadelenemu supermarketu lita, nakup proviantu, odchytenie mikroletu c.12 a smer vcerajsia plaz. Tu okolo 9.00 ani nohy, zaberam miesto kde je najvacsi tien a zacina relax. Dopisovanie denniku, ... read more

I’ve had to escape Indonesia for a while. Not because I am on the run for the authorities, but because my free entry stamp into Indonesia is only valid for 30 days, and my days are numbered. The country of choice for my self-imposed exile was Timor Leste, also known as East Timor, a one-time Portuguese colonial backwater. Despite its backwater status, it attracted the attention of Indonesia when the Portuguese left the country in a hurry, and so not much later the Indonesians took their place. The East Timorese, however, were not at all happy about being treated this way, and soon took up arms. For the next twenty something years the protests rumbled on, until a particularly nasty massacre at the Santa Cruz Cemetery in Dili, by Indonesians troops, was captured on film by ... read more

The bus dropped the four of us off on the main corner in Baucau, called out for new passengers and then noisily made its way off to Dili. Two of us sat with the bags while the other two crossed the road to look at the pink coloured Pousada de Baucau, the flashest hotel outside Dili or possibly in the whole country. The $75 per room (sleeps two, including air con and WiFi) was far beyond what we wanted to pay so we got a room for four at Hotel Tato (the colourful place on the corner, next to Posada de Baucau) for $15 a night each, including breakfast on their rooftop. It was a quiet day and then we had dinner at the Pousada. Highly recommended for a splurge (food is still cheap with steak ... read more

All adventures seem to start from Dili. I'm not sure how easy it is to get a bus from say, out east to go south without going via Dili. It wasn't too much of an issue as we could come back, switch out things with our main backpacks stored at Casa Minha and then head off again when we were ready. This time we were hoping to climb Timor Leste's highest mountain, Mt. Ramelau for sunrise. The small town of Hautebailico is one of two starting points. Instead of a bus to Maubisse, we were on a truck that had no sun protection. Upon arrival at the bus station (aka, a roundabout south of town), we found out that the bus directly to Hautebailico had left hours ago (we were unable to ascertain what time and ... read more