http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , East Timor en-us Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:36:46 BST Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:36:46 BST Sunday morning I said goodbye to the clinic and to the crazy chaotic and energetic city of Dili and made my way to Triloka.The night before I left the housemates I had been staying with had a small party for me. After pryer in the small back room we gathered around the kitchen table where they wished me well and sent their regards to my husband and family and presented me with a traditional t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/Baucau/blog-280636.html Each morning I walk a few blocks to the clinic from the house I am staying at. It is a short walk that takes a long time. The heat and Timorese pace seems to have slowed me down. On my way to the clinic I enjoy greeting my neighbors and especially the children who love to smile at me and occasionally walk a few feet behind me shouting Hey malai foreigner. Once I get out of the alley like http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/Dili/blog-273377.html The past week has both flown and crept by. I have many contradicting feelings and thoughts about my stay here so far it is amazing and lonely exciting and laid back. The city is pretty run down and very dusty. Rainy season ended a few weeks ago so now the days are full of blazing sun blowing dust and intense wet heat. The mornings and evenings are comfortable enough but by about 1pm I fin http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/Dili/blog-270433.html We stepped off the plane yesterday into thick damp heat and after getting our baggage we met Constantino and Dr. Christine for a ride to Bairo Pite Clinic dodging children dogs pigs and motorcycles. After meeting with Dr. Dan I was off to the Midwifery Ward Partera to meet the midwives and get acquainted. After a short time the Liddle's came to say goodbye and I was on my own. I met a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/Dili/blog-267925.html Are you really she asked prodding me to make sure I was real. Then she turned and yelled to her friends. Hey guys come and look what I've found. He's a tourist http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/Dili/blog-260847.html Hrrmph. I've been here for several hours and I haven't seen any sign of trouble not even a slightly irritable mob. Dili is absolutely crawling with people going about their normal business. Not only that but I cleared the airport in moments got a taxi easily into town found somewhere nice to stay for only 15night and I even managed to lodge my Indonesian visa application and book some di http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/Dili/blog-260193.html This will be my last entry from Timor. The last couple weeks confirmed that I made the right decision in staying in Timor this long. The beach trip to Liquica for Annie's birthday was a blast. I rented a scooter to get out there. And more or less I had no mishaps. There was a point where I almost drove off the road and this ambulance with heavily armed guys in camo stopped to take control of the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/Dili/blog-259438.html Dili is still treating me well. The curfew has been pushed back to 10pm so there's a bit of going out at night. Things continue to be calm as suspects involved in the assassination attempts turn themselves in. One of the biggies Salsinha was thought to be turning himself in at the Government Palace the other night. Jesse received a call around 8pm that something was going on at the Palace a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/Dili/blog-253205.html I am in East Timor and things are pretty good. A couple of weeks ago there were assassination attempts on the President and Prime Minister but Dili is far from tense. It actually seems more relaxed and prosperous than any other time that I've been here. There are more stores and restaurants. And more foreigners to fill them not the guntoting military guys from Nov 2006 but UN and NGO peopl http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/Dili/blog-250495.html We've made it to Dili no problems almost. The only real problem is that I didn't get what I came here for the 60 day visa. I clearly wrote 60 days on the application but the friendly woman at the office told me it was impossible. That was after waiting around for 3 days. I went back to the window to politely insist and she said I needed to write a letter why I wanted to stay in Indonesia for m http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/Dili/blog-240972.html A work trip to East Timor for Sandra. Lots of chicken satay and coffee not to mention eggs on toast the only breakfast option in the Timor Lodge But we did get up in a helicoptor for a view over the western districts took a trip to Bachau and stayed in the very pink Portuguese colonial hotel there and took a swim in the crystal clear and warm sea. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/Dili/blog-186679.html March 26 MondayWoke up at 630 like normal. Skipped school today. Still 63 degrees in the apartment but the sun is out again so it should be another nice day. Im going to get a schedule set up for this week to mail things home make sure I know where all my electronics are and to plan how to pack all the clothes I brought with me. Even though I have so much Ive used them all and have had t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/blog-142393.html A 6 hour bus truck ride to the ferry port and 30 hours on board an even older vessel I headed for east timor. A short stop in the port town and the clear observation that this town kupang only had mangos cassettes and fake import clothes to offer I took the next 12 hour bus ride into east timor crossing the boarder and arriving in dili.For a city or rather country that had nothing to offer a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/Dili/blog-126473.html Tourists an unknown speciesEast Timor is the place to go if you like to travel to foreign countries but you don't like tourism which seems to be a wide spread attitude of independent travellers. Tourism in East Timor is not well organised if you measure with Indonesian standards and if you take New Zealand's tourist industry as comparison tourism in East Timor is nonexistent. When we arr http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/blog-54318.html My last full day in Timor Leste and even though I wouldn't mind slacking some more down at the waterfront I pull myself together to make my long overdue daytrip to Baucau. I have decided to try to find a car with driver and the most obvious choice is grabbing a taxi off the street. The bus is not an option as my main objective is not really the city of Baucau itself but a chance to take some p http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/Manatuto/blog-32839.html Waking up this morning... ehm... noon... with a nice colour pattern my red and white skin mainly resembling that of a painted Danish soccer fan. I had some delusions about maybe doing a daytrip to Baucau the second city of Timor Leste but cannot really work myself into the mood. Instead I head downtown and stock up on some more film before returning to checkout my newfound love the Dili waterf http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/Dili/blog-31945.html Finally a decent chance to sleep in peace. I spend most of the morning in bed much to the dismay of the cleaning lady wandering about in the corridor outside. I'm up and about around noon and after picking up my laundry I decide to take a closer look on Dili. Of course as soon as I step into the sweltering mid day heat I am reminded that my lazyness will force me to endure the hottest segment of http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/Dili/blog-29847.html Even though there is a lot of commotion in the street outside I refuse to get up before ten. Billy and Manuella are already out visiting relatives so I can take it slow with the mandi chores and have some noodles for breakfast and look as tired and grumpy as I want to. I then go sit out on the front porch and relax in the nice shadow. As they arrive back at the house we say goodbye and I finally http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/Maliana/blog-27960.html Early morning again and this time I finally manage to oversleep and thus have to hurry outside to the car. Soon we are on the way to Maliana. The main road follows the coast snaking around ridges and mountains and offering some great views. The hills and mountains are dry and dusty their colours mainly orange and brown scattered with pale trees. There is a good lookout point not far from Dili http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/Maliana/blog-18864.html Yet another tiring morning flight although this time at least I am staying close to the airport. It gets a bit tiring living in a coffer like Yasser Arafat always lugging bags around so it is good to know that today I will arrive in a place where I can settle down for a few days. I am immensely happy to finally board for Dili a place I have been wanting to visit for so long. The weather is grea http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/Dili/blog-18801.html After being scarred for life by the experience of simply attempting to book a ferry to West Timor I eventually succeeded in making the crossing to Kupang. The story of how I eventually got the boat is even more ridiculous than my previous tale but I'll spare the details.Since Flores I have ceased being a 'tourist' and my time is spent either being a lazy sod or trying to transport myself a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/blog-5366.html HelloTimorLeste previously known as East Timor is on my way since May 2000 when I first came to this now newest country in the world.Since then I came several times and live here for more then two years. I'm speically passionate for the way Timorese people smile.I'll try to give you some informations about life here and i'll display several photos.Since I'm Portuguese once and a while I' http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/East-Timor/blog-2472.html