Tag Archives: Dili

Day 86 – Goodbye Dili

The last day of comfort in Herman’s Dili abode has come, it is finally time to move on and get on the road. Plus, there was some recovering to do from the long hike and strenuous ride back.

We spend an awful long time with the last two blog posts today. Our mobile data has run out and we did not want to buy another data package for our last days in Timor, so we went to Timor Plaza after lunch and used the free wifi there. Free unfortunately also means slow and unreliable, so all in all, it took us two hours to get the two post up online.

Nina and Joris

Porch night with the VSA volunteers & other New Zealanders

After a brief debate whether to move on late today for a short day or sleep one more night yesterday, we settled on staying and leaving the next morning. The main reason was that this gave us a chance to meet the New Zealand volunteers we have met over the last two and a half weeks one more time.

We had a great night again. A special thanks to Joris for his inside food tips and, of course, Herman for all he has done for us. He gave us a base, was our guide, driver and at times cook. Thank you, you are a big part of the reason why we will remember Dili fondly.

Day 85 – Mt Tatamailau/ Ramelau

Uargh...usually that's too early. What you are willing to do for a sunrise

Uargh…usually that’s too early. What you are willing to do for a sunrise

To be able to see the sunrise from the summit requires you to get up early. Very early. The alarm clock went off at 2:45am so we could start at 3am. Right on time we were sitting on the veranda, waiting for our guide Aldo. Then we waited. And waited. When he hadn’t shown up by 3:20am, Flo checked that we had the hiking track on our GPS and we started without a guide. Hato Builico is about 1933 meters above sea level while the top of Mt Tatamailau, the highest point in Timor-Leste, is at 2986m.

Hiking in the dark was quite the adventure. We were lucky in so far as the moon was full and shedding much light as well. But still, you don’t see much more than what your headlamp shows you. If you turn the lamp off though, you could see many stars and off course the full moon so we took the time to take two long exposure photos in the dark.

View up the road with long exposure of the night sky. You can see a couple of the stars

View up the road with long exposure of the night sky. You can see a couple of the stars

First, we followed the “road” through the village and up to the entrance of the hiking track. Road is in quotation marks as it was a mixture between broken up asphalt, rough dirt and gravel. At one point, while following the asphalt, the road just disappeared into a drop. We took a picture of it on the way back.

The entrance to the hiking track is marked by a gate. This gate is an entrance monument for the pilgrimage up the mountain with Francis of Assis on it. Right behind the gate, steps start to lead up the mountain for a while. After a long series of stairs, the path turns into a dirt track that steeply climbs the mountain. Then it turns into goat tracks which zigzag up the side. One of the tracks had been “barred” with a branch; we took the advice and continued straight on.

First glimpse of the red sun

First glimpse of the red sun

At 5am, the birds all started to sing on cue as the first light appeared on the horizon. A red shimmer started to glow while we made our way towards the ridge. Our headlamps were unnecessary at this point. On the ridge, there was a nice little cleared area with a perfect view onto the horizon where we stopped and watched the red sun rise about all the smaller mountains in the vicinity. The views were grand; not only with the sun rising but also with the morning fog still hanging in the lower valleys. It looked as if we were the only people around for miles.

Sitting down to watch the sunset was lovely but also really, really cold. As soon as we stopped at such an exposed place, I began to shiver so Flo and I put on all the cloths we had brought including hats and fleece snoods. Looking like in the middle of winter we waited for this summer day to begin.

The statue isn't actually that big

The statue isn’t actually that big

After the sun had come up, we hiked the last part up to the platform to a statue of the Virgin Mary. The statue looks big on photos but is only about 1,50m in real life. Unexpectedly, there was a local up there, recording our arrival for the ministry of tourism.

From the platform, you can see far into every direction. Ramelau is pretty much in the center so you could see the ocean on two sides of the island of Timor. Indonesia/West Timor was visible in the west while Maubisse, Baucau and even the bay of Dili could be made out in the distance.

Standing on the highest point, looking over all the land stretching out to your feet was quite awe inspiring.

On the way back down, Flo and I were reminiscing about all the places we had been to already and struck with the idea of what is yet to come.

We took a different goat track down and realized that there had been a landslip at one point so that from there onwards, it was unpassable. Luckily, there were still zigzag tracks down to the other path that we had come up on. These were steep and slippery though so I was especially careful.

Now we could see what we climbed up in the dark

Now we could see what we climbed up in the dark

Now, with the sun up, we could see the surroundings of what we climbed in the dark which made retracing our steps a bit more fun than it usually is.

At about 10am, we were back at our guest house. We packed quickly and then sat down on the veranda for a break. Aldo appeared shortly but seemed to be too embarrassed to talk to us. He confirmed that he had overslept and then was not to be seen again. I guess he still felt bad about the $15 he could have earned as a guide…

Flo said he felt well enough to drive so we hopped on the bike, said our good-byes and took the long 18km of cobblestone road back out. Winding along three valleys, we didn’t stop much today as we already had a 6 hours hike behind us.

In Maubisse, we had a lovely lunch in the same café as yesterday. Coffee was one of the main selling points for Flo and also, the food had been good and much. I took a coke instead of coffee to wake myself up again as I could read the signs: Flo was eager to get back to Dili today instead of staying in Maubisse for the night.

Another four hours of driving later, we finally made it through all the road words again and were back in Dili. Herman and the other volunteers we asked were busy so we had time to wash clothes before heading off to bed at 8pm. I for my part was knackered at that stage.

Day 82 – Back to Dili for…RUGBY

We got up and had more bananas for breakfast. Packing was tough because Flo was so sun burnt and also many school kids passed us and they all wanted to talk.

A beach just out of Com.

A beach just out of Com.

We were quite glad to be back on the road. The scenery was still incredibly pretty, driving along the water front. In the beginning, we took our time taking some pictures of the livestock around us. Every animal seems to be a smaller version here. The pigs are quite small and the brown cows are comparatively tiny. They look more like deer than cows in some cases.

At 10.30am, we stopped at a roadside food vendor. Most of these tiny stalls sell rice soaked in coconut milk wrapped in banana leaves with a grilled fish of the day. Flo felt it was still too early for grilled fish, thus we had the rice on its own. It is quite tasty. While having our food, the lady’s kids had a look (and a touch) of our bike again while a little pig cleaned the ground underneath our table in case we’d dropped anything.

Spring fed pool, looks a bit out of place.

Spring fed pool, looks a bit out of place.

Around lunch time, we were back in Baucau. This time, we didn’t have the money to go to a restaurant so we had another banana break and a look around. The pool, which was empty when we had passed it on Thursday, was filled now and in good use. With our sun burn, we weren’t tempted in the slightest to join them…

The trip from Baucau to Dili is estimated to take another 3 hours. At another roadside eatery, Flo got his grilled fish in the end. 🙂

In one of the nooks of a hillside, there is a blessed spring. Not due to the blessedness but due to the water, the surroundings are very green and sheltered so a village with shops to both sides of the road has sprung up. This is a feat in and of itself as the road was built right on the edge so that half the houses have to be on stilts to reach the same level as the road. This village is quite busy during the day as overland city to city buses, mikrolets and tourists stop for a refreshment. I managed to buy chocolate cookies for 50c which compensated for Flo’s grilled fish.

Green only where there are springs. The road is below.

Green only where there are springs. The road is below.

The last bit of the road back to Dili was in excellent condition as it was just finished. It kept confusing our GPS which told us to turn around and go back to the road a couple of times because it didn’t know that this road existed.

Back in Dili we had a nap (longish) to prepare ourselves (or rather me) for the rugby game at midnight. The kiwi volunteers have a place in town where they go to watch the rugby world cup and we planned to go as well. After a late and yummy dinner at 9pm, I had another hour of sleep before Herman picked us up again, half an hour before the kick off.

The spirits were high as there were many more All Blacks supporters than Springbok ones. The game itself was way too close for my taste and I nearly suffered a heart attack a couple of times. BUT the All Blacks made it into the final now.

Day 77 – Chilling at Barry’s place

Originally, we had planned to take the water taxi back to Dili at 9.30am. However, yesterday night Barry told us that the water taxi is booked for a diving trip and thus will only make a trip at 3pm. Since we had nothing planned except for waiting for the bike, it didn’t bother us too much. Almost another full day on Ataúro with time to read and chill sounds promising.

The aforementioned "platforms" - great chill out.

The aforementioned “platforms” – great chill out.

Breakfast was lovely again, this time with pancakes. The usual eating room was booked for a full day workshop so we sat outside in the shade, having a lovely conversation with two German travellers, Lüder and Renate.

Afterwards, we occupied one of the “platforms” to read and write to our heart’s content. We watched as one of the huts at the beach got a new roof in the traditional manner and a veranda was added to the hut. Since not a lot happened, I’ll use the space to describe Barry’s place some more.

Heading over to Ataúro, Flo and I were almost certain that we would have no reception and no power so we left the laptop in Dili. As soon as we were in Beloi, it turned out that ‘no reception’ is a first world problem. Even in Adara, on the other side of the island, Flo’s mobile phone had a full signal. I am unsure about the power situation but Barry’s place at least had solar panels so we could have charged the phone or our laptop if we had brought either with us.

Ladle, pot, some soap. It was clean and just right for us

Ladle, pot, some soap. It was clean and just right for us

There is no sewer system on Ataúro so a long drop served as that. It must be quite good and efficient version, as despite a temperature of 30 degrees, the smell was minimal. I particularly liked the shower: A generous room with a basin full of water and two ladles to fill water into a pot with tiny holes above you and have it rain down on you. It is particularly nice if you have someone there who refills the pot constantly while you have a nice long shower. 🙂

Since we had to stay till 3pm, we had a last lunch on the island. Barry gave us the lunch for free, which was very lovely. Having fresh salad is always a treat but especially if it is prepared for you. Makes it feel more like a holiday.

At 3pm Tony’s water taxi and the dive crew arrived. They then had to unload all the air bottles so that we set out at 3.30pm. The taxi was rather small for crossing 35km of open sea and (at least in my humble opinion) the ride was rough. It was all I could do to hold on to the handrails and stare at the horizon…otherwise I’d probably been seasick. Flo enjoyed the ride way more than I did, looking out for flying fish (apparently there were many) and later for the Darwin trader. The ANL Darwin trader is the ship on which Rocinante is supposed to come over to Dili. It was scheduled to arrive at 9am this morning so Flo had his fingers crossed that he might see it in the harbour or, if we are lucky, already docked.

Oh what a joyous sight!

Oh what a joyous sight!

We were lucky: The Darwin trader was docked in the wharf and looked as if it was half empty already. Flo just stopped short of jumping for joy. 😉

Having land back under your feet is an amazing feeling, I can tell you. The ride over had taken 1 ½ hours so it started to get late in Dili. I will never really get used to the fact that near the equator, the sun simply sets at 6.30pm, no matter if it is summer or winter. It really cuts your daylight time quite short.

Hubert and Alex hard at work at the infamous Timor Backpacker

Hubert and Alex hard at work at the infamous Timor Backpacker

We had one last thing to do today: Walk past the backpacker in Dili and see if we can find any more motorcycle travellers. Chantal had told us about two more guys riding BMWs who are supposed to be staying there. It didn’t take us long to find them as they were out in the yard taking their bikes apart to clean them for the Australian biosecurity check. Hubert, a German traveller, and Alex, an Italian guy, took their work pretty seriously. There was even some scrubbing of a tire with a toothbrush. We had a chat and decided to have a drink together tomorrow night, once Chantal is back from Ataúro island as well.

Day 74 – Carnet Success

Herman had been trying to convince us to go to Ataúro Island on the weekend. Apparently, there is a ferry crossing over on Saturdays and if you get tickets for it on Friday, they cost $4 each. So Herman gave us a lift this morning.

That was ... too easy. Take that, Australia!

That was … too easy. Take that, Australia!

We briefly stopped at Timor Plaza with just enough time for Flo to realize that he had gotten the bill of lading from ANL and for Herman to print it off for us at his office. Getting the bill of lading meant that Flo could get started on the carnet paperwork.

Regardless, we had come to town for a reason and so we wandered around at the wharf to by ferry tickets. People kept referring us to “the next gate” until we ran out of gates and wharf. Actually, the tickets were sold through the fence in a corner of the area. You handed them your passport and the correct amount of money (no change!) and then got a ticket for the 5 am ferry. Oomph! I was not aware that it would be quite that early, but it is due to the tides and the very shallow harbour in Dili.

By accident we met Reed and Marten on the street in front who were looking for the wharf themselves, as they are both waiting on their motorbikes as well. Turns out they even saw Rocinante in the warehouse in Darwin where they dropped off their bikes.

It got worse since then. Ouch!

It got worse since then. Ouch!

After a chat and a brief excursion to Hotel Timor so that I could hand in my postcards, we exchanged email addresses and parted ways. Flo and I went on to Pateo, the Portugese supermarket, to buy some bread rolls.

On our way to find a mirkolet, I managed to fall down on a flat section of footpath. Luckily, I am only bruised (my poor knee) but Flo hailed a cab and we took a good look at my knee at home. While at home, we grabbed the carnet for Rocinante and headed back out again to hunt down a stamp.

A slow ride in a very full mikrolet later, we were back at the wharf. This time, we only had to ask two people before we were in the customs office and as soon as Flo said “carnet” they knew what to do: We got to the right person who took us into her office. We handed over the carnet and got the stamp. Easy as!

Yep, they have great food. Ignore the open drain ...

Yep, they have great food. Ignore the open drain …

So by lunch time, we had pretty much done with what we wanted to do. Flo organised our accommodation on Autúro and our transportation back to Dili with two phone calls. We were completely set. 🙂

For lunch, we went back to the Hani Ristaurante & Coffee Shop near the stadium and had yummy food. They had an eggplant-chili-salad that was so good and Flo ate a grilled fish with it.

$3.50 USD ... all of it, for both of us, including drinks :)

$3.50 USD … all of it, for both of us, including drinks 🙂

In the evening, Herman took us along to the SkyBar in Timor Plaza where all the volunteers gather for Friday evening drink. Flo and I had a lovely time chatting to many of them, but we still were not able to meet everyone.

The SkyBar is on the roof of the 5 story building; outside tables with a bar and even live music set the scene. Apart from all the volunteers and expats it was still crowded as it seems to be a popular spot to spend a Friday night.

Dinner in a Japanese restaurant rounded off the night for us and we went home to pack and get some sleep. There is an early start ahead of us tomorrow morning.

Day 73 – the good life

We could be happy. We should, shouldn’t we? I mean, we are in a tropical wonderland, the sea, good food, nice people and sunshine all day and all of it on a budget that is less than our rent back home. And we are enjoying it. If only I could convince my gut of the fact. Being separated from the bike for so long, plus the uncertainty of when exactly we will get it back creates this constant presence in the back of my mind. “This is not the trip, this is an interlude” – “Everything will be alright once you have the bike back”. For the most part, this was the first day where I could quiet that little voice enough to just enjoy myself and relax.

After four days in Dili, we had to do some washing. Even that proved to be an adventure as the washing machine was like nothing I have ever used and had to be filled with water from the hose. It worked amazingly well though and is much quicker than washing everything in a sink.

After four days in Dili, we had to do some washing. Even that proved to be an adventure as the washing machine was like nothing I have ever used and had to be filled with water from the hose. It worked amazingly well though and is much quicker than washing everything in a sink.

That is, until it all came rushing back to me. The VSA volunteers are an amazing bunch, but waves of doubt and terror washed over me when two of them started smirking at my expected timeline for getting the bike. The words “it might take weeks” were used and my heart skipped a beat. But no. They know a lot and were full of great advice for Dili, but when it comes to shipping bikes, I know my stuff, I have done my research. Only 3 more steps. The ship arrived in Darwin today, so the container (I know the number) needs to go onto the ANL Darwin trader; the ship needs to come to Dili, docking and unloading is scheduled for Monday, but might be delayed by up to 3 days due to traffic. Final step: The container goes to the bond yard, we pay and pick up our bike. Once it is in the bond yard, I can pester the shipping agent until they let me to my bike, so the only other delay may be getting the container from the wharf to the bond yard. A week in total, maybe, but not “weeks”.

So goes my mantra, and with that, I have managed to relax a bit. We spend the day reading, blogging and researching our next steps. The plan is for now to catch the cheap ferry to Atauro Island on Saturday and come back on Monday to sort out the bike.

Opposite to the entrance of our sunset bar. There are many stray dogs around and we've already seen a couple with puppies.

Opposite to the entrance of our sunset bar. There are many stray dogs around and we’ve already seen a couple with puppies.

We had lunch in a western style vegetarian café near Timor Plaza that Nina got recommended. The pieces and the décor made it clear that this is predominantly a place for malae (foreigners) – a fact highlighted by the two ridiculously out of place American ladies whose conversation on marketing skills would have been more suited to a posh LA café than a place surrounded by stray dogs and accessed via wooden planks over an open drain / stream. The food was good, but about 5x more expensive than our lunch yesterday. I guess, since this is the first place we ate at that handed out receipts, the western businessmen don’t care much about the price.

Half way through our almost customary afternoon nap, Herman came back. His afternoon meeting has fallen apart a bit, so he got spare time to pick us up and drive us around for some more sightseeing. This time, we went east, to the statue of Pope John Paul II, a little bit behind the airport. It tells you something about the level of catholic-ness when the capital city’s coastline is framed by two symbols of faith looking towards it.

Sun is starting to set.

Sun is starting to set.

To round off the day and get the sunset we missed last time, we went to a very posh bar on the eastern beach. Slouched on bean bags with a coke in hand, I was able to push the demon of bikelessness to the back for a while and enjoy the sunset.

Also not without mention should be our dinner, which Nina enjoyed immensely. We went back to the place from last night to check out their sit-down restaurant part serving Indian. The paneer was great. I love how international the food is in Dili, and how easy it is for Nina to find tasty vegetarian food.

So all was well … until the demon returns …

Day 70 – Dili

Leaving Australia

The night was short, very short. To be in good time for our flight and be certain we got time to go to border Australia for the TRS scheme paperwork. TRS stands for tourist refund scheme, a way to get a refund on GST if goods are exported within 60 days of purchase in Australia. Given that we spend several thousand dollars in AUS, were ready to jump through some hoops to get 10% back.

warm, tired and confused

warm, tired and confused

A brief taxi ride later, we found ourselves at the check-in desk for AirNorth at the Darwin airport. Despite my better judgement I believed the check-in staffer when she said that we have to check in our luggage straight away and the only TRS desk is behind the security checks.

With plenty of time and our boarding passes in our hands we went through the checks. I got pulled over once again (my passport seems to have performance issues with the scanners), but nothing came of it. And just after that, we got the cold dark confirmation: People will tell you anything to get rid of you, especially if they know you can’t come back to complain.

“No refund, you have to show the goods!” – “I know, but the lady said …”- “The airlines problem, there was a desk downstairs” – “can I go back?!” – “No …”. I am not ashamed to say that I made a bit of a scene there and then, and when the superior border officer came around, I took my chance to plead our case one more time. She took pity, frowned upon the minion and with a “their story is pretty convincing” ordered for the full amount to be refunded. Wow, a near miss.

We even had time for a hasty breakfast and blog post before we got on board. Turned out, the breakfast was a bit premature, but then again, what about second breakfast?

A day in Dili

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