Tag: Timor Leste

Seasons are changing and there’s excitement in the air.

  Winter is coming. The days are shortening and the nights are cool… There’s a strange feeling in the air where people seem more relaxed and will be enjoying the season. Maybe it’s because on May 20 the Timorese celebrated their independence day and everyone was in good spirits. Not much happens in Dili, and … Continue reading Seasons are changing and there’s excitement in the air.

Bumped By Beer

Had dinner last night with some UN people, and they talked about taking the UN helicopter to Oecusse, the lone enclave/district of Timor-Leste surrounded by Indonesia. The only way in and out is by a) driving 8 hours through Indonesia, b) taking a 12-hour broken down ferry, or c) taking a 45-minute helicopter ride along … Continue reading Bumped By Beer

Breathing in Baucau

Had a chance to get out of Dili last weekend and visit the second largest city in Timor-Leste. Compared to Dili, Baucau is a sleepy town about 120km east of the capital city. From what we saw, there isn’t much going on in the town, so you can guess how it is in even smaller … Continue reading Breathing in Baucau

Anymore 'afters' and there won't be a 'now'

The last month has been a whirlwind of craziness… first I was in Canada for about 3 weeks in January after finishing my job in Timor-Leste. It was a welcome break with all the snow that fell – I haven’t seen a “real” winter in about 3 years. But even 3 weeks went by quickly … Continue reading Anymore 'afters' and there won't be a 'now'

Mountain air rejuvenates the soul.

Here are a few photos from our trip to Maubisse. Most of the photos are from my digital camera or Muriel’s. I’ve taken some from my film camera, but I haven’t found a decent developer in Dili so I haven’t been able to develop my film. If you want to see sets of photos from … Continue reading Mountain air rejuvenates the soul.

Thanks, but I’ll stick to eating chicken

This photo explains it all in Dili, or Timor-Leste for that matter – infrastructure in need of work, flashy UN trucks, sun and sand, and rising mountains in the distance. Outside of these Dili gates, the population decreases dramatically and things start to get calmer, almost tranquil if you don’t have to think about what … Continue reading Thanks, but I’ll stick to eating chicken

There's more than meets the eye.

Had a chance to head to the countryside over the weekend… it is a whole new world out there. Dili is a nice place to hangout, but only for so long. After a month checking out the sites in the capital city, we rented a driver and car and headed out to Maubisse. We weren’t … Continue reading There's more than meets the eye.

Learning more about Timor

About one week into my stay in Dili and I’ve found out some things: It’s very hot and dry People are generally friendly Food is surprisingly good and varied (i.e. Indonesian, Thai, Turkish, Chinese, Western) You need a car to go just about anywhere You don’t want to be walking on the streets between 10am … Continue reading Learning more about Timor

Timor Leste, East Timor, Timor Lorosae

The flight was long. To be exact, it was 20 hours of flying, twice changing planes, and an overnight stay in Singapore. There were benefits… like enjoying a nice meal in front of a flat screen TV in business class. Approximately two days after taking off from Vancouver, I arrived in Dili, the capital of … Continue reading Timor Leste, East Timor, Timor Lorosae