TIMOR BIRTHDAY WEEK

Diving up the Coast

Santa Cruz Cemetary, Site of the Massacre in 1991



View of Dili and beaches from Cristo Rei  (Jesus statue)



Pre-Sunset



Birthday Donut (candle and all) at the Backpackers, with good people




It was my Birthday week last break, kind of last minute I decided to go to Timor Leste (East Timor) instead of diving in Komodo as first planned. I was already in Bali and tried to book flights online at around midnight to no avail, so rocked up to the airport with cash the next morning and got the first flight to Dili.
When I first arrived I spoke to lots of different foreigners, I established that time restraints make traveling in East Timor near impossible. Busses will run sporadically if at all and there are many routes where the only reliable transport is with a private driver.

So I spent the week as always, diving, eating and also looking around Dili. I went up the coast about an hour and a half to some really amazing dive sites. The coral is so alive, it reminded me of the start of Finding Nemo - so many vibrant colours. On my birthday I went diving local, looking for the resident dugong. I had no luck seeing George, but saw my first big seahorse (I saw Pygmy seahorses that day before) and had 'fake' clownfish try and chase me away from their babies. These fish seriously thought they were huge and didn't realise actually how small and non-threatening they were.

I spent a lot of the rest of my time looking at the sights and learning about Timor's volatile history. Sounds grim but at the same time it's refreshingly positive at how forgiving and how excited the Timorese are for the future.I discovered early on in the Trip, that they do not have their own beer, but I guess they have better things to do.

 East Timor is not an easy trip, but was a very rewarding one. I will go back, for longer next time.


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EAST TIMOR - MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Me and My New Besties

Local Praying at a Virgin Mary Statue

Timor Leste flag waving proudly on the street

What an amazing country Timor Leste is, I haven't had this same feeling for a country since I volunteered in Cambodia 10 years ago. From the custom officials at the building they call an international airport to the little old lady that grabbed my hand adoringly and wouldn't let go (no, she didn't ask for money). The people here are sensational. For a country that has so recently seen such hardship, everyone is so upbeat. 

 

There is an odd dynamic here though because it feels like there would be no foreigners around and yet it is full of them. They are mostly Aid, UN and government workers. There are very few foreigners here for tourism and the tourist infrastructure is hard to navigate.

Everything in the shops seem to be from elsewhere. Packaged food and drinks are imported from Europe to Australia and everywhere in between. Possibly part of the reason this country is so expensive.

The currency is in USD, I went to buy a towel from a standard local shop, the price said $18.50. I don't understand how a person living in a bamboo hut can afford to spend $18.50 on a towel. I thought the price might be a mistake, I didn't ask because my tetum is rusty (actually non-existent). Nearly 40% of the population in East Timor live below the intentional poverty line

 

The only big, nice buildings in Dili are government departments or foreign embassies. Lots of the embassies are beach front. They would be prime real estate anywhere else in the world.

 

There is something about this place that has so much charm. I think the most important thing in a country is the people, secondly the food, then the sights. This order only changes when the sights or the food is mind blowing. So far, on first impressions, the people in East Timor absolutely make the place.  

 

I'm off to go and look at a statue of Jesus at sunset!

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BOAT UPDATE NO 1

Sanding the hull still in his work shirt

Half Goo-ed

Jesus

  

The boat is still safe and sound in Mexico on the hard. From the photos and regular updates I get she is looking good. I'm pretty sure Jesus might be working on it so its going to be a pretty well done job!

Poor Hendo, while looking like Jesus and drinking copious amounts of Tequila - but as I have been told, not before knockoff (mine site spec) has been smashing out tons of work on the boat. To date he has replaced the engine mounts, replaced the compost head to a standard marine toilet (anyone that wants to hear about my hate for compost heads - I will make a whole post about it one day), serviced the engine, has had the boomkin stays fabricated and replaced AND the biggest job of all, fixing the blisters on the hull. Along with every other day to day failure that happens with boating life like unexpected dinghy problems while a km out in the harbour, generators exploding and the struggle for supplies in a non-English speaking country.

Still not sure why he's doing it, I'm going with love of the community, the lifestyle and tequila. He now has a mate named Eddie working for him so the work is getting done doubly as fast at the moment. The amount of work involved with the hull is insane, I could fill the next 15 posts with it.

In super brief, It is currently at the point of goo-ing aka epoxy-ing. After the hull was sanded back and all the blisters popped and gauged, the hull then gets goo-ed and sanded again. There are plans for painting soon and dropping her back in the water.

Bit worried I might never see either the boat or Hendo again once she's back in the water. Tracking device might be a good investment!

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CAMP LIFE

Epic Sunsets

Mining Selfie

The only patch of grass at Camp

So I have never really worked on a remote mine site. I have done fly in fly out and lived in remote towns but never been based in a camp for the duration of my shift. 

So far I love it here. Even with the rig moral of mine site life.

It's a whole new experience. After 7 hours of online inductions, a day of inductions in Perth and 2 more days of inductions on site, I was finally allowed to start work, but still had to be passed out to operate forklifts that I have a nationally recognised license to do. 

 

Everyday we walk to the food hall on the same footpaths one behind the other, we get on the bus to go to work, we get off the bus, get breathalysed, do morning stretches and have a pre-shift meeting. It's Almost like a dictatorship minus the dictator, the poverty and the fact we get paid a sh*tload of money.

 

 And.. I am so stoked to be here. I'm really lucky to be working with a top crew of people. Everyone so far has been really friendly (possibly helps being part of the female minority) and the work itself is good. 

 The wildlife from the mice that occupy our workspace to the cows

that wander across the road constantly keep me entertained. Apparently we have a resident bungarrow that I am yet to meet.

At the moment I am on nightshift, It's freezing cold up here at night! Whoever said the Pilbara is hot, lied!

 

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SEA RESCUE

 

 

 

This recent trip to Gili T was to do my Sea Rescue dive course. I got there earlier because of my job change and went up to the dive shop where I have previously stayed. The dive shop section seemed to be closed and the accommodation empty. I stayed however for two nights until they kicked me out because they ran out of water. Luckily I ran into the dive instructor the night before - she was on leave but was due to be back to work in a couple of days.

 

I was a tiny bit down and out, I didn't instantly fall back in love with Gili and I was worried my re-visit was going to be a fail. I felt a little sad and disillusioned that the place I had loved so much the previous time didn't feel the same. We worked out that I could start the theory of my course on the Thursday and start the pool/shore dives on Friday and so was keen to give it a go. I decided to go live it up in a hotel in Senggigi, Lombok for a night at a nice hotel and just chill. Turned out to be a beautiful spot and I met some cool people.

 

After my hotel stay I went back to Gili and it just slipped back into the same awesomeness. I instantly met people, ate some delicious satay and the Gili love was back.

Sea Rescue course was another story though, somehow with a lot of things I do, I don't really pay attention to the reality of what is actually required and get lost in the excitement of the concept. This was one of those things. My instructor was awesome and super patient but I didn't really love the course, didn't really have lots of fun pretending to save drowning people... wasn't really my cup of tea. BUT... Its something great to know, especially with my goals of diving and boating. here's to hoping I never have to use it!

 

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