Dilli, Timor Leste (Wednesday 20 July)

 Flying to Dili from Bali is easy. There are two airlines that service this route daily, indicating a busy interchange of people between the two locations. I fly with Batavia Air and the 140 seats available were full. From the air, Timor Leste has some beautiful looking beaches.

The airport is simple but that’s fine, I don’t have any expectations here. Getting through the international entry process went well and there was a comical moment when I went to get my luggage. The small luggage travellator here goes very fast. Luggage flashes past and bags are thrown off at the ‘u’ turn corner! Passengers try hard to latch on to their stuff but in the end, an official ends up throwing everything on the floor. We then sort through until we find what we are after.

Everything is in US dollars so the scale of the economy for me is completely different to Indonesia. Basic facilities here are expensive in comparison to what I could get in Bali. My current accommodation is close to the airport but about 5km out of town. My room is simply part of a shipping container with a window, rattly airconditioning and no room for swinging cats!. And this is $25US per night. This is low-end accommodation in Dili. There are some flash hotels where you would pay similar prices to hotels in Australia. There are many foreign workers in Dili so the humble traveller is competing with them for resources, hence the high prices. I guess as Dili develops this will change.

I can’t say I have been smacked in the face with over friendliness in the 15 minutes I have been here. That’s fine. I don’t expect it to be like Bali. I suspect the people here probably tolerate, rather than welcome, visitors. There is a saying here for visitors, ‘Two days is too long, three days is too short’. So it will be interesting to check my opinion at the end of my stay.

I went for a walk into town after lunch. I go via a map in the ‘Lonely Planet’ and take the first street that will get me to the beach. It takes me through a very poor part of town where even the dogs look sad, then onto the esplanade where, in stark contrast, all of the Foreign Embassy’s hang out. The US and Chinese have the grandest of course! Markets are just opening up and there is an atmosphere here similar to Indonesia. Locals must choose to come to the markets to eat rather than cook at home. There is food of all variety everywhere.

The air is much cleaner here than Indonesia and there are people out jogging, riding bikes and there is some serious volleyball being played in a sports area on the beach. Under the golden glow of the setting sun it is a beautiful and relaxing sight.

I catch a taxi home. The taxis are beat up old cars of all makes, and the drivers seem just as unhealthy, coughing and spluttering. I hope it’s from cigarettes and not tuberculosis! Traffic has the same character as in Indonesia – free for all! Perhaps it is an Asian way of driving. A large Bintang here is $6US compared to $3.50AUS in Indonesia! Bugger!