I move to Timor Backpakers today. Large Bintang is $4US – that’s better!
I spend another day in the city. Lunched at a Turkish cafe and the owner used to have a Turkish restaurant in Cairns. I knew it well having dined there. He has had the cafe here for five years and his home-made breads are the talk of the town apparently.
There are police everywhere in Dili and security fences are a feature of the hotels and many other businesses around town. Crime must be a problem and you can see the potential for naughtiness in the eyes of some of the young bucks around town. There is a lot of youth unemployment in Dili and across Timor Leste. So far I have had no problems. I am surprised at the lack of development happening in Dili. We hear of billions of dollars flowing into the country for it’s natural resources but I don’t see much evidence if it being spent in Dili. There is some construction going on but that seems to be via efforts of private companies and foreign embassys.
There is a great crew of people staying at the backpackers. While having a quite beer I am joined by Klas who is a freelance journalist from Sweden. He has a week more in Timor Leste after several months here writing for publications back home. He is with his Uraguayian girlfriend, Andrea, who is studying to become a social worker. Charlie is an elderly kiwi and came here to study the indigenous Tetun language over a two-week course while having a look around. He has travelled extensively. Robert is Australian and is also a journalist and he has just taken on the role of media person for a lady who will be running for president in the election due next year. Lawrence is a young guy from Germany who has been studying creative arts in Sydney for the past year. He is on his way home via Timor Leste and Indonesia. He is still waiting for his precious luggage to arrive, lost by Virgin Blue and again by Air North! Rob is from Holland and he is traveling the world overland – no flying! He threw in his job to go around the globe. From here he gets onto a boat from Australia that has arrived as competitors in the annual Darwin to Dili yacht race. These boats are often looking fro crew for the return trip and Rob has been lucky enough to score a ride.
After talking with these guys I’ve learned some disturbing home truths about East Timor. All is not well in the shiny and bright upper administration of the country. It seems the reason for the lack of visible development is because the money is disappearing. Corruption is rife. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. ‘But these guys fought so hard for the independence of this country’ is my response. Apparently this doesn’t mean much.
Charlie, Lawrence and I go for an after-dinner ale at one of the quieter local nightclubs frequented by the expats here. There is an East Timorese two-man band performing BGee’s covers. They are very good. On the way there we pass some very rowdy clubs, also full of expats. Outside one of the rowdiest are a huge line up of UN vehicles. You can easily spot a classy restaurante or night club around town from a distance by the number of UN cars parked outside. And you find them parked at the beeches as well. They are big Toyota Landcruisers and Parados and they are here in the hundreds, constantly throughout the city. Mostly they have only a single occupant. It is the most extravagant use of the company car I have seen and does noting to dispell my negative attitude towards the behaviour of the UN. Sorry, just had to have a bit of a rant! Anyway, we enjoy our few beers and walk home down some unlit roads, not something we would do alone.
angusmccoll 
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