We have been in Timor
for 4 months today. It feels like we just got here but if I think about how
much has happened it feels like a lot longer. It has been a very long time
since we updated the blog. Therefore we have a lot to cover, this task has
fallen to me.
So I believe last
update we were going to Dili to watch 4 games of footy in the first round of
finals. Tom, another volunteer in Timor who is Bens East Timor BFF by default
of the fact that he is as big a Bombers fan as Ben is flew in from Oecussi. I
skipped out on one of the games to get some “me time”, which involved an $8
dollar, unsymmetrical haircut. Then I went to the Hash House Harriers, which is
an expat group of “drinkers with a running problem.” We went to the pub after to
meet the boys, who after 6 hours at the pub were a bit merry, but not as merry
as me to watch the Dockers beat the Cats!
So after getting our
football and food fixes in Dili our journey back to Same was an epic journey.
We were told to get to the bus station, well not so much a station just a spot
near the markets on the side of the road at 5am. There were lots of other
people and an array of animals also waiting to get back to Same so we knew we
were in the right place. At 8am a bus came going to Same, we did a lap around
the block then the bus driver decided he didn’t have enough passengers so he
kicked us out and said he would come back in a few hours. So at 11am, after 6
hours of being half asleep on the side of a road, the bus came and took us home
to Same. Another 7 hours in the bus and we were finally home. Pretty long day
for an 81km journey!!
So life in Same is
well, pardon the pun but pretty same old same old. It’s a sleepy little place,
where not too much changes. It’s very, very relaxing though, we have whole
weekends up our sleeves. So funny talking to people back home who are so busy
and complaining they have no time for themselves when we don’t have much to do
even if we wanted to. Good reminder to enjoy this opportunity while it lasts as
I’m sure it wont take much time of being home to forget this fine art of
chilling- out which we are becoming experts at. One of the most exciting things
is all the strange creatures that visit us in our lovely little house- some
less wanted than others! We like the big lizards but the huge bugs and the
scorpion that was actually inside our mosquito net were really not welcome!
Tyler and the Tokay- Tokay geckos are the 2nd largest species of gecko in the world and
grow up to 50cms. We have a few living in the house, this one is only small, the biggest is about 40cms long and loves nothing more than do make his distinctive call (for which they are named after TOE-KAY) in the middle of the night, in our roof.
Strange, large, noisy
and unwanted bug.
Life here can be
difficult in other aspects as well. Such as getting all our food. We have to go
to about 10 different shops or market stalls, paying separately each time and
no-one ever has change to give you. Then we cart everything up the big hill to
our house. The other day we had to refill the gas bottle so I was sitting side
on the motorbike and we were a little of balance. When we took a corner going
up the hill there was suddenly a herd of cows in front of us and we very nearly
bumped into a big mamma cow!
So other than routine
evenings of bug watching many hours have been spent cooking, eating, hanging
out on the balcony, skyping, playing the guitar, the odd bit of exercise and
hours upon hours of watching series of DVD’s. It may come as a shock to some
but I am becoming a bit of a SciFi fan, it actually feels kinda strange
admitting it, but StarGate and BattleStar are both pretty dam entertaining. We
somehow managed to watch an entire season of BattleStar in a week! I am not
proud to admit just how many hours of television that is…
We have not just spent
all our time here doing nothing however and have made a few good road trips
away. We went to Baucau, for a full moon party on the beach. Well it was only a
half moon at the time so more of a “fool” moon party but still pretty fun.
Well, bit of Eurotrash dance music but we did have a good time star gazing/drinking
on the beach. Needless to say I had a few good insights to make considering all
the recent watching of shows with “star” in the title…
Baucau town was
probably the highlight. We watched the Hawks v Adelaide at the Pausada, which
was like a resort- I wasn’t sure what country I was is for a little while! The
Baucau local pool is also amazing, an old swimming pool made during the Portuguese
era, filled by fresh water springs, surrounded by greenery. The whole town is
built on a down slop heading towards the coast, and there are waterfalls
everywhere. Just beautiful. I’m just a little envious of our friend Daniele,
another volunteer who’s posting is out there. The drive to and from Baucau was
pretty good too, along the coast, bit of a Timor style safari with water buffaloes
all along the roads, not to mention the usual menagerie of all the usual Timor
creatures.
After the Baucau trip
we stayed in Dili for a few more days as my friend Suzie was coming over to
visit us after a year living in Melbourne taking the long way home back to
Ireland. So Suzie flew in on a Wednesday, and I had to go back to work. But when
I finished work I was a little shocked to find Suzie and Ben watching the “manufuto”
or the cock fighting, which is down the road from our friend Karen’s house
where we were staying. Great intro to Timor Leste!
This shot is the men
tying the blade onto the rooster’s foot. Not for the faint hearted! It’s
actually serious gambling, people in Timor are really poor, but 100’s of
dollars are spent gambling at the cock fights.
No surprise that Ben
and Suzie kinda stood out a little, being the only white people and Suzie the
only female in the cock fighting venue.
The next day Suzie and
I headed off to Ateruro island. Ben was too scared to join us in case there was
a problem with the weather or the boat and he would miss the grand final! So
Suzie and I headed off on the boat to Ateruro, and had the most amazing welcome
ever- a pod of over 100 dolphins. They started showing off for us, leaping out
of the water and swimming along side the boat. It really was one of the most
magical things I have ever seen.
When we arrived on the
island we walked into town, which was a bit silly as it was nearly 2 hours away
in the middle of the day, and Suzie and I got token sunburns to last us the
rest of the week! That afternoon we went for a snorkel which was absolutely
brilliant, endless corals and endless visibility. Absolutely perfect. The next day on the island we went for a few
scuba dives. Which was absolutely hilarious as we had the craziest scuba diving
instructor ever. The man was so highly strung and all over the place, I was
thinking at least when we are under water he wont be able to talk for at least
40 mins, but the man was even able to convey the fact that he was completely
manic while under water. Pretty funny really. The diving was good though which
made up for it. On our second dive we saw a turtle and I saw a little ray sleeping
under a rock, a huge spotted ray out in the distance and nearly swam straight
into a cuttle fish.
Early morning life on
the coast
Women collecting wood
Suzie and I hanging
out with local kids out the front of our tent
Transport, Ateruro
style
The next day we headed
back to the mainland, we were hoping for whales to top it off but no luck. Got
home to a very excited Benjamin, as it was Grand final day- in his top 5 days
of the year! So Ben marches off to the pub, Bombers singlet on, bouncing the
footy down the streets of Dili. People here still get a bit confused by the
strangely shaped ball. Suzie and I met him there in time for kick off as we
needed a little down time after roughing it in paradise. It was a good day down
at the pub. The game was bloody tight as I’m sure I don’t even have to mention.
For once it wasn’t just Ben and Tom standing up screaming at the umpires in a
quiet sleepy pub. All the expat Aussies
in Dili were there carrying on and it had a somewhat Darwin pub kinda feel to
it. After the footy we went to the beach to kick the footy. We stayed there for
a few Bintangs and a bit of a swim. It was a full moon and started raining
which was pretty nice after being such a ridiculously hot and muggy day.
Grand final down at
the pub with our new friend Laura and Ben W from London- was Ben W.’s first
game of footy- what a game to start with. Needless to say he is hooked on AFL!
The next day with
slight hangovers it was necessary to complete Suzie’s Timor experience and we
made the treck up to the Jesus statue, then finished it all off with a lazy
breaky down by the beach. (Really, we are roughing it here). Then Suzie had to
go, and off in a taxi to the airport she went. Sniff! Was soo good to have a
friend from home visit (well not that Suzie is from home but it seems like it).
Miss ya Suz!!
The view from
CristoRei
After all the
adventure it was nice to get back to Same. We are currently 14 days into a
Sober- October and going strong! We are on a mission that we like to call
“Operation Fitness Model.” (#OFM). We are working out most days but it’s hard
to counteract all the carbs and packet noodles we are eating here... We bought
an oven that goes on the gas stove which has not helped because now we can bake
and make pizza.
I’ve started working
in the hospitals and clinic which is really cool. I helped out with the birth
of a little Timorese baby girl the other day. The midwives are all really
lovely and welcoming, so my average working day is now a fair bit more interesting.
Yesterday we went down
to the local beach called Betano which is about half an hour away. We went with
the Cuban Doctors and a few Portuguese teachers who are living in Same. So it’s
a language mix up but although communication is a challenge hanging out with
friendly people is fun. Probably the most fun thing was watching Ben’s face as
he watched the Cuban men dancing salsa on the beach in there speedos. As Ben
said, “Too much wang…” We had a bit of a cautious swim as the south coast is notoriously
croc infested and there have been a few recent fatalities.
Our local beach!
Here are a few shots
of the newborn monkey down at our local servo. One of the cutest things I have
ever seen, only a few days old. Was pretty sad though as they told me that they
ate his Mum and the monkeys here are tied up or in cages all the time. I didn’t
have high hopes for the monkey’s survival being soo young but every day as we
drive past, 2 weeks later he is still alive.
So today Ben was off
to Dili bright and early with work on a bus full of 35 children. You can
imagine his joy on a Sunday morning. They are doing a big event in Dili which
I’m sure he can fill you in on during the next Blog. So I’m having a relaxing
day, chilling out on the balcony and have finally written the blog that Ben has
been nagging me to do. Missing you all back home and in 2 months today we will
be heading home for our xmas holiday. Enjoy the weather as it starts to warm
up, the tables are starting turn as the seasons here start to change from dry
to wet. Can’t wait to see a few new
people in the world, baby Hudson and Lachie and a few round tummies with babies
on the way!
Lots of love, Bemo xxx
