DILI – DOCKS ‘N’ DIVE

IT WAS AN EARLY FLIGHT FROM DARWIN INTO TIMOR-LESTE. THE FIRST NEW SOVEREIGN STATE OF THE 21 CENTURY

ONLY 1 HOUR FROM DARWIN – FLYING INTO DILI, TIMOR’S CAPITOL

6 AM – THE CITY WAS DEFINITELY MORE AWAKE THAN THE AIRPORT

I DROPPED MY STUFF OF AT MY ACCOMMODATION AND WENT TO THE HARBOUR

FIRST VISIT AT THE HARBOUR – TRYING TO FIND A CUSTOM BROKER

I WAS AFTER A CUSTOM BROKER TO ARRANGE THE PAPERWORK – THIS IS LEGALLY REQUIRED. TRYING TO FIND ONE IS A LITTLE IMPOSSIBLE – AT LEAST I HAVE SEEN EVERY LITTLE HARBOUR OFFICE FROM THE INSIDE AND SAID MERRY CHRISTMAS TO HALF OF THE PORT EMPLOYEES, THE OTHER HALF WAS SNOOZING AROUND IN THE SHADE

EVENTUALLY I FOUND OUT THAT I DO NOT REQUIRE A CUSTOM BROKER TO PROCESS MY APPLICATION AS THIS IS A TEMPORARY IMPORT AND NO CUSTOM BROKER NEEDED. I GUESS THIS MATTER IS JUST UNUSUAL.

THE VESSEL WAS STILL OUT ON THE OCEAN WAITING TO BE WAVED IN TO GET DISCHARGED. PREDICTED ‘TOMORROW AFTERNOON’

AS IT WAS AROUND CHRISTMAS I PREDICTED THAT MY LANDCRUISER IN IT’S BOX WILL NOT LIKELY YET BE DISCHARGED FROM THE VESSEL SO I ARRANGED AN OPEN WATER DIVE COURSE TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT FILLS IN MY WAITING TIME

Screen Shot 2016-01-01 at 3.50.08 pm — FIRST DAY LEARNING IN CONFINED WATERS

IMG_0247 (1) — FRUIT AND VEGE FROM DILI’S LOCAL MARKET

THE NEXT DAY IN THE AFTERNOON – SAW THE VESSEL CREEPING INTO THE PORT – I GUESS HIS PREDICTION WAS NOT QUITE RIGHT

I SPOKE TO THE ‘ESTIBADOR’ WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE DISCHARGE AND BROUGHT HIM A BOTTLE OF PROOF 80 WILD TURKEY WHISKEY AND TOLD HIM I ESPECIALLY BROUGHT IT FROM AUSTRALIA. HE QUICKLY LOCKED IT AWAY TO NOT BE SEEN BY OTHER WORKERS. I GUESS HE DOESN’T LIKE SHARING MUCH. WE AGREED TO PUT THE CONTAINER TO THE SIDE SO I GOT QUICK ACCESS TO IT. NEW APPOINTMENT TOMORROW MORNING. I HAD A GOOD FEELING THIS TIME

IN THE MEANWHILE I KEPT MYSELF BUSY LEARNING HOW TO BE FISH

Screen Shot 2016-01-08 at 5.45.15 am — NEMO SELFIE

Screen Shot 2016-01-08 at 2.53.22 am — OKAY

NEXT MORNING 8 AM – I FOUND THE MATCHING CONTAINER CODE AND GOT MY CARNET STAMPED BY CUSTOMS. READY TO FREE THE CRUISER

THE PROBABLY BEST MOMENT OF THIS TRIP SO FAR. I HAVEN’T HAD MY BELOVED CRUISER FOR A FEW WEEKS. MY FIRST CARGO SHIPMENT – SUCCESSFUL. SO RELIEVING TO WELCOME THE TRUCK IN ASIA. LET THE REAL JOURNEY BEGIN